Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

That was an interesting contribution from the member for Dawson. If only he had been part of a government, for nine years, that didn't want manufacturers to leave the country, didn't refer to manufacturing in Australia as a 'graveyard' and didn't make sure things were made offshore when they could have been made onshore. That is in contrast to what we want to do. The Albanese Labor government has a plan for a future made right here in Australia, and it's very simple. It says: 'We need to make more things in our own backyard. We want our communities to benefit from that hard work. We want people to reap the rewards of making those things here.'

Making more things in our country will help grow our economy. It will create good jobs, particularly in our rural and regional communities—jobs at home, because you shouldn't have to pack your bags to build a career. Australia has everything we need right here in this country to build our future, and Labor recognises that much of this is in our regions. We've got world-leading industries, world-class resources and some of the best innovators in the world. The Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 is all about seizing the opportunities that come with this. It is about securing our place in a global economic and strategic landscape that's quickly changing. One thing COVID reminded us was that we need to do things for ourselves. We need to build more things right at home, here.

After a decade of coalition neglect and deliberate underinvestment, the Albanese government isn't wasting a day. We're delivering the infrastructure, the skills, the jobs and the services that will boost liveability and ensure that our regional communities are strengthened. That's because Labor governments have a strong record of boosting local manufacturing and making our regions more productive. This is something we're building on with our $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia plan and through our investments in the 2024-25 budget. We're putting regional industries and economies at the centre of our plan by leveraging the competitive advantages outside of our big cities, from vast energy resources, advantages in new clean energy industries, an agricultural sector that is world leading, and innovation that we're committed to harnessing. Our record investments across the two budgets are making this potential a reality. We're stimulating regional economies and we're unlocking significant investment opportunities. This will forge a better future in our regions, supporting locally led organisations to grow and ensuring that people continue to develop new skills close to home.

As part of this, our $1.7 billion Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund will uplift priority sectors, many of which are based in our regions. We know Australia has significant potential to become one of the lowest-cost producers of green metals. Our iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors are already providing employment for 39,000 Australian. These sectors are supporting local construction, defence, transport and infrastructure projects, as well as our export markets. Having recently driven past BlueScope Steel at Port Kembla, to me it's clear how big this industry is and how it underpins local economies. Our investments are all about leveraging existing expertise and unlocking the forward capability we know is there. We will also invest $8 billion over the next decade to put Australia on a path to being a global player in hydrogen. This will forge a new skilled workforce in our regional communities and ensure we can take advantage of growing Indo-Pacific markets.

As the world progresses towards its net-zero commitments, we know there will be an increased demand on minerals needed for renewable energy technologies, from hydrogen to batteries and solar panels. We're already the world's largest producer of lithium, and we're ensuring that we continue to strengthen the resilience in our supply chains. This includes $7 billion towards our critical minerals production tax incentives, which is showing Australia and the world that we're serious about investing in value-adding production. That's on top of our $566.1 million investment to support Geoscience Australia to progressively map the whole of onshore Australia by 2060. Having a comprehensive picture of our critical minerals, alternative energy sources, groundwater and other resources will ensure that we can leverage the opportunities that come with a net-zero future.

Our $835.6 million investment to grow Australian solar manufacturing and our $549 million investment to boost domestic battery-manufacturing capabilities will have significant benefits for our regions. We know that Australians invented solar panels, yet we didn't commercialise the technology and keep it onshore. We want to make sure we don't make that mistake again. Under Labor, we're generating 25 per cent more renewable energy, and we've ticked off enough renewable energy projects to power three million homes. At Punchs Creek in the Toowoomba region, an 800-megawatt solar farm will support up to 340 direct jobs during construction and generate enough energy to power 300,000 homes. Projects like this will continue to roll out across our regions, because this is what happens when you throw away a colour coded spreadsheet and invest with purpose.

Our Future Made in Australia is all about building on all of the great work we're doing now and making sure companies have what they need to unlock a pipeline of new opportunities. As the member for Eden-Monaro, I only have to look around at my vast electorate to see firsthand what investing in Australian-made looks like—amazing examples of companies coming together, like the Bega Group coming together with a whole range of local agricultural suppliers to build a circular economy in our valley. Their great work will now see the national Centre for Circularity built in Bega, and many local producers and local companies are now taking advantage of what working with a conglomerate like Bega Cheese and the Bega Group is, along with Deloitte, KPMG and Rabobank. This is an innovative project. If anyone wants to have a look at it, check out Landline on ABC iview for the amazing vision of Barry Irvin, the chairman of Bega Cheese.

We are the sunniest, windiest continent on earth and should be world leaders on the next generation of renewable energy sources. In 2022, 32 per cent of Australia's total electricity generation was from renewable energy sources. We've got a bold agenda, net zero by 2050, which is why we're putting the planning behind us and not wasting a day. Regional Australia will benefit from this, with new jobs, new industries and new skills. But we need a government prepared to step up and also do its part, and that's why we're investing $22.7 billion in this bold and innovative plan—a plan that goes hand-in-hand with our record investments in regional skills and training, including fee-free TAFE. We want kids sitting at Bega High School or Tumut High School right now to know that there's a future for them right there in their back yard if that's what they choose, and we want to send the strongest possible message that we're a government committed to strengthening regional economies by making more things here.

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