A union in eastern Victoria says the region is "at a crossroads", and a national authority guiding Australia's transition away from fossil fuels is overdue.
Key points:
- A Greens bill to establish an independent body to guide Australia's transition away from fossil fuels and into new industries has been introduced to parliament
- A union in the Latrobe Valley says more national direction is needed for communities moving away from coal
- It coincides with energy giant AGL announcing the Loy Yang A power station in eastern Victoria will close 10 years earlier than expected
The Australian Greens last week introduced the National Energy Transition Authority Bill to parliament, aimed at creating an independent body to "plan, coordinate and fund" the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
In Traralgon on Wednesday, Senator Penny Allman-Payne said last week's announcement about the early closure of the Loy Yang A power station was an example of the disorganised way Australia was transitioning away from fossil fuels.
"We don't think that the community should have heard about the Loy Yang closure through a media release from a big corporation," she said.
"We know that if communities are going to come out the other side of the transition doing really well, and with no worker left behind, that we need to plan for that transition."
The bill has been referred to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and a report by March next year.
Community at crossroads
Gippsland Trades and Labour Council secretary Steve Dodd said he was supportive of an authority and that clear legislation and direction for future industries were desperately needed.
"People say we need to transition out of dirty brown coal and fossil fuels, but you know what my members say? 'Transition to what?'" he said.
"It's alright to talk about transitioning, but we're at a crossroads.
"We want to have the new jobs and industries identified so we can develop them and come out the other side of this even stronger.
"In real terms, you only have to look at the offshore wind zone and the regulation there.
"There seems to be a lack of rules around that, and if we move into new energy, there needs to be an overriding authority, so we know what we're operating in."
Prioritise affected communities
Latrobe City Council Mayor Kellie O'Callaghan said communities such as the Latrobe Valley that had the most to lose from the transition should be prioritised while making decisions about new industries.
The Latrobe Valley Authority is a local body set up by the state government to help the Gippsland community in its transition away from coal.
Wendy Farmer, president of Voices of the Valley, a community group that formed during the Hazelwood mine fire, said local authorities were also vital to the process.
"Communities right across Australia don't want to be told what to do," she said.
"It needs local authorities, like the Latrobe Valley Authority, to actually say this is what's happening on the ground, this is what it looks like, these are the issues, so they are feeding things to each other both ways."
Senator Allman-Payne met with Latrobe Valley locals this week to hear their concerns.
She said Labor had also indicated they were open to negotiating around a transition authority.
A spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the government had "committed to a coordinated approach with industry, unions, local government and communities to assist affected workers and regional communities prosper in a clean energy future."