On this page
- Read the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Bill 2023 and track its progress on the South Australian legislation website
- Read a summary of the consultation feedback in Consultation Report for the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act Draft Bill (PDF, 510.8 KB)
16 November 2023 update
The Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Bill 2023 for an Act to facilitate and regulate the generation of hydrogen and renewable energy in certain areas of South Australia has passed both Houses of Parliament.
South Australia’s renewable energy sector is growing rapidly and there is tremendous potential for the state to become a global leader in renewable energy production and supply, delivering benefit to all South Australians.
With our abundant renewable resources, South Australia is well-positioned to capitalise on the local and international shift towards clean, renewable fuel sources.
There is a significant amount of interest in establishing renewable energy projects on freehold land across the state, as well as on government-owned pastoral lands and state waters, which are co-owned by Native Title groups.
For South Australia to develop a sustainable industry that provides the best outcomes for communities, respects Native Title and delivers net environmental benefit, we need a fit-for purpose regulatory framework in place.
The Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act introduces a ‘one window to government’ licencing and regulatory system for the lifecycle of large-scale hydrogen and renewable energy projects in South Australia.
Under the Act:
- Government owned land and waters where renewable energy projects can be hosted will be identified by the South Australian Government
- Companies will compete for licences to access government owned land and waters to deliver these projects
- New, fit for purpose licensing arrangements will be established for projects across all land types, enabling regulation of the whole project life cycle
- First Nations people’s rights and interests will be considered early and throughout the regulatory processes
- A framework will ensure that developments are delivered with net environmental benefit
- Requirements will be put in place to ensure land is rehabilitated and returned to pre-existing conditions; and
- Multiple land use provisions will be sought to deliver fair outcomes for landowners, communities and other pre-existing land rights holders.
Key information
- Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Bill 2023
- Consultation Report for the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act Draft Bill (PDF, 510.8 KB)
- HRE Act transitional provisions (draft for consultation) - July 2023 (PDF, 185.4 KB)
- Draft Bill - Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act
(PDF, 535.2 KB) - Explanatory Guide to the Draft Bill
(PDF, 557.4 KB) - Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act Process Diagram
(PDF, 47.3 KB) - Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act Regulatory Impact Statement (PDF, 777.3 KB)
The draft Bill was developed following feedback from a previous consultation regarding the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Issues Paper.
Information sessions
To support our consultation on the draft Bill for the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act we offered opportunities to talk directly with our staff about what matters to you.
Webinar Q&A information session
Representatives from the Department for Energy and Mining talk through the key provisions of the draft Bill.
Have your say
The draft bill was available for consultation via the South Australian government YourSAy website:
The consultation period closed on Monday 26 June 2023.
Information about the proposed Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act can still be found on yoursay.sa.gov.au/hre-act
Contact us
Email hre@sa.gov.au if you have a question about the proposed legislation.