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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 22 asked in the Legislative Council on 4 May 2021 by Hon Jim Chown

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

RENEWABLE HYDROGEN STRATEGY — PASTORAL STATION LEASEHOLDERS

22. Hon JIM CHOWN to the Minister for Agriculture and Food:

Regarding the government proposal to push through changes to land tenure laws, particularly to pastoral stations, with the intention of allowing massive areas for solar and wind farm use, what remuneration will current leaseholders receive when these proposed land tenure changes are ratified to allow renewable energy generation for hydrogen manufacture?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member. I think it is the first time we have heard the opposition as opposed to the crossbench actually ask a question about hydrogen, so it is cause for celebration.

Hon Jim Chown: You are welcome, minister, but please answer the question.

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN: I am entitled to give a little bit of a preamble to give context because I am hoping that in the process you will not become —

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, please provide the response.

Hon Jim Chown: Thank you.

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN: I am certainly pleased to see that the opposition is now greatly supportive of the renewable hydrogen industry and look forward to seeing that support.

It is certainly not our intention to impose upon any pastoralist a hydrogen precinct development. Although Minister Buti and I are at the early stages of discussion of what the excisions from pastoral lease process may look like, one thing we are extremely clear about is that this will occur only should a proponent get together with a pastoralist. Any pathway towards a hydrogen lease would have to be done at the instigation of the pastoralists with the underlying lease. I can tell the member that more than enough people are very interested in that. On Sunday in Kalbarri I met with Belinda and Calum Carruth from Murchison House station. They were very eager to see this new twenty-first century industry be developed in conjunction with their pastoral activities.