MP tour to ease transition
Federal ministers will visit industrial heartlands to see how to retain regional jobs.
Amid Australia’s shift to renewable energy, the Albanese Government has launched a tour across key regional hubs in an effort to strengthen local industry involvement in upcoming infrastructure projects.
This tour seeks to secure the use of more Australian materials, particularly steel, in new energy developments, aiming to sustain jobs and foster economic growth in these communities.
Led by Minister Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for a Future Made in Australia, and Minister Ed Husic, the government says its approach will involve direct consultations with community leaders, industry representatives, unions, and experts in cities like Gladstone, Rockhampton, the Latrobe Valley, Collie, Illawarra, and the Hunter Valley.
“Steel metal fabrication and manufacturing are the industrial backbone of so many regional communities around our country – and we’re backing them in,” said Ayres.
The Albanese Government claims it is taking “another practical step” in supporting Australian industry, ensuring that the renewable infrastructure rollout benefits both regional employment and domestic manufacturing.
Ayres says that more than 300,000 tonnes of steel will be needed for wind projects alone by 2030, creating a substantial opportunity for Australian suppliers.
“Our industrial heartlands are the engine room for our economic resilience and central to the government’s plans for prosperity,” Husic says.