21 Feb 2012
THE State Government has ended Renewable Energy Commissioner Tim O'Loughlin's position more than a year before his contract was due to expire. Mr O'Loughlin was appointed in mid-2009 with some fanfare by then Premier Mike Rann. His contract was meant to run until 2013. A spokesman for Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said he would not be replaced.Yesterday's Budget and Finance select committee heard Mr O'Loughlin's job ends about 18 months short of his contract by "mutual agreement", and that there had been a payout. Opposition sustainability and climate-change spokesman Steven Marshall branded the decision a waste of taxpayer money. "This shows a Premier who doesn't have the same focus on renewables as the former premier and a department that is in complete disarray, that is paying out contracts that are not completed", Mr Marshall said.
Questions about the payout amount were taken on notice by Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy Department chief executive Geoff Knight; the "functions" of RenewablesSA have been moved to the department. Mr Koutsantonis's spokesman has confirmed that Mr O'Loughlin "has left to pursue other interests". "I'm unable at this time to provide you with details of the terms of his termination package", he said. The move follows a budget decision late last year to scrap the $11.7 million remaining in the $20 million Renewable Energy Fund.
This fund was overseen by RenewablesSA, and industry said there were now no state funding support avenues available for renewable energy. The South Australian branch of the Australian Solar Energy Society and the Australian Geothermal Energy Association have raised concerns that the State Government had lost interest in renewable energy. "It makes a complete mockery of the fact that in the last week of Rann being premier, he released a new renewable statement for South Australia", said Mr Marshall. "It's clear the new Premier has no interest in this sector whatsoever".
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