New hydrogen production strategy revises ‘renewable hydrogen’ target
Peter Hannam
The Albanese government has this morning released its new hydrogen production strategy, updating the 2019 version it inherited from the coalition.
And despite mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s much-publicised pullback of ambition, climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen says the industry has a big future that Australia must be part of.
Bowen told day two of the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit 2024 in Brisbane:
Let me be clear: Australia’s green hydrogen pipeline is alive and healthy.
Among the key points is setting a 2050 target for Australia to produce 15mt a year of hydrogen produced by renewable energy. That’s the “green” version, among up to a dozen varieties, and there will be a “guarantee of origin” certification scheme to prove it to export markets.
That annual aim, to be “supported” by five-year milestones, would have a “stretch” goal of 30mt/year by mid-century. Accordingly, the report says, the avoided emissions as hydrogen supplants fossil fuels would range from 93-186mt of CO2 a year by 2050.
The near-term aim is more modest, reflecting the relatively nascent nature of an industry battling to make production costs competitive. It targets 200,000t/year of exports by 2030, with a “stretch” goal of 1.2mt/year.
The report says:
Setting an early export target provides a strong signal of Australia’s intention to continue supplying energy to the global market … This matches the ambition of some of our existing trade partners who already have 2030 hydrogen targets.
Key events
Here’s the Australian Public Service commissioner Gordon de Brouwer saying robodebt was “a failure of government” and has apologised for the public service’s role in it.
Sarah Basford Canales
The main public sector union has criticised the lack of sanctions made against former senior public servants for their role in the unlawful robodebt scheme.
The Australian Public Service Commission’s robodebt taskforce released its report on Friday finding 12 former or current public servants had breached the code of conduct on 97 occasions during their involvement in the income averaging scheme.
The report named just two – former agency heads, Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon.
The two will face no sanctions, as they no longer work for the public service. However, they will have to declare the findings, if asked, for the next five years if they try to get work in the APS or as a contractor with any agencies.
The Community and Public Sector Union’s national secretary, Melissa Donnelly, said it was “incredibly disappointing” to see there would be few consequences for the former agency heads and senior officials who had since left the public service.
Donnelly said:
While CPSU members are relieved to see those responsible found guilty of serious code of conduct breaches, it is incredibly disappointing that there are no meaningful consequences for those at the top.
While the likes of Kathryn Campbell move on with their lives without sanction, our members continue to deal with the consequences of the scheme on those communities they serve and the loss of public trust.
Sarah Basford Canales
Charles Sturt University’s chancellor, Dr Michele Allan, says the university “fully supports” its vice-chancellor, Renée Leon, who was found to have breached the public service code of conduct 13 times in a robodebt report released on Friday.
The report, released by the Australian Public Service Commission, made four findings against Leon, constituting 13 breaches, including that she failed to “expeditiously” inform her minister and colleagues of the solicitor-general’s advice on the lawfulness of the scheme and failed to cease the practice of income averaging under the scheme.
Leon responded in a statement on Linkedin saying:
I stand by the actions I took to get definitive legal advice and bring the robodebt program to an end.
In a statement released on Friday, Allan said:
Charles Sturt University is disappointed in the decision handed down by the Australian Public Service Commission and fully supports Professor Leon.
Professor Leon’s actions in helping to end the robodebt program were in keeping with the integrity she demonstrated as a dedicated public servant for 30 years, and which she has carried forward into her present role to the benefit of our students, staff and communities.
We fully support her courageous and ultimately successful efforts to help end the robodebt program, her transparent testimony at the subsequent royal commission, and her full and truthful account of her actions.
Paul Karp
The Liberal federal executive has voted today to appoint three people to managed the troubled NSW division, rejecting a plan by opposition leader Mark Speakman to include two women in a four-person panel of administrators.
In a statement, the party said:
The Federal Executive of the Liberal Party has today appointed a committee to manage the NSW Division of the Liberal Party until 30 June 2025. The committee comprises the Hon Alan Stockdale AO, the Hon Richard Alston AO, and Dr Peta Seaton AM. The committee will act swiftly to ensure the NSW Liberal Party is in the best possible position to fight the federal election.
The decision rejects Speakman and the NSW state executive’s call for a four-person panel, to include both Seaton and federal vice president and former MP Fiona Scott.
Daniel Hurst
Richard Marles may have been trying to close the door on what he told parliament were “arguably the most serious allegations of Australian war crimes in our history”.
But by deciding to strip medals from some commanders and not others as part of an effort to show “Australia is a country which holds itself accountable”, the defence minister has reopened old wounds.
The question is: how much responsibility should the top brass and political masters bear for the alleged murders and mistreatment of Afghan civilians and prisoners of war?
Sarah Basford Canales
The former human services department head, Renée Leon, says she is “disappointed” by the Australian Public Service Commission’s report on the robodebt scheme, which publicly named her on Friday.
In the royal commissioner’s report last July, Leon, who was secretary from 2017 to 2020, was criticised for telling the ombudsman that the lawfulness of the scheme was “not uncertain”, which the commission said “had no proper basis”.
Leon explained she did so because this was a description of the DHS’s position at the time but the commissioner said she “did not delve into the grounds for the purported DHS position” and if she had the claim “could not be sustained”.
The royal commission report also credited Leon for being “the first to take steps” to end the robodebt scheme in 2019 but said said Leon “did not delve into the grounds for the purported DHS position” and if she had, the claim “could not be sustained”.
In a statement made on LinkedIn on Friday, Leon said “robodebt was a failed policy, developed without a proper legal basis, that caused enormous pain for some of Australia’s most vulnerable people”, adding she regretted the “significant human toll of the program” and remained “proud” of her role in ending it.
The former senior bureaucrat, now vice-chancellor of Charles Sturt University, said she was “disappointed” with how the APSC had come to its decision.
Leon’s statement continued:
I stand by the actions I took to get definitive legal advice and bring the robodebt program to an end.
Robodebt had already been in operation for two years when I became secretary of human services. When legal doubts were raised, I sought definitive advice from the Solicitor-General.
I acted as expeditiously as possible to convince a government that was wedded to the robodebt scheme that it had to be ceased. When ministers delayed, I directed it be stopped. Two weeks later, my role as secretary was terminated by a government that did not welcome frank and fearless advice.
I acted with integrity and in accordance with the standards of the public service I served for 30 years. I testified before the robodebt royal commission, which found that I acted in good faith, and which did not refer me to the APSC or the National Anti-Corruption Commission or any other investigative process.
I remain a strong believer in the importance of public service. Senior public servants play a vital role in improving and protecting the lives of Australians through sound policy development, efficient service delivery, and upholding the integrity and accountability of government operations. People who have blatantly done the wrong thing should be held to account.
However, I believe the steps I took, under significant pressure, were consistent with the principles of public service to which I have unstintingly devoted my professional life.
The Greens’ spokesperson for older people, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, has responded to Labor’s announcement on the aged care deal yesterday, saying older people must be given the chance to properly scrutinise the legislation.
Allman-Payne said on Friday morning:
The voices we need to be hearing from right now aren’t the for-profit aged care providers, it’s the older Australians who will be most impacted by this legislation.
Older people deserve the highest quality care and support, and even though we are still working our way through the legislation I’m concerned that opening the door to an expanded user-pays model prioritises the profits of providers over enforceable standards of care.
Budget repair or provider profits was never the “key driver” for reform of the sector, she said, but rather “the urgent need to improve care, quality and enforcement in the sector after the shocking revelations of the Royal Commission”.
She continued:
We have seen appalling behaviour from industry consultants, lobbyists and aged care providers trying to game the system for financial gain. Older people must have certainty that they will no longer suffer exploitation and abuse at the hands of these predatory operators.
The Greens would push for older Australians to contribute to the Senate inquiry into the legislation, Allman-Payne said.
Caitlin Cassidy
The peak body representing the independent tertiary sector has written to the minister for infrastructure and transport warning her the proposed international student cap is threatening the viability of aviation schools and pilot training.
Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (Iteca) chief executive, Troy Williams, wrote to Catherine King on Friday flagging members had expressed “deep concern” that pilot training levels would be reduced to “unsustainable levels” due to the sector’s reliance on international student enrolments to maintain viability.
Williams said:
The introduction of international student caps in 2025 … will significantly reduce the capacity of these flight schools to train international students …
This reduction in the capacity of Australia’s aviation schools to support high-quality aviation training for international students presents a severe risk to the future of aviation training in Australia, with many of our members expressing deep concern that the Australian government’s approach will see pilot training levels reduced to unsustainable levels.
Flight schools within Iteca’s membership have indicated that without steady and sustainable enrolment levels of overseas students, a significant number will be unable to survive the financial pressures.
A parliamentary inquiry into the federal government’s overseas students bill yesterday announced it would reopen submissions and extend its reporting date to 8 October as a result of the Coalition and the Greens pushing for greater scrutiny on the cap’s implications.
Peter Hannam
More on the hydrogen plan
The 2019 hydrogen plan did not contain any goals for Australian production but did estimate it could create 7,600-17,000 jobs by 2050 in an industry worth $11-26bn in GDP.
The 2024 version only states the potential for “tens of thousands of jobs” by 2040 in the export sector alone.
The earlier version cited estimates that the additional global demand for hydrogen could be 20-230mt by 2050 – quite a wide range.
The 2024 report cites the International Energy Agency’s demand spread of 250mt or as much as 420mt if net zero emissions pathways are pursued. The latter is about four times the current demand.
Bowen said the strategy clarified “the importance of ongoing leadership and collaboration between all levels of government to shepherd large-scale projects from development to operation”.
He listed federal government support, including $8bn in long-term production subsidies over the coming decade to ensure the sector could scale up to the competitive levels required to displace fossil fuels in industry and energy use.
The report also lists various state endeavours. Notably absent is the controversial Victorian plan to produce hydrogen from the state’s abundant (but emissions-heavy) brown coal.
The $500m-plus project has appeared to be dead in the water, so to speak, without additional federal and Victorian funding – and the updated strategy seems to have confirmed this.
New hydrogen production strategy revises ‘renewable hydrogen’ target
Peter Hannam
The Albanese government has this morning released its new hydrogen production strategy, updating the 2019 version it inherited from the coalition.
And despite mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s much-publicised pullback of ambition, climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen says the industry has a big future that Australia must be part of.
Bowen told day two of the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit 2024 in Brisbane:
Let me be clear: Australia’s green hydrogen pipeline is alive and healthy.
Among the key points is setting a 2050 target for Australia to produce 15mt a year of hydrogen produced by renewable energy. That’s the “green” version, among up to a dozen varieties, and there will be a “guarantee of origin” certification scheme to prove it to export markets.
That annual aim, to be “supported” by five-year milestones, would have a “stretch” goal of 30mt/year by mid-century. Accordingly, the report says, the avoided emissions as hydrogen supplants fossil fuels would range from 93-186mt of CO2 a year by 2050.
The near-term aim is more modest, reflecting the relatively nascent nature of an industry battling to make production costs competitive. It targets 200,000t/year of exports by 2030, with a “stretch” goal of 1.2mt/year.
The report says:
Setting an early export target provides a strong signal of Australia’s intention to continue supplying energy to the global market … This matches the ambition of some of our existing trade partners who already have 2030 hydrogen targets.
Sarah Basford Canales
Public servants breached code of conduct 97 times, Robodebt report finds
Twelve public servants, including former department heads Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon, breached their code of conduct 97 times, a report on the unlawful robodebt scheme has found.
The findings of the Australian Public Service Commission’s robodebt taskforce, released on Friday, more than a year after the inquiry was launched, detail the breaches former and current bureaucrats made during the course of the income averaging scheme.
The Australian Public Service Commissioner, Gordon de Brouwer, said the scheme was “a failure of government” and apologised for the public service’s role:
I apologise for the damage that robodebt caused people and their families and the suffering they endured as a result.
The report substantiated six findings against Campbell, who was secretary of the Department of Human Services from 2011 to 2017. She was found culpable for 12 breaches, including failing to “sufficiently respond to public criticism” and having “created and allowed a culture” that prevented problems from being considered.
However, the inquiry found Campbell did not mislead the cabinet. It said allegations she directed preparation of legal advice cease and that she failed to discharge her PWC engagement legal obligations were unsubstantiated.
Cait Kelly
Social enterprises find long-term unemployed higher-paid jobs they retain longer compared to DES, new report reveals
Long-term unemployed people are more likely to start work sooner, earn more and work longer if they are employed by a social enterprise instead of Disability Employment Services (DES), according to a new report released today.
White Box Enterprises is running an Australian-first payment by outcomes (PBO) trial for jobs-focused social enterprises with the Department of Social Services.
White Box commissioned actuarial and analytics firm Taylor Fry to compare two year’s of PBO data from 17 social enterprises with publicly available DES data.
The report shows people in social enterprise employment:
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Stay in work longer – retention after one year is 69% compared to 26% at DES.
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Earn significantly more – people are estimated to earn an average of $17,000 in their first year at a social enterprise. This is well above the average income of $3,050 for DES participants in their first year, where employment rates are lower and people are less likely to stay in a job.
Mark Daniels, chief operating officer at White Box Enterprises, said:
This small but significant trial has given us the unique opportunity to compare social enterprise outcomes directly with existing employment services for a specific group of long-term unemployed people, for the first time.
Sarah Basford Canales
Government to cover Reynolds’ legal costs for referring Higgins multimillion-dollar settlement to corruption watchdog
The Albanese government has agreed to pay Linda Reynolds’ legal costs for referring the commonwealth’s multimillion-dollar settlement with Brittany Higgins to the federal anti-corruption body.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, wrote to the Liberal senator on Tuesday confirming her application for legal assistance in a National Anti-Corruption Commission matter had been approved by his department’s secretary, a document tabled in parliament on Thursday showed.
Read the full story here:
More than 1 million vote early in NSW local government elections
More than 1.1 million people have voted early, and 213,000 postal votes have been returned before polls officially open in tomorrow’s NSW local government elections, according to the NSW Electoral Commission.
The commission has reminded eligible residents that they need to cast their votes before 6pm Saturday and, if they are voting in person, they must vote within their council area or ward.
Postal vote applications have closed. To be counted, postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day and received by the electoral commission no later than 6pm on Friday 27 September.
Australian Banking Association praises anti-scam legislation
The Australian Banking Association has said it welcomes the release of the draft legislation to fight scams.
The association’s chief executive, Anna Bligh, said in a statement that banks had advocated for the industry codes because the issue required a systemic approach.
Bligh said:
Australia has made progress, with scam losses falling, however holding all parts of the scams chain to account is the only way to properly protect the community.
These codes must address the core problem of people being exposed to scams in the first place. That means ensuring telcos and the social media platforms have strong protections in place to stop scams reaching Australians.
The industry viewed the creation of a single complaints body as a positive step, and said the sector was ready to work with the government to finalise the mandatory codes.
Bligh said:
I urge all members of parliament to support this legislation and ensure its passage as soon as possible.
Sydney tram leaves tracks after apparently being hit by another vehicle
A tram has come off its tracks on Sydney’s route 1 on the corner of Hay and Pitt streets in the city, after apparently being hit by another vehicle.
My colleague Peter Hannam is down there and says officials have told him it will be difficult to get the tram back into place, as it is difficult to lift it without damaging the track.
A wheel can be replaced, but fixing the track will take a lot of work and time.
We’re told the light rail on that route is still running up until the convention centre.
Karen Middleton
Anthony Albanese is rejecting demands from the Greens and some Senate crossbenchers to subject development projects to climate-impact assessments and remove forestry’s effective exemption from environmental protection law, as the government negotiates on stalled legislation with parties to the left and right.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, is in talks with the Greens, crossbenchers and the Coalition over legislation to establish an environment protection authority.
But after she appeared to hint on Wednesday that the government could agree to include climate impact among considerations before projects are approved, the prime minister has made it clear from the sidelines that this is not on the table.
Although the Greens remain hopeful of further compromise, Albanese has indicated to various parties in the negotiations that he wants a deal struck with the Coalition. He appears prepared to wait, having prioritised other legislation such as changes to aged care.
Read the full story here:
Stephen Jones announces new scam prevention laws
Stephen Jones also announced proposed new laws today which are intended to place obligations on banks, telcos and social media companies “to prevent, to detect, to disrupt and to report and to respond to scam content within their businesses”.
There will also be penalties of up to $50m for businesses that don’t comply.
Jones said:
It’s taking an ecosystem approach, which expects individuals to take some responsibilities, but the banks, the telcos, the social media platforms – which are the ecosystems in which this scam content is distributed to Australians.
A significant uplift will be required to keep Australians, their information and their money safe and, if they don’t meet those obligations, then yes, compensation will flow, not just on the banks. If the telcos have done the wrong thing, they’ll be in the gun. If the social media platforms have done the wrong thing, they’re in the frame as well and that’s a fair and balanced system with avenues for Australians to take through external dispute resolution processes and a tribunal they can go to to enable them to recover losses if they’ve lost money because the failure of one of those businesses to meet their obligations under the new laws.
Sydney casino employee charged for allegedly rigging roulette games
A Sydney casino employee is one of two people charged by NSW Police for allegedly rigging multiple roulette games.
The state’s organised crime squad charged the 23-year-old male casino employee and another 22-year-old man after identifying that they had allegedly worked together to rig roulette bets between September and October 2023.
In a statement, NSW police said detectives will allege in court the men would move bets after the roulette result had occurred and that the men had done this on multiple occasions, earning more than $25,000.
They will appear before Downing Centre Local Court in November.