The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union says plans to establish a federal authority to guide Australia's transition to renewable energy needs significant changes before it progresses to parliament.
The Australian Greens' National Energy Transition Authority Bill proposes creating a statutory authority to guide federal policy, helping workers and communities reliant on fossil fuels transition to renewable energy.
Australia wants the vast majority of its power to come from renewable energy by 2030, raising questions over the future of coal-fired power stations and the many Australian communities reliant on the industry, such as Victoria's Latrobe Valley and the Hunter region in New South Wales.
A transition authority will be able to propose changes to mining and resources laws, and provide advice to all three levels of government about how to manage the transition.
Recently released submissions into the bill are mostly positive about the creation of an authority, however, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) national secretary Steve Murphy said the plan needed to better involve workers in the process.
"There is nothing in the bill that suggests that workers or their representatives will be given any meaningful role in determining the future of their communities," he said.
"Without workers being consulted in its development, the authority will not be capable of delivering what it needs to — the confidence of workers that it will deliver justice for them in this transition."
Transition already underway
Mr Murphy was also concerned the authority was framed as an advisory body rather than an authority that could "direct and implement change for affected workers and communities".
He said the transition was also occurring much faster than the bill anticipated, and more emphasis needed to be placed on already affected workers.
"Big mining and energy companies are already moving to protect their investments and profits, with little concern for the workers and communities impacted," he said.
"We cannot leave a transition of this size to private capital."
Energy giants AGL and Alinta Energy were broadly supportive of an authority, although both submitted it should be clearer in its functions and objectives.
Report to come
A senate committee is assessing the submissions and will release a report on the bill in March 2023.
Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne, who introduced the bill to parliament, did not want to comment on the public submissions before the release of the report.
In her original submission, Ms Allman-Payne said there was a "clear policy gap" in the planning, coordination, and funding of the energy transition in Australia, and the statutory authority was vital to help communities and workers through the transition.
She said a transition authority would also have more powers than other federal and state agencies with a similar purpose.
Worker shortage
In its submission, Gippsland-based Australian Renewables Academy projected that renewable investment in the Gippsland region could be as large as $30 billion, and there was a need for between 12,000 and 15,000 workers by 2025.
Infrastructure Australia has already warned that a tradie shortage was affecting Australia's ability to meet its renewable energy targets.
Australian Renewables Academy president Bernadette O'Connor said the authority must help provide funding and training to transfer current power workers into renewable industries and to train new workers to meet the demand.
