Paul Martyn

The Coalition is the only party with a credible plan to get to net zero and our plan aligns with international best practice.   Our plan is for a balanced energy mix including renewables, gas and zero-emissions nuclear energy replacing coal as it retires from the system.   Learning the lessons from overseas, it’s clear that there is no credible pathway to net zero without zero emissions nuclear energy.

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As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, I’m reminded of significant large-scale battery projects under construction, such as CS Energy’s Greenbank Battery project in Logan. This project will play a crucial role in stabilising renewable assets on our grid. Work is progressing rapidly on-site, and once the battery becomes operational in 2025, it will enhance grid reliability and drive further improvements and efficiencies across the network. This project will feature 108 Tesla Megapack 2XL units, all of which were recently delivered and will work to alleviate pressure on our grid by balancing power supply, smoothing out demand peaks, and facilitating load shifting. The benefits extend beyond enhancing grid stability and reliability. Large-scale batteries stimulate economic activity, reduce energy prices, and create jobs and employment pathways for locals—essential as we transition to a clean energy future and build out our SuperGrid. Equally important is fostering a diverse and dynamic battery sector that supports this transition. Our department is focused on realising the Queensland Battery Industry Strategy 2024–2029. This will outline how the government will work with businesses, industry, and research institutions to achieve a thriving battery industry. To learn more about the importance of battery storage technology in our renewable energy transition, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gq2gBYdy Department of Energy and Climate #renewableenergy #battery #batterystorage

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As our energy system continues to transition, so do the needs and expectations of energy consumers. The AEMC has today released a draft Terms of Reference for consultation focussed on electricity pricing for a consumer-driven future. Before we fully commence the review, we want to get feedback on the draft ToRs to help shape what the review should cover. We are looking to understand what are the products, services and preferences that consumers will want and need in the future, and how can retail and network pricing enable and support delivery of those needs. Full details, including on how to make a submission to shape the final ToR, can be found at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gDPDfGKP Mitchell Potts Zak Rich Drew Butterworth Lisa Shrimpton Milo Letho Justin Robinson Nicole Stokes Danielle Beinart

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Australia has historically operated one of the most carbon intensive power systems on Earth. This independent analysis clearly lays out why the transition to a renewables based system, firmed up by storage and fast- start gas, is by far the most efficient and effective model for the future. For anybody interested in energy or climate policy, it is definitely worth reading - or at least reading the excellent summary AEMO provide…

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APRIL AGENDA   NEW PLANNING SCHEME FOR PERTH Draft LPS3 has been prepared to align with the Local Planning Strategy as approved by the WAPC. It reflects the strategic land use intent for different parts of the city and allows for significant employment as well as residential population growth. It enables development incentives to continue to be offered for the delivery of various community benefits and strategic outcomes. LPS3 will consolidate 4 local planning schemes, 7 minor local planning schemes, and ~100 local planning policies to produce a contemporary planning setting for the City.   LOCAL LAW REVIEW Council is being recommend to approve a review of the Local Government Property Local Law 2005, and the Thoroughfares and Public Places Local Law 2017 with the aim of increasing the penalty for an offence relating to tree vandalism.   STRATEGIC COMMUNITY PLAN REVIEW Following a minor review, the Council is being recommended to adopt the revised Strategic Community Plan 22-32. The DLGSC’s IPRF and Guidelines states that a “minor review” of the SCP is primarily a desktop review exercise and usually focuses on resetting the Corporate Business Plan with consideration to informing strategies as required. The report to Council notes that the intent of the document should remain unchanged.   MAJOR EVENT OPPORTUNITY The City maintains a Major Events Activation Reserve “to allow the City to leverage activations associated with third party-run major national or international events.” The City’s involvement in the proposed event is consistent with the purpose for which the reserve fund was established, with the proponent requesting City support through the provision of $250,000 in-kind support for services, fees and charges. This funding is proposed to be matched with an additional $250,000 to take the total budget for the proposed event to $500,000. The nature of the event is subject to commercial in confidence at this stage.   INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS FINALISED A chapter in the City’s history is over with the very final quarterly progress update report on the remaining recommendations from the Inquiry into the City of Perth now presented for Council to receive, close out, and send to DLGSC.   WASTE TO ENERGY The Waste Supply and Participant Agreements are proposed to be considered by Council under confidential cover.   FULL AGENDA: https://lnkd.in/grCwQX2d #Perth #CityOfPerth #Australia #CityOfLight #EastPerth #WestPerth #Nedlands #Crawley #Northbridge #PerthLife #PerthWA #PerthGram #PerthIsOk #CelebratePerth

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It's time for some transparency and new thinking on public transport. Greater Wellington Regional Council (GW) says it has a big shortfall in its transport funding. How about some transparency in where the money is going? The Snapper system shows every ride on every bus and train. The data should show the patronage and revenue for every route, for every time of day. Putting the Snapper data together with its cost data, GW should be able to tell us how much per passenger each route costs for the different times of the day. If that is too difficult, they should at least be able to tell us the average number of passengers being carried on each route, peak and off-peak. Then we could see that many services are near empty and costing a lot of money in total while peak-time services are mostly near capacity and paying their way. It should be easy to see if pruning the highest cost-per-passenger services could save a reasonable amount of money. Poorly patronised services could be able to be cut back or replaced with an on-demand mini-bus service like the one being trialled in Tawa. Of course public transport advocates blindly beat out the mantra that you have to have regular services on all routes, at all hours of the day and night, to encourage patronage. Never mind that this leads to many buses and trains trundling around the suburbs at off-peak times with barely a person on board. The Covid fall-out showed us that you don’t need strictly regular timetables for people to use public transport. Even with all the disruptions to services from staff sickness and driver shortages people were still catching the bus and train in considerable numbers. It helped that the Metlink app gave some idea of when the next bus or train was coming along. As long as there is reasonable live tracking of public transport for passengers it shouldn’t matter if the frequency on a route continually varies throughout the day to fit with demand. People check their phone, or the screens at the stops, to see when their next service is. It would also be useful if GW could identify the type of people using the poorly patronised, off-peak services. Are they low-income people like students who would struggle to afford an Uber? Or are they people coming home after working late or having a few drinks in town? GW shouldn’t be providing a costly off-peak service for people who can afford an alternative. 

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Energy Consumers Australia has submitted a rule change proposal to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) to allow consumers access to real time data. Enabling and empowering consumers to shift when and how they use energy requires timely, and relevant information, and pricing that matches the benefits of the service provided. We need the full suite of options, from simple load data on which heuristics or social practice in the home or in the business can be based, to prices to devices that respond fast, with micro changes in load. Pricing and data go hand in hand with new services business models, including energy management intermediaries and automated direct to customer device management. My co-authors and I discussed aspects of this need for speed, and consumer perspectives, in our paper in IEEE Power and Energy Magazine ( Volume: 20, Issue: 4, July-Aug. 2022) https://lnkd.in/gC6UimJw This is the case Energy Consumers Australia have made. "Access to the insights provided by real time data on energy consumption and generation can help consumers understand and adapt their own behaviour, if they have the ability to do so, helping to lower their electricity bills. Our research has found that consumers want information that could be provided via access to real time data, and they believe it would help them change their behaviour. In June 2021 we asked consumers if they thought having access to energy consumption data would help them reduce their electricity.4 60% of households said they would be interested in receiving access to overall energy usage, followed by 56% who said they were interested in an appliance breakdown. More recently, our research has found that now 78% of households would like to know how different energy uses/major appliances contribute to their bill. In addition, 66% of households are interested in how technology (such as smart meters or home energy management systems) can help make savings on their energy bills. Looking at other essential services such as banking, where 63.6% of consumers use mobile banking apps to access real time information on their accounts, it is clear that consumers want and benefit from access to their data in a clear, timely, and accessible manner. Not all the use cases described above require access to real-time data. For some, on-demand access to historical data may be sufficient. While the focus of this rule change is accessing real-time data, we consider the proposed changes will also support improved competition to develop simple to use data portals, where these are not already available."

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Addressing climate change and the energy transition is a genuinely critical policy challenge for Australia and China. Both countries have set net zero targets and need to plot a path to get there. The pathway will bring profound benefits but also mean profound changes in our energy, industry, technology systems and also to our markets and economies. That China is Australia’s biggest trading partner as well as the world’s biggest emitter makes engagement especially valuable. The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR) 澳中基金会 has been pleased to support two research and policy exchanges with China which came to fruition this week and at which my deputy Helen Horsington GAICD represented us. DFAT Secretary Jan Adams PSM spoke at the launch of a “A Sustainable Economic Partnership for Australia and China”, an independent report produced by a team at ANU led by Professor Peter Drysdale (the East Asia Bureau of Economic Research). This work emerged from policy dialogue it held with the Chinese Centre for International Economic Exchanges CCIEE in late 2023 that the Foundation enabled. The report pointed to the economic challenges and opportunities, some areas of policy and technical work that will be valuable and forms of dialogue among business, policy researchers and government which may help us unlock those opportunities. The Foundation was also pleased to support a policy roundtable in Beijing on the detail of decarbonisation through green iron and steel led by the ANU’s Professor Frank Jotzo with participantion from Tsinghua University and the Australian Chamber of Commerce in China. https://lnkd.in/gBVw34D8 Good to be having these conversations and inputs.

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Last week we released the 2024-25 Australian Infrastructure Budget Monitor, analysing the infrastructure funding commitments from Federal, state and territory governments during the latest Budget season and over the forward estimates. The report cements the maintenance of existing large-scale pipelines, and tail-funding for existing projects, as consistent key themes across all jurisdictions’ Budget Papers. The declining volume of new project announcements over the past few budget cycles all but locks in a funding valley for road and rail in the coming years – the question is how long and deep this valley goes. At some stage, however, strong population growth will compel governments to turn their attention to the next generation of major transport projects to replace the big graduations from the pipeline. Read the 2024-25 Australian Infrastructure Budget Monitor here: https://lnkd.in/g28HJV5y

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VIVA GAS TERMINAL PROJECT - HAVE YOUR SAY TODAY! Today is the last day to provide feedback for VIVA's proposed gas terminal project in Geelong. Your input is crucial as the next stage involves submission to the Minister's office. Share your thoughts via the link below. Key points from the discussion: - Australia might deplete its Bass Strait gas reserves by 2028/2029, emphasising the need to reduce gas reliance. - VIVA plans to install a floating gas terminal near the current wharf, creating local job opportunities and economic growth. - Gas will be sourced from the Middle East, USA, and NW WA to ensure energy supply to Victoria and the Eastern Seaboard. - Extensive studies on marine ecology, noise, local habitat including bird sancturaries, and cultural heritage impact have been conducted. Act now today is the day to have your say on this vital project shaping Australia's energy future! #AustraliaEnergyFuture #Gas #Essentialenergysupply #TransitioningtoaGreenEnergyfuture

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There are some important policy insights about energy efficiency and the size of new dwellings in this research from Katherine Wingrove, Emma Heffernan and Daniel Daly. "30% of primary energy [globally] is consumed by buildings, and residential buildings are the largest contributing sub-sector". Looking at the NatHERS star rating system, they find that "in the absence of policy focus on the scale of dwellings, either in floor area or number, energy efficiency policy fails to achieve reduced average energy use on a dwelling, jurisdictional or national scale. To the contrary, significant predicted increases are evidenced." They conclude with the salient policy observation and recommendation that the "reduction of carbon emissions by a nation’s residential building sector is dependent on the collective performance of individual homes.... it is imperative for national policy frameworks to target the energy use of both individual dwellings as well as the collective energy use of the new dwelling sector." Research found at: Wingrove, K., Heffernan, E., & Daly, D. (2024). Increased home energy use: unintended outcomes of energy efficiency focused policy. Building Research & Information, 1–19. https://lnkd.in/gGZv6NG3 Conversation article at: https://lnkd.in/gAxPEnG4

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Innovation in energy is critical to ensuring our system is clean, reliable and affordable. Great to talk with a full house of energy sector professionals and innovators about the big opportunities of a system that is becoming more flexible, distributed and smart. I suggested three opportunities for Queensland: 1. infrastructure - how do we more rapidly deploy the enabling infrastructure for the energy transformation? (e.g. using drones for transmission work) 2. integration of consumer energy resources - how do we better integrate CER to benefit consumers and the grid? (e.g. virtual power plants) 3. renewable fuels - how do we use Queensland's bio assets to help decarbonise hard to abate sectors? (e.g. renewable diesel). No easy answers - but that is where collaboration between the sector, entrepreneurs and universities can find new ways. thanks to Wayne Gerard for convening this conversation. Department of Energy and Climate Wayne Gerard Michael Dart - Acting Chief Executive Officer Teresa Dyson James Harman Michael S. Duggan

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MEDIA RELEASE | Corporate Plan Adopted Tablelands Regional Council (TRC) adopted its Corporate Plan 2025–30 at last week's ordinary Council meeting. The Corporate Plan shapes TRC’s strategic direction, presents focus for infrastructure, guides priorities and provides direction for services. In presenting the plan for adoption, Mayor Rod Marti explained how the Corporate Plan will provide direction for the development of strategies and plans, and influence the development of the budget and Operational Plan. ‘This Corporate Plan sets the strategic direction for the organisation for the next five years as we deliver critical infrastructure and services to meet the community’s needs. The plan links the Tablelands 2030+ Community Plan’s priorities with this Council’s commitment to deliver and facilitate outcomes. We will routinely report on progress towards achieving our vision through Operational Plans, Quarterly Reports, Annual Reports and Financial Reports, and will regularly communicate and engage with stakeholders and community. We value and respect all customer interactions and commit to being responsive and proactive in all dealings. Our dedicated staff take pride in activities and achievements that support our customers and add value to our community and its fabric. I commit to working with the Chief Executive Officer to provide the teamwork, leadership and support to my fellow Councillors and the broader organisation to ensure our community receives the best services and support that we can realistically provide,’ Mayor Marti said. Pictured: Mayor Rod Marti and Deputy Mayor Dave Bilney.

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Coming to the end of a successful Australia Awards program for DFAT and the Government of Indonesia on Building a Coalition on Quality Infrastructure. These short course programs are delivered through The University of Queensland for groups from around the world. Thanks to my excellent co-course leaders Neil Paulsen and David Ray and to the next generation of Indonesia's infrastructure leadership from key agencies including the Ministry of Finance and Bappenas and to exceptional presenters including Belinda Bradberry Tom Hodgkinson David Lynch Ben Hendriks Robin Dutta Queensland Treasury Export Finance Australia IFM Investors Chi-Ling Looi Adrian Vaida Steve Richards Gene Tunny. Key learnings in infra for Indonesia - 1. Good infra is all about early planning and rigourous economic analysis. It's not lack of capital that's the problem 2. Governance, governance, governance including good Ministry of Finance oversight of SOEs And for Australia (now that I've spent 2 weeks thinking about PPPs I've done and ones that have happened since) - 1. We need to think about new ways to get competive pressure in infra delivery. Not all the current cost problems arise from the CFMEU - there are constructors who are comfortable with things as they are and a reduced appetite for sharing risk. For both countries these are big challenges but as Sydney Metro shows modern infra is critical for sustainable urban life - so we need to drive hard for good governance to deliver it.

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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's plan to build 7 state-owned new nuclear reactors is a long-term political gamble, a populist policy aimed at upending the renewables narrative of the energy transition, and will represent a major political challenge for the Albanese Government. It's revolutionary in that it has to - Overturn a legislative ban on nuclear energy first put in place by the Howard Government in 1998 ; - Reverses the Liberals' long-held support for privatisation of energy, proposing a populist position to put the Commonwealth in control of energy supply for the first time; and - Sets up a fight with the States who have constitutional, planning and development control of the 7 sites earmarked for nuclear. Dutton will argue that Australia has already joined the nuclear club, it crossed the rubicon with its support for AUKUS nuclear submarines, and it only makes sense to take the further step of developing a civil nuclear industry. But in doing so Dutton is picking a big showdown with the renewable lobby, who will be concerned that many wind, solar and transmission projects would become stranded assets under the Coalition's plans; and he's also taking on a range of clean energy entrepreneurs who have their sights set on Saving the World. The big question on the energy industry's mind is will Dutton's plan to pull the plug on renewables and effectively re-nationalise electricity generation in Australia spook investors, leading to a capital strike until the coast is clear. Investors will need to get a handle whether this nuclear plan will fly or will it flop, can Dutton win an election with this policy, what impact it has on community sentiment, and whether that affects the medium to short-term energy policy outlook in Australia. Dutton's plan today was largely a broad political manifesto, light on details with no modelling, no costings, and accompanied by graphics that made nuclear power stations look like wellness resorts. However it will still have enormous implications, because it taps into lingering community concern about whether Australia can pull off a transition to 95% renewables dispersed across possibly hundreds of regionally diverse sites, no easy feat. The immediate impact of Dutton's plan will be to act as a disruptor to the current energy transition, ending any semblance of bi-partisan support, adding another level of uncertainty to long-term planning. It also pits the Coalition’s State-Owned nuclear generation plans vs the Labor’s Future Made in Australia plan, which may give license to the Albanese Government to expand it's proposed multi-billion dollar industry support. Dutton says the costs of his plan will come later, particularly impacts on retail energy prices. But it's likely conservatively to cost $100bn to $150bn, and he will point to AUKUS's $350bn spend on nuclear, and the already $100bn spend on existing energy transition policies, to justify his plan. #NuclearEnergyForAustralia?

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As the Energex and Ergon Energy Network Member of the Queensland Government State Disaster Cordinstion Committee it’s essential we are prepared for severe thunderstorms and bushfires to floods and tropical cyclones. Today the Committee received the seasonal outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology. Every year our team builds on the valuable lessons from the three big events last year (TC Jasper, SEQ Xmas Storms, and TC Kirrily), we have strengthened our processes, refined our messaging and coordinated closely with industry partners (particularly Powerlink Queensland, Telstra, Optus and nbn® Australia), emergency services, government agencies, and local communities in the ‘off-season’. This includes: - Proactive engagement with stakeholders before, during, and after severe weather events - Enhanced communication protocols for faster response and real-time updates - Dedicated channels to provide critical information to customers in affected areas - Safety campaigns to raise awareness about staying safe during outages and natural disasters Great crisis communications builds trust. Providing our customers accurate and timely impact information, safety messaging, expected restoration timeframes, and insights to our response activities ensures they have what they need to stay safe and informed. Coupled with our strong relationships with emergency services, response agencies, and local communities; effective stakeholder engagement is vital for collaboration and doing our part to get Queensland communities back on their feet as quickly as possible. We’re confident these preparations will ensure a reliable and resilient electricity network that can support our communities through the most challenging events - be it severe weather, energy system emergencies, cyber attacks. Anthony Hamill Deborah Devincenzo Tash McCarty

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Great to meet with South Australian Senator and Deputy Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Planning and Regulation Karen Grogan, this week. The meeting covered crucial challenges facing South Australian electrical contractors as well as highlighting the important work of the Select Committee on Energy Planning and Regulation. Discussions like these are critical in addressing industry concerns and supporting the sustainable growth of the electrical sector nationally.

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