The Liberal Opposition is calling on Peter Malinauskas to reveal his plans to bring down power prices, as State Budget papers reveal the extent of the money wasted on hydrogen so far.
Opposition analysis of the State Budget papers estimates that nearly a quarter of a billion dollars could have been spent on Labor’s hydrogen plans and a majority of this won’t be recoverable.
This includes over $70 million in expenditure from the now closed Office of Hydrogen Power SA and $196 million in capital expenditure incorporating significant engineering and contractor payments required to design the Government’s failed hydrogen power plant.
Leader of the Opposition, Vincent Tarzia said that Labor’s decision to shelve its ‘Hydrogen Jobs Plan’ has left South Australians with nothing to show for it other than record high power bills and no new energy plan in the State Budget.
“The State Budget included no money for new programs designed to drive down record high power bills for working South Australian households,” Mr Tarzia said.
“Meanwhile, South Australians are paying almost $800 more for their power bills than when Labor first came to power.
“Peter Malinauskas and Tom Koutsantonis have gambled up to $250 million of taxpayer money on their hydrogen hoax and lost, yet it’s every South Australian who will foot the bill.”
Shadow Minister for Energy and Net Zero, Stephen Patterson said that the State Budget confirms that the Labor Government has used the crisis at the Whyalla Steelworks to cover up its failure to deliver a hydrogen power plant.
“Peter Malinauskas’ claim that the $593 million hydrogen budget was all going to be recovered and allocated to the support package for the Whyalla Steelworks has been revealed for the illusion it is,” Mr Patterson said.
“The Premier needs to take responsibility for the huge amount of time and money that has been wasted on his hydrogen fantasy over the last three years while South Australian families and businesses pay the highest electricity bills on record.
“This is a major broken promise from Labor – its flagship hydrogen plan was already in disarray with the project ballooning over $1 billion and now, Whyalla has become a convenient scapegoat.”
The Budget also reveals that Labor will be forced to fork out an extra $3.8 million to privatise its own gas-powered turbines, instead of spending that money on programs to help bring down household power bills.
“Under Labor, South Australians are struggling with record high power bills and the only energy policy it took to the election has been revealed as a hydrogen hoax,” Mr Patterson said.
“Working South Australian families expect better, and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis Labor is missing in action.
“The Liberal Opposition has a plan to reduce power bills for working South Australian families, and that includes reinstating the successful Home Battery Scheme.
“Under the previous State Liberal Government, installations of solar battery storage systems were up, and average annual electricity retail bills were down. Under Labor, the same battery storage installations are trending down, and electricity prices are up.”
