John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the Social Security Amendment (National Green Jobs Corps Supplement) Bill 2009. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Social Security Act 1991 to enable the temporary payment of a $41.60 supplement per fortnight to participants in the National Green Jobs Corps program who are in receipt of youth allowance, Newstart allowance or the parenting payment. The introduction of the supplement recognises the extra costs participants may incur when participating in the National Green Jobs Corps program and acts as an incentive to encourage participation in the program.

The National Green Jobs Corps supplement will commence on 1 January 2010, giving some 10,000 young Australians aged between 17 and 24 years the opportunity to develop green skills through 26 weeks of accredited training and work experience. Participants are to undertake work experience and skills development on environmental and heritage projects, with 130 hours of this training leading to a nationally recognised qualification. This work experience includes bush regeneration, erosion control, developing community information and education projects, beach and dune rehabilitation and habitat protection.

The program is targeted at young Australians who are most at risk in the current economic climate, such as individuals who have not obtained a year 12 or equivalent qualification. History shows that young people without skills or qualifications often need a strong support network. Students who do not finish school are three times more likely to be unemployed or go without further training than their classmates who do finish school. I have some further figures. Thirty-five per cent of Australians who have lost their jobs in the past 12 months are under 25 years of age.

The National Green Jobs Corps supplement complements the learn or earn policy our government has introduced. Under the learn or earn policy, anyone under 21 years of age must be in education or training to qualify for youth allowance, and that is appropriate. The National Green Jobs Corps is part of the $94 million Green Skills Package over three years to create 50,000 new green jobs and training places. The package also includes 30,000 apprenticeships to equip young people with practical job-ready green skills. Six thousand new local jobs will be established, which will focus on environmental sustainability in communities struggling as a result of the financial crisis. Four thousand training places will be created for long-term unemployed people in ceiling insulation installation.

This program demonstrates that the Rudd government is committed to tackling the dual challenges posed by the global economic crisis and climate change. As Australia emerges from the global recession, our attention needs to turn to shape our economy in that direction in the future. It is imperative that we build a green economy with green jobs and green infrastructure that will drive long-term and sustainable economic growth. As I have said on a number of occasions in this House, if we rely on high-emitting industries to drive our future economic growth, the current economic crisis will simply be followed by a catastrophic environmental crisis.

In relation to the debate surrounding the potential job losses that may result from climate change policies such as the government’s emissions trading scheme, the government’s National Green Jobs Corps program and Green Skills ensure that new jobs are created in the environmental sector to mitigate job losses that may occur in carbon intensive industries. A report released last year by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australia Conservation Foundation entitled Green Gold Rush outlines six key industries, namely, renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable water systems, biomaterials, green buildings and waste recycling, where there is strong potential to create green-collar jobs. The report further states:

With the right policy settings six market sectors currently valued at US$15.5 billion and employing 112,000 people could grow by 2030 to a value of $243 billion and 847,000 jobs.

The government understands this and that is why it is implementing a wide range of measures that tackle climate change and support the creation of green jobs. The government’s National Green Jobs Corps supplement program is one such measure. However, there is no single silver bullet when it comes to tackling climate change in an economically responsible way. The National Green Jobs Corps will combine with the ETS to support the transition to a green, low-carbon economy. Moreover, an additional $13.5 billion has been allocated to fund programs that will invest in low-pollution jobs and increase demand for low-pollution goods and services. For example, the $1.3 billon Green Car Innovation Fund will support the development and manufacture of low-emission and fuel efficient cars in Australia. This year’s budget allocated $4.5 billion in the Clean Energy Initiative, which includes $2 billion over nine years for carbon capture and storage demonstration projects and $1.5 billion for large-scale solar electricity generation projects. These measures will support Australian businesses as they restructure their production processes to become more energy efficient and to reduce their carbon emissions.

Earlier this year, as part of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, the government allocated $3.9 billion for the Energy Efficient Homes program to install ceiling insulation in up to 2.9 million homes and solar hot water systems in over 300,000 homes. Initial reports from the Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand estimated that 4,000 low-pollution jobs had been created as a result of this program. The council now believes that employment growth is even higher than these initial estimates. In my electorate of Lowe, more than 2,000 applications for insulation and almost 100 applications for solar hot water rebates have been received. The figures highlight the strong community interest and support in green initiatives. Just yesterday, the member for Eden-Monaro, the Hon. Mike Kelly, noted that in his region alone there is upwards of $900 million to invest in wind farming.

While investment in green technology looks strong, history also shows that skills shortages can quickly re-emerge after an economic downturn. That is why the government is focused on training and education through initiatives such as the National Green Jobs Corps supplement and Green Skills Australia. These initiatives support Australians seeking employment by offering new opportunities to develop the necessary skills for emerging green jobs. The ACTU-ACF report also highlights the importance of education in the development of a low-carbon economy. It is imperative that governments invest in all levels of education, particularly vocational education, to ensure that Australians acquire the necessary skills to work in these green industries. This is precisely the aim of this initiative.

The Social Security Amendment (National Green Jobs Corps Supplement) Bill will develop the green skills that are becoming increasingly important as Australia makes the transition to an environmentally sustainable economy. I am pleased to say that the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Industry Group, Ms Heather Ridout, supports the government’s commitment to develop green skills and green jobs. Following the announcement by the Prime Minister in July this year, Ms Ridout said the government’s plan would address ‘a deficit in our national green skills capability’. I think it is important to note that Ms Ridout observes that Australia has a deficit when it comes to green skills. The reason for this is the Howard government’s environmental neglect between 1996 and 2007. Under the Howard government, the majority of it members, including the former Prime Minister, did not believe in anthropogenic climate change. It is no surprise then that they failed to invest—

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