Lake council demands support in Eraring closure to prevent economic 'death by a thousand cuts'

The Advertiser

4 days ago

FAILING to prepare for Eraring's closure could hit Lake Macquarie's economy with "death by a thousand cuts", one of the city's councillors fears.
Councillors voted unanimously at an extraordinary meeting on Monday night to write to the federal Net Zero Economy Authority to deliver a jobs transition plan to soften the blow of the loss of some 1800 jobs and $4.5 billion from the local economy when Eraring power station closes.
"We need certainty," Liberal deputy mayor Jack Antcliff said. "We are not a city with a BHP, or a Ford or Holden (plant), we are a city of thousands of small businesses and a city where an economic change is a death by a thousand cuts."
"We don't want to get 15 years down the road and wonder where all those jobs went."
Councillors and mayor Adam Shultz, who called the meeting, expressed concern that a poorly-managed transition would not only mire energy workers in uncertainty and job losses, but cripple the region's economy.
West Ward councillor Jason Pauling, who likened the eventual wind-down of Eraring to the closure of the BHP steelworks in 1997, said it was incumbent on the federal government to "take responsibility for the industries it is looking to destroy".
"We have a right to ask, and to demand, that opportunities are given to these job holders who will be affected," he said.
The proposed jobs plan, if approved by the authority and the Fair Work Commission, would effectively require the power station to support employees to find new jobs as it winds down, and for six months after the station closes.
Cr Shultz argued earlier this week that direct intervention was needed to soften the blow to the region when the station eventually closed. He said support needed to extend to supply and auxiliary industries that relied on Eraring for trade, making up some 15 per cent of the local economy.
"Local businesses are really going to feel an impact, and hence why the federal government needs to step in and provide that additional support," he told the Newcastle Herald on Friday.
Last month, Authority boss David Shankey said the department was seeking clarification on whether the coal-fired power station would actually close as scheduled in August 2027, or keep operating beyond that date.
The state government agreed last year to underwrite a two-year extension of the plant through to August 2027. However, it is possible the plant could continue running through to 2029.
"The Authority's consultation process for Eraring is based on the closure date that Origin has provided to the Australian Energy Market Operator, which is August 2027," an Authority spokeswoman told the Herald Tuesday.
"Any extensions to the date are a matter for Origin and we are not aware of any requests for extension to this date."
During the meeting, the council acknowledged efforts by the station's operator, Origin, to support workers but agreed direct government support was needed to ensure the region's security into the future.
"We must be realistic about this change," Cr Antcliff said.
"This is a small step for us, but it is an important step as we push to federal government (to acknowledge) that Lake Macquarie is part of it; it was part of it in the 1980s when they built the plant, it has been powering the state for a long time, and this region deserves to power the state in different ways into the future."
The energy workers' union, which has also confirmed it would pressure the federal government to approve a jobs plan for Lake Macquarie, told the Herald last week that workers were facing "deep uncertainty" about Eraring's eventual closure, but that a jobs plan was a "real opportunity to do things differently and meet its commitment of leaving no one behind in the energy transition".
FAILING to prepare for Eraring's closure could hit Lake Macquarie's economy with "death by a thousand cuts", one of the city's councillors fears.
Councillors voted unanimously at an extraordinary meeting on Monday night to write to the federal Net Zero Economy Authority to deliver a jobs transition plan to soften the blow of the loss of some 1800 jobs and $4.5 billion from the local economy when Eraring power station closes.
"We need certainty," Liberal deputy mayor Jack Antcliff said. "We are not a city with a BHP, or a Ford or Holden (plant), we are a city of thousands of small businesses and a city where an economic change is a death by a thousand cuts."
"We don't want to get 15 years down the road and wonder where all those jobs went."
Councillors and mayor Adam Shultz, who called the meeting, expressed concern that a poorly-managed transition would not only mire energy workers in uncertainty and job losses, but cripple the region's economy.
West Ward councillor Jason Pauling, who likened the eventual wind-down of Eraring to the closure of the BHP steelworks in 1997, said it was incumbent on the federal government to "take responsibility for the industries it is looking to destroy".
"We have a right to ask, and to demand, that opportunities are given to these job holders who will be affected," he said.
The proposed jobs plan, if approved by the authority and the Fair Work Commission, would effectively require the power station to support employees to find new jobs as it winds down, and for six months after the station closes.
Cr Shultz argued earlier this week that direct intervention was needed to soften the blow to the region when the station eventually closed. He said support needed to extend to supply and auxiliary industries that relied on Eraring for trade, making up some 15 per cent of the local economy.
"Local businesses are really going to feel an impact, and hence why the federal government needs to step in and provide that additional support," he told the Newcastle Herald on Friday.
Last month, Authority boss David Shankey said the department was seeking clarification on whether the coal-fired power station would actually close as scheduled in August 2027, or keep operating beyond that date.
The state government agreed last year to underwrite a two-year extension of the plant through to August 2027. However, it is possible the plant could continue running through to 2029.
"The Authority's consultation process for Eraring is based on the closure date that Origin has provided to the Australian Energy Market Operator, which is August 2027," an Authority spokeswoman told the Herald Tuesday.
"Any extensions to the date are a matter for Origin and we are not aware of any requests for extension to this date."
During the meeting, the council acknowledged efforts by the station's operator, Origin, to support workers but agreed direct government support was needed to ensure the region's security into the future.
"We must be realistic about this change," Cr Antcliff said.
"This is a small step for us, but it is an important step as we push to federal government (to acknowledge) that Lake Macquarie is part of it; it was part of it in the 1980s when they built the plant, it has been powering the state for a long time, and this region deserves to power the state in different ways into the future."
The energy workers' union, which has also confirmed it would pressure the federal government to approve a jobs plan for Lake Macquarie, told the Herald last week that workers were facing "deep uncertainty" about Eraring's eventual closure, but that a jobs plan was a "real opportunity to do things differently and meet its commitment of leaving no one behind in the energy transition".
FAILING to prepare for Eraring's closure could hit Lake Macquarie's economy with "death by a thousand cuts", one of the city's councillors fears.
Councillors voted unanimously at an extraordinary meeting on Monday night to write to the federal Net Zero Economy Authority to deliver a jobs transition plan to soften the blow of the loss of some 1800 jobs and $4.5 billion from the local economy when Eraring power station closes.
"We need certainty," Liberal deputy mayor Jack Antcliff said. "We are not a city with a BHP, or a Ford or Holden (plant), we are a city of thousands of small businesses and a city where an economic change is a death by a thousand cuts."
"We don't want to get 15 years down the road and wonder where all those jobs went."
Councillors and mayor Adam Shultz, who called the meeting, expressed concern that a poorly-managed transition would not only mire energy workers in uncertainty and job losses, but cripple the region's economy.
West Ward councillor Jason Pauling, who likened the eventual wind-down of Eraring to the closure of the BHP steelworks in 1997, said it was incumbent on the federal government to "take responsibility for the industries it is looking to destroy".
"We have a right to ask, and to demand, that opportunities are given to these job holders who will be affected," he said.
The proposed jobs plan, if approved by the authority and the Fair Work Commission, would effectively require the power station to support employees to find new jobs as it winds down, and for six months after the station closes.
Cr Shultz argued earlier this week that direct intervention was needed to soften the blow to the region when the station eventually closed. He said support needed to extend to supply and auxiliary industries that relied on Eraring for trade, making up some 15 per cent of the local economy.
"Local businesses are really going to feel an impact, and hence why the federal government needs to step in and provide that additional support," he told the Newcastle Herald on Friday.
Last month, Authority boss David Shankey said the department was seeking clarification on whether the coal-fired power station would actually close as scheduled in August 2027, or keep operating beyond that date.
The state government agreed last year to underwrite a two-year extension of the plant through to August 2027. However, it is possible the plant could continue running through to 2029.
"The Authority's consultation process for Eraring is based on the closure date that Origin has provided to the Australian Energy Market Operator, which is August 2027," an Authority spokeswoman told the Herald Tuesday.
"Any extensions to the date are a matter for Origin and we are not aware of any requests for extension to this date."
During the meeting, the council acknowledged efforts by the station's operator, Origin, to support workers but agreed direct government support was needed to ensure the region's security into the future.
"We must be realistic about this change," Cr Antcliff said.
"This is a small step for us, but it is an important step as we push to federal government (to acknowledge) that Lake Macquarie is part of it; it was part of it in the 1980s when they built the plant, it has been powering the state for a long time, and this region deserves to power the state in different ways into the future."
The energy workers' union, which has also confirmed it would pressure the federal government to approve a jobs plan for Lake Macquarie, told the Herald last week that workers were facing "deep uncertainty" about Eraring's eventual closure, but that a jobs plan was a "real opportunity to do things differently and meet its commitment of leaving no one behind in the energy transition".
FAILING to prepare for Eraring's closure could hit Lake Macquarie's economy with "death by a thousand cuts", one of the city's councillors fears.
Councillors voted unanimously at an extraordinary meeting on Monday night to write to the federal Net Zero Economy Authority to deliver a jobs transition plan to soften the blow of the loss of some 1800 jobs and $4.5 billion from the local economy when Eraring power station closes.
"We need certainty," Liberal deputy mayor Jack Antcliff said. "We are not a city with a BHP, or a Ford or Holden (plant), we are a city of thousands of small businesses and a city where an economic change is a death by a thousand cuts."
"We don't want to get 15 years down the road and wonder where all those jobs went."
Councillors and mayor Adam Shultz, who called the meeting, expressed concern that a poorly-managed transition would not only mire energy workers in uncertainty and job losses, but cripple the region's economy.
West Ward councillor Jason Pauling, who likened the eventual wind-down of Eraring to the closure of the BHP steelworks in 1997, said it was incumbent on the federal government to "take responsibility for the industries it is looking to destroy".
"We have a right to ask, and to demand, that opportunities are given to these job holders who will be affected," he said.
The proposed jobs plan, if approved by the authority and the Fair Work Commission, would effectively require the power station to support employees to find new jobs as it winds down, and for six months after the station closes.
Cr Shultz argued earlier this week that direct intervention was needed to soften the blow to the region when the station eventually closed. He said support needed to extend to supply and auxiliary industries that relied on Eraring for trade, making up some 15 per cent of the local economy.
"Local businesses are really going to feel an impact, and hence why the federal government needs to step in and provide that additional support," he told the Newcastle Herald on Friday.
Last month, Authority boss David Shankey said the department was seeking clarification on whether the coal-fired power station would actually close as scheduled in August 2027, or keep operating beyond that date.
The state government agreed last year to underwrite a two-year extension of the plant through to August 2027. However, it is possible the plant could continue running through to 2029.
"The Authority's consultation process for Eraring is based on the closure date that Origin has provided to the Australian Energy Market Operator, which is August 2027," an Authority spokeswoman told the Herald Tuesday.
"Any extensions to the date are a matter for Origin and we are not aware of any requests for extension to this date."
During the meeting, the council acknowledged efforts by the station's operator, Origin, to support workers but agreed direct government support was needed to ensure the region's security into the future.
"We must be realistic about this change," Cr Antcliff said.
"This is a small step for us, but it is an important step as we push to federal government (to acknowledge) that Lake Macquarie is part of it; it was part of it in the 1980s when they built the plant, it has been powering the state for a long time, and this region deserves to power the state in different ways into the future."
The energy workers' union, which has also confirmed it would pressure the federal government to approve a jobs plan for Lake Macquarie, told the Herald last week that workers were facing "deep uncertainty" about Eraring's eventual closure, but that a jobs plan was a "real opportunity to do things differently and meet its commitment of leaving no one behind in the energy transition".