PM Transcripts

FOR MEDIA EMBARGO. 30O~ pm 10 November 1981
PRIME MINISTER
INQUIRY INTO ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND THE
SHARING OF POWER RESOURCES IN SOUTH-EAST
AUSTRALIA
The Prime Minister announced today that h. e had received the
Report of the joint Commonwealth/ State Committee of Inquiry
into Electricity Generation and the Sharing of Power Resouroes
in South-East'Australia. The Premiers of the ' participating
States of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and
Victoria have agreed that the Report be made publicly available
in viev) of the interest shown within both the electricity supply
industry and the general community.
The Committee of Inquiry was established in April 1980 under
the chairmanship of Sir David Zeidler and comprised
representatives of the Commonwealth and each of the
participating States. The Inquiry's main function was to
examine the feasibility of a strongly integrated electricity
supply grid in South-East Australia and the requirement,
location and type of new power stations to suppJly such an
inter-connected system.
While the Committee reports that there is no financial
justification for the establishment of a strongly integrated
grid in the 1980s, it recommends development of an appropriate
basis for the establishment of a limited extension of the
existing New South Wales/ Victoria interconnected system to
South Australia. The Committee considers that the feasibility
of a strongly integrated grid should continue to be reviewed.
The Prime Minister said that the Governments concerned would
be reviewing the report and recommendations and considering
the scope for action.
The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation of the work
of Sir D~ avid Zeidler and the Committee in" undertaking a
difficult and exacting task. The Inquiry represented an
important example of Commonw,. ealth/ State co-operation and had
been greatly assisted by the considerable support provided
by each participant's electricity authority.
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