General News
27 April, 2022
Candidate’s climate action
CANDIDATE for Wannon Gilbert Wilson has raised concerns Western Victorians “are being denied good employment opportunities due to the Morrison Government’s blasé stance on renewable energy”.
CANDIDATE for Wannon Gilbert Wilson has raised concerns Western Victorians “are being denied good employment opportunities due to the Morrison Government’s blasé stance on renewable energy”.
The Australian Labor Party candidate said the potential for employment in the renewable energy sector was “unrealized”.
“I’m not talking about hundreds of jobs potentially, I’m talking thousands of good secure Australian jobs going by the way side because of our Federal Government’s lack of support or interest in clean energy,” Mr Wilson said.
“Whether you work in manufacturing, electricals, construction, maintenance, drive a crane or welder, or have mechanical skills, the sector is awash with unrealisedopportunity.”
Mr Wilson said a recent speech by the new head of Vestas in Australia and New Zealand Danny Neilsen warned Australia faces a renewable energies skills shortage as the roll out of bigger and more complex wind and solar projects ramps up to populate renewable energy zones and meet targets.
He said the only two things standing in the way of thousands of jobs in a “vibrant clean energy sector” was a government which will encourage the purchase of local components and materials used in construction, and effective national renewable energy targets.
Mr Gilbert said he had made the decision to stand for Wannon after his job at Keppel Prince in Portland, which specialises in construction, fabrication and manufacturing of large-scale projects including wind farms, dried up because of no local content requirements in federal renewable energy wind projects.
Mr Wilson said he knows firsthand the importance of local content targets.
“That’s why I’m doing what I can during this election campaign and when I get elected to Canberra to make Australians aware of the untapped job potential in our midst resulting in more clean energy leading to more sustainable industries,” he said.
“It’s a no brainer.”