By TOM HAYES
THE Latrobe Valley has been snubbed again by the state government, according to Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, with an announcement the first 100 per cent government-owned renewable energy project will be built in Horsham, despite a promise the State Electricity Commission (SEC) would be brought back to Morwell.
Mr Cameron labelled the decision “disgraceful”, citing a promise made to bring the SEC back to Morwell, and said the 250 jobs associated with the new solar farm slated for Horsham should have been prioritised for the Valley.
“It is gobsmacking and extremely disappointing that Labor hasn’t considered the desperate need for investment in the Valley when making this decision,” Mr Cameron said.
“It’s here where the accelerated closure of coal-fired power stations will be felt, and it’s here where thousands of jobs will be lost in the transition to renewables.
“Hazelwood shut in 2017, Yallourn will shut in 2028, Loy Yang A will shut in 2032, and Loy Yang B will follow later that decade, yet there is no urgency from Labor to establish new industries in the Valley.
“The deceptive promise the SEC would be ‘brought back to Morwell’ and create some 59,000 jobs reeks of a government weaponising the issue of employment in a grab for votes.
“All the SEC has delivered here in Morwell is one part-time employee at the pre-existing GovHub.”
Mr Cameron believes there are plenty of opportunities in the Latrobe Valley which the state government is not pursuing.
“Here in the Latrobe Valley, where we have powered the state for a century, we have the know-how and infrastructure to lead Victoria through another 100 years of power generation, but we need real leadership from a state government that is prepared to take sensible and decisive action,” Mr Cameron said.
“The coal-to-hydrogen project, which has gained the commercial support of the Japanese government to the tune of $2 billion, is perfectly suited to our highly skilled workforce, existing energy infrastructure and resources.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achieve the significant economic and emission reduction benefits that commercial projects like this will deliver, and we can do it right here in the Latrobe Valley.”
The state government responded to Mr Cameron’s claims, stating there will be local projects coming soon, after having to rebuild the SEC.
“We’ve had to build the SEC from the ground up and have just announced the first 100 per cent government-owned electricity generation project since Jeff Kennett and the Liberals sold off the SEC and abandoned thousands of jobs in the Latrobe Valley,” a state government spokesperson said.
“The SEC has just secured its second project and is working to deliver 4.5 gigawatts of renewable energy assets across Victoria. Many of these will be in regional towns, who will benefit from the jobs, community benefit funds and economic activity these projects will bring.
“The SEC has engaged with thousands of locals in the region through attending jobs and employment events. All SEC positions are advertised in the region and can be based either in Melbourne or Morwell.”
The state government reiterated the fact that there is five employees at the Morwell SEC office, rather than the one employee that is frequently stated.
On top of this, the state government mentioned that Gippsland is sure to be the home of Australia’s first offshore wind industry, which they believe will drive regional investment and create job opportunities.
The state government predicts that at the industry’s peak in the mid-2030s, the sector is estimated to require between 2300 to 4000 jobs across the country, the vast majority in Victoria.
The SEC has engaged with Latrobe City Council, Committee for Gippsland, Regional Development Victoria, energy sector organisations, and education and training institutions on employment.
It has also attended a range of events in the region including the Morwell Community Day, Gippsland Local Jobs Expo in Morwell, Gippsland New Energy Conference, Gippsland New Energy Youth Summit, and Traralgon’s Transform Expo.
