Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Climate Change Bill 2022 and the Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022. What a historic moment this is, because these bills mark the end of the climate wars in this country, the end of 10 years of inaction and the end of 10 years of division and denial by those opposite. We are in a global race, and now Australia is taking our place in that race—a race to prevent the devastating climate events that are destroying communities and regions here and around the world, and a race to seize the opportunities of a decarbonised world, including bringing the jobs of the renewables future right here to our shores. With the Climate Change Bill that is exactly what we are doing.

This bill sends the signal that the Albanese government is committed to action on climate change—a signal that gives certainty to our region, to investors, to Australian businesses, and to this parliament—because this bill is also a commitment that our government will not just announce a target and hope we get there. We won't use accounting tricks or rely on future technologies that may or may not ever exist. We will be held accountable to our targets, and we will deliver our plan to not just meet them but exceed them. We'll report our progress every year to the parliament on meeting the targets and how our policies are contributing to that success. Our government knows Australia should be a renewables superpower. We know Australia should be leading this global race and securing the jobs of the future for Australian workers, and now we can do just that.

I am incredibly proud that my home state of Victoria is leading Australia's transition to the renewables future. The Andrews government, led by Australia's longest serving climate change minister, the Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio, were the one of the first in the world to legislate a net zero emissions by 2050 target, and to make sure those targets are met they've made the largest investment in clean energy of any state ever, $1.6 billion to identify and create renewable energy zones that support businesses, jobs and towns across regional Victoria to transition to new industry, ensuring maximum benefit for local communities by delivering thousands of good secure jobs and billions of dollars in new economic activity. To ensure Victorians are prepared for these new jobs the Andrews government has also introduced a clean energy workforce skills initiative. This is a $10 million initiative that encourages collaboration between the training sector and industry. This will ensure that our training curricula are fit for purpose for the jobs of the future and ensure that Victorian workers have the skills that they need to take up those jobs.

So it is Labor governments that are leading the way on climate action in this country. It is Labor governments that are delivering on climate action in this country. That is who is delivering on climate action in this country. We are sending a message to the world that now is the time to invest in Australia's transition, attracting large nation-building investments in renewable energy right now, like the Star of the South project off the south coast of Gippsland, which has partnered with the Victorian government to deliver Australia's first offshore wind site. The Star of the South project won't just help Victoria and Australia meet our climate targets; it will create thousands of good secure local jobs. It will support a community transition from fossil fuels to a greener future. The Star of the South is bringing the local community along with it by working with unions and local businesses to ensure that there's an ongoing supply of local jobs and that there is an ongoing supply of local contracts for local communities.

Australia and particularly my home state of Victoria have an incredible opportunity to establish a significant offshore wind industry, which was held back for so long by the coalition government and their failure to deliver legislation allowing offshore wind to even be considered in Australia. But the Labor government in Victoria didn't let that hold them back, and to make up for lost time as they waited for those opposite to deliver critical legislation to enable offshore wind the Victorian government announced a plan to accelerate the rollout of offshore wind projects. This was a strong message to the world that, if you want to invest in offshore wind, Victoria is the place to be, and that message was received loud and clear, with investment now flowing from international and local investors, including industry super funds who are getting involved.

The best thing we can do to attract investment in our transition is show the world that we are serious about reducing emissions and that we are serious about becoming the renewables superpower that everyone except those opposite know we can be. There has been a decade of missed opportunities from those opposite to make Australia a global leader and secure Australian jobs in the rapid transition to renewables, including a failure to prioritise Australian-made products. We saw this at the Ryan Corner Wind Farm project, where Keppel Prince, Australia's only manufacturer of wind turbines, were primed and ready to provide the content for this project, but instead they were passed over in favour of imported products and overseas companies, a decision that saw 50 jobs lost in the community of Portland in just three weeks, a devastating blow to that community. This is the legacy that those opposite have left behind: no support for local content, no support for local business, no support for local jobs and no support for local communities.

Australians know that under the Albanese government the move to a renewable energy future will create secure jobs for workers here in Australia. Our Powering Australia plan will reduce emissions and help us meet the targets that we are setting today and will create over 600,000 new jobs for Australian workers—600,000 good, secure jobs, many of them in Australia's regions; five out of six of those new jobs created will be in our regions. And we'll join together the Powering Australia plan and our Buy Australian plan, which will improve the way government contracts work to make sure more opportunities are available to Australian businesses. At the same time, the National Reconstruction Fund will drive new manufacturing jobs in renewables.

All this creates even more jobs for Australian workers, because the world's climate crisis is Australia's job opportunity, and it's an opportunity that the Albanese government is not willing to miss. We are embracing that opportunity and we are embracing the future.