29 August 2008
Big regional industrial centres, such as Newcastle and the Hunter, are smack-bang on the front-line of Australia’s current climate change debate and the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) wants to ensure that decisions about their future are not just made in our big metropolitan centres.
" Gladstone, Kwinana, Whyalla, Geelong, Portland, Wollongong, the Hunter - these are the industrial regions which will suffer if we do not design the emissions trading system to take the region's concerns into account," AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, said during a visit today to the Tomago Aluminium smelter outside Newcastle.
Tomago celebrate 25 years of operation - let's hope for another 25
" Next week Tomago celebrates 25 years of operation - I want to see this smelter here for another twenty-five years," Paul Howes said after meeting with AWU members on site.
" Capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne and Brisbane don't have the aluminium smelters and refineries, the steel works or the mines which could be forced to shut if we take a wrong step."
Professor Garnaut released an important report on climate change, and then he went out to meet the community to discuss issues in his report.
"But all his Town Hall meetings were in capital cities. Not once did he visit the industrial regions where most of his emissions trading ideas will have an immediate effect on working families," AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, said.
Support the AWU's campaign for good jobs
National tour of regional industrial centres
That's why the AWU leader is now on a national tour of regional centres.
Earlier in the week he was in Adelaide where the local daily newspaper, the Adelaide Advertiser ran this opinion piece saying South Australia can play a key role in climate change debate .
" I want to meet with AWU members and local community leaders to listen and discuss - to find the practical solutions which will both help to green our planet - and keep regional centres alive and thriving," Paul Howes said.
" The AWU wants to work closely with our members and the industries which employ them across the Hunter and the Central Coast to see how we can practically work together to keep these industries here - using the lowest carbon intensity methods possible.
Newcastle knows the pain of industries shutting down
" Newcastle has gone through massive upheavals from the closure of BHP steelworks, and further rationalisation in the aluminum sector. What Newcastle needs, her industries and workers, is certainty that the proposed emissions trading arrangements, which we accept must come into place, will not simply result in further leakage overseas of investment and jobs.
" The fact remains that iron and steel and aluminium production are major export earners in Newcastle, valued at $2.5 billion in 2006-07. The Port of Newcastle is a specialist industrial port and major Australian aluminium port.
" The Hydro Aluminium Kurri Kurri and Tomago Aluminium smelters near Newcastle supply over one third of Australia's domestic aluminium production capacity. In addition to OneSteel, these industries provide thousands of jobs to Newcastle and the Hunter region.
These industries can be part of the solution - not add to the problem
" These industries also have the know-how to adapt existing expertise to new challenges, including to the challenges of climate change, however, it also needs to be recognised that these industries and the materials they produce can be recycled, remanufactured and reused over and over again in the context of a product life cycle.
" And they will help build our sustainable green car industry, our wind farms and solar panels in addition to traditional uses such as inputs in our mining, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. The new emissions trading arrangements need to account for the value of this sustainable usage and as domestically produced inputs to other important uses.
" The AWU wants to work closely with this region to promote the trade and sustainability credentials of Newcastle, Hunter and Central Coast industries - to ensure growing jobs and a secure future in a green economy for working people in this region."
As part of the visit to the Hunter Paul Howes spoke, and answered questions, about emissions trading and Hunter region industries at the Annual Finnigan Rudd Dinner of the Newcastle Industrial Relations Society on Thursday night on University of Newcastle Union, Callaghan Campus.
Read earlier AWU commentary on Climate Change
- Saving regional jobs : AWU leaders talk lower-carbon standards
- Standing stronger together for Gladstone: Paul Howes opinion piece for The Gladstone Observer
- AWU wants emissions permits for workers, not just corporations
- Keep energy and resource jobs in Australia to cut global greenhouse: AWU
- Keeping working Australians in the debate about a green future and secure jobs
- Union warns against being wrong-footed on Climate Change
- USA must pressure China to adopt decent global emissions trading standards: AWU
- AWU wants Govt to look at plan to trap CO2 under depleted offshore gas fields
All electoral matter is authorised by Paul Howes, National Secretary