A National Transition Authority would play an essential role in ensuring coal industry contractors were supported to find new employment and retraining opportunities, a rally calling the authority's establishment has heard.
While AGL's permanent Liddell Power Station workforce will be redeployed or retire, contractors who have supplied a myriad of support services will be worse off when the plant closes on Friday.
With Eraring and Bayswater power stations slated to close in the next decade, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has called for a regional authority in the Hunter to oversee the transition away from coal.
"The AMWU supports the call for a National Transition Authority to coordinate transitions nationally. But successful transitions must have regional voices at the table," AMWU NSW and ACT State Secretary Cory Wright said.
"This is why we believe that a regional authority is essential to oversee transition in the Hunter and ensure that the voices of local workers and communities are heard. The NSW government must step up and deliver on its election commitment to establish an authority in the Hunter."
The ACTU is among a growing number of groups on both sides of politics calling for an independent authority to support workers through pooled redundancy and redeployment schemes, education, training, income replacement and retirement plans.
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi, who attended the rally, said it was essential there were safe, secure and well paid jobs available as the energy sector diversified.
"We need an authority to oversee that and I have been talking to my colleagues in Canberra about the need for that sooner rather than later," he said.
While the proposed authority models vary in their structure, there is general agreement that an authority should fund and co-ordinate regional economic diversification programs designed to deliver sustainable and secure jobs in new and emerging industries.
NSW Labor committed during the recent election campaign to the establishment of Hunter clean energy transition authority to help the region adjust to unprecedented social and economic change in coming years.
The authority's primary role would be to help plan and co-ordinate the investment of billions of dollars to create new industries and jobs for displaced workers.
About 500 Eraring Power Station workers are at risk of losing their highly skilled jobs possibly as early as August 2025.
Mr Wright said it was essential that affected workers consulted about their futures and the future of their communities.
"Power generation workers support regional communities; we can't just send them on their way and wish them luck when power stations close. We need to have a plan," he said.
"Workers must have a seat at the table in discussions around their future and the future of their communities. The AMWU hopes that the NSW government learns from the Liddell experience and is more prepared to support Eraring and Bayswater contractors."
While he didn't specifically refer to the establishment of a National Transition Authority, federal energy minister Chris Bowen acknowledged during a visit to Liddell Power Station on Wednesday that "there was more to do" on the issue of assisting communities during the transition.
"There's always more to do; we've said that we are constantly on the lookout for more to do. There's a budget in a couple of weeks and look forward to your reporting of it."
To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.
