Renewable energy defining the region’s future

Offshore wind projects to the value of over $34 billion are planned for Gippsland. 

Thousands of jobs both direct and indirect, involved in construction and over 2000 jobs in ongoing operations.  

These were just two of the key takeaways from the first Gippsland New Energy Conference held earlier this month in Sale.

Over two days, 43 keynote speakers and nearly 400 guests (an additional 150 were turned away from the sell-out event) from community, industry, private sector, government and local schools attended.   

With Gippsland announced as a priority for Australia’s first offshore wind assessment and Latrobe as a renewable energy precinct, plans are underway for a massive training program to support the emerging industry.  

There will be a shortage of skilled workers for the high-paying jobs to service the rapidly emerging renewable energy industry.

The conference had the support of Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Minister for Solar Homes, and Chris Bowen, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, both of whom spoke at the conference.

Conference organisers hailed the inaugural event a success. Latrobe Valley Authority chief executive Chris Buckingham, a facilitator of the conference, said that his organisation “couldn’t be happier” with the outcome.

“All of the conversations I’ve had over the last couple of days tell me that these developers, these investors are coming in with really solid values and a culture, (saying) they want to make this work, and they want to make work in the region. They’re committed to establishing local supply chains, employing local people and supporting training and education to build capacity”.

“We are on the cusp of an economic boom like no other, and for us, to have the region come together with the investors and the developers and the decision-makers, and to have a really mature conversation about what we want it to be, means that I think for the first time in many years we’re going to have the opportunity to call our own future on this.”

The conference was jointly run by the Gippsland Climate Change Network, with its chief executive Darren McCubbin acting as the event’s coordinator.

“So, Gippsland … is on the world stage in terms of its ability to create renewable sources of power. 

This is a once-in-a-lifetime change, and it’s about setting up new infrastructure and new changes, and that’s going to be good for everyone”, stated Mr McCubbin.

The conference was supported by the Gippsland New Energy Conference Working Group of DELWP, Federation University, Gippsland Climate Change Network, Latrobe City, Solar Victoria, Latrobe Valley Authority, TAFE Gippsland, South Gippsland and Wellington Shires.

Let’s hope that South Gippsland, facing huge renewable energy projects that will go a long way towards defining our region’s future, actively embrace these opportunities.

Neil Barrett, Just Transition South Gippsland,Potters Road, Leongatha