❓ The Premier responds to concerns about job losses in Collie due to the closure of coal-fired power stations, outlining government investment in job creation and renewable energy projects to support the community's transition. He commits to case management and support for affected workers, emphasizing a phased approach to the closures.
AnsweredQoN 391Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COAL-FIRED
POWER STATIONS — CLOSURE
391. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
announcement to shut the Collie and Muja power stations and news today that
Synergy w ill not renew its contract to purchase energy from Bluewaters
power station, placing at risk thousands of jobs in Collie and across the south
west.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that his promise to transition workers extends to all energy
workers in Collie and is not limited to employees of just government agencies?
(2) Will the
Premier guarantee there will be no net loss of jobs or population in Collie as
a result of this announcement?
POWER STATIONS — CLOSURE
391. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
announcement to shut the Collie and Muja power stations and news today that
Synergy w ill not renew its contract to purchase energy from Bluewaters
power station, placing at risk thousands of jobs in Collie and across the south
west.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that his promise to transition workers extends to all energy
workers in Collie and is not limited to employees of just government agencies?
(2) Will the
Premier guarantee there will be no net loss of jobs or population in Collie as
a result of this announcement?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I did go to Collie last Tuesday to meet with the affected workforce in the
community and various other community
groups. I met with hundreds of people about this, a subject about which I was
criticised by the state opposition—going down to Collie. It is a bit
rich for the state opposition to flee the Parliament and then complain about me
going to Collie. It is a little bit rich on opposition members' behalf,
but not unusual.
We announced over $650 million
worth of investment, including the existing Collie transition fund of $115 million,
specifically in job-creating projects in Collie. That is designed to ensure
that Collie has a sustainable and long-term future. I cannot think of another
community that has received that attention before out of an event such as this.
That is designed so that over the coming years, particularly in the lead- up to October 2029, we are able to successfully
transition Collie and ensure that it remains a productive and successful
community.
On top of that, in conjunction
with, I expect, the private sector, we will invest $3.8 billion into renewable
generation because we know that renewable generation is cheaper, reliable and a
large part of the future in making sure that we can keep household prices down
across Western Australia. The expectation is—we will do all the
relevant engineering studies now—that a lot of that will be in the
Collie area because of the nature of that area. With dams and hills, pumped
hydro makes sense in that vicinity. They are the sorts of things we are doing.
In
terms of every single individual, the expectation and the commitment is that
people will be case managed . Certainly, that is what I want to do. There
is money in this announcement for specific training and support packages for individuals. Obviously, a range of
individuals will be entitled to various forms of redundancy payment. As
I committed the other day, the transition group will continue to talk to the
community and individuals about redundancy
payments to make sure that people are treated fairly. I look forward to further advice coming forward on that.
The first of the closures that we
announced the other day will not take place until 2027, and the second will
take place in 2029, so we have a considerable period of time to work this
through. What we have successfully done is provide certainty. We have not just
said we are going to close you down tomorrow, like the Liberal Party did in the
state election campaign. We have given people time on these matters. We have a process
that we will phase out coal, which is no longer working in the way it once did,
and will transition to renewables, and that we will treat Collie fairly.
I did go to Collie last Tuesday to meet with the affected workforce in the
community and various other community
groups. I met with hundreds of people about this, a subject about which I was
criticised by the state opposition—going down to Collie. It is a bit
rich for the state opposition to flee the Parliament and then complain about me
going to Collie. It is a little bit rich on opposition members' behalf,
but not unusual.
We announced over $650 million
worth of investment, including the existing Collie transition fund of $115 million,
specifically in job-creating projects in Collie. That is designed to ensure
that Collie has a sustainable and long-term future. I cannot think of another
community that has received that attention before out of an event such as this.
That is designed so that over the coming years, particularly in the lead- up to October 2029, we are able to successfully
transition Collie and ensure that it remains a productive and successful
community.
On top of that, in conjunction
with, I expect, the private sector, we will invest $3.8 billion into renewable
generation because we know that renewable generation is cheaper, reliable and a
large part of the future in making sure that we can keep household prices down
across Western Australia. The expectation is—we will do all the
relevant engineering studies now—that a lot of that will be in the
Collie area because of the nature of that area. With dams and hills, pumped
hydro makes sense in that vicinity. They are the sorts of things we are doing.
In
terms of every single individual, the expectation and the commitment is that
people will be case managed . Certainly, that is what I want to do. There
is money in this announcement for specific training and support packages for individuals. Obviously, a range of
individuals will be entitled to various forms of redundancy payment. As
I committed the other day, the transition group will continue to talk to the
community and individuals about redundancy
payments to make sure that people are treated fairly. I look forward to further advice coming forward on that.
The first of the closures that we
announced the other day will not take place until 2027, and the second will
take place in 2029, so we have a considerable period of time to work this
through. What we have successfully done is provide certainty. We have not just
said we are going to close you down tomorrow, like the Liberal Party did in the
state election campaign. We have given people time on these matters. We have a process
that we will phase out coal, which is no longer working in the way it once did,
and will transition to renewables, and that we will treat Collie fairly.
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