ECONOMICS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE - 10/02/2010 - Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism

Senator MILNE» -I would like to get on to carbon capture and storage as quickly as I can, but before I do I want to ask a question about geothermal development, in particular the grants that have been made according to a press release about state and federal Labor support for a geothermal development at Gherang in the Geelong area in Victoria.

Mr Morling-There was a grant recently announced for Greenearth Energy Limited in Geelong, Victoria. That was a $7 million grant under the geothermal drilling program. As we said, that was an announcement. We are now moving into the stage where we will negotiate a deed with that company for that grant.

RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE - 09/02/2010 - INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT - Nation Building--Infrastructure Investment

Senator MILNE» -I wanted to ask, in relation to Nation Building-Infrastructure Investment, about the decision of the Commonwealth to grant major project facilitation status to the Hancock and the Waratah coalmines in Queensland. So if we could go to the particular coalmining projects in Queensland, and if you could just tell me whether both the Waratah project, the Hancock mining and the Chinalco-I guess there are three projects-whether they have all got major project facilitation status. If so, when did they get it, and what does it actually mean?

Ms O'Connell-Certainly, Senator. In relation to the Waratah Coal project, yes, that has major facilitation status, that was issued in December 2009 and announced in a press release accordingly, late last year. I will just see if we have the information on the other projects that you have asked about.

ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE - 09/02/2010 - ENVIRONMENT, WATER, HERITAGE AND THE ARTS PORTFOLIO

Senator «MILNE» -At the last estimates you said that you expected 20,000 loans to be taken up in this financial year. Clearly, 1,000 have been taken up. It is a slow uptake for all the reasons that you have cited. What was the financial allocation that you made to cover the interest on 20,000 loans in this financial year? Given that only 1,000 have been taken up, I just heard you say, Ms Kruk, that you had been able to transfer resources to an additional number of assessments. Does that mean you are now providing for more than 360,000 over the life of the program?

RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE - 08/02/2010 - AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY PORTFOLIO - Climate Change

Senator «MILNE» -I would like to follow up on the contractor issue that Senator Colbeck just raised. The Commonwealth provided in excess of $42 million recently in three grants in order to assist the forestry industry to move out of native forest logging and into the plantations. What evaluation has been done by the department to see whether the money that was spent actually led to people moving out of native forest logging? Has there been any evaluation done? How can I be assured that the equipment that was purchased by many of those contractors was not just equipment that they needed and that they would use for native forest logging anyway?