Doorstop interview with Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, in Bomaderry, NSW

FIONA PHILLIPS, MEMBER FOR GILMORE: I’m Fiona Phillips, the Federal Member for Gilmore and I'm absolutely delighted to be here today with Senator Jenny McAllister, the Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy. And of course, we are at the Nowra TAFE campus here at Bomaderry. I’m really thrilled that Jenny is here. Of course, we'll talk more about our New Energy Apprenticeship scheme, and what we're doing. But one of the things I'm really thrilled about is we've just been into the electrical class here and, talking with apprentices, and the TAFE teachers as well. The number of students, and apprentices is just booming. So it is so great to see this, really, I guess, you know, focus on trades and today, obviously looking at electrical, but we certainly know with the transition to renewables, the growth in construction and all the work that we're putting in and funding for housing as well, this is, this means a huge demand. And we're seeing that today.

Many will know that I was a TAFE teacher here for over a decade myself. So I have a very strong focus on making sure that our young people and mature-aged students can trade – can train in the trades. That is so important. So electrical here today, so important. And we've got great local employers that are taking on these apprentices. You know, it's really quite booming. So I really want to congratulate TAFE and congratulate the teachers, the students and of course our local employers and I’ll hand over to Jenny.

SENATOR JENNY McALLISTER, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY: Thanks very much, Fiona. It's a real pleasure to be here. The world is decarbonising and for Australia, that brings enormous opportunities. Our budget is focused on setting our country up to take advantage of the growth in industries and jobs that will come as the world decarbonises. We have the capacity to be key players in green metals, hydrogen, in low-emissions fuels, all of it underwritten by taking advantage of our significant resources in solar and wind. We’re decarbonising our grid and decarbonising our economy. Part of that is making sure that we have the skilled professionals ready to participate in the economy of the future, and our budget contains significant investments to make sure that we have these trainees and apprenticeships – apprentices coming through.

We've recently signed a new National Skills Agreement, which with the states and territories, will see $30 billion flow through the sector over five years. We are rolling out our New Energy Apprenticeship program to enable 10,000 students to come through and gain qualifications in the clean energy sector. We are continuing and extending our Fee-free TAFE arrangement so that as many people as possible can skill up and take advantage not just of the growth in this sector, but right across the economy. And we're making investments in training capabilities in our Vocational Education sector so that it's ready to deliver the training that students require.

Speaking today to these students, it was just lovely. A whole lot of young people either still in their final years of their high school education or having just left, in an apprenticeship, working with a local employer and working here at the TAFE to develop these skills so that they can take part in – in the electrical trades. They're excited about their future.

They know instinctively the opportunities that are going to come. We’re determined to give them the support that they require to be part of this, as – as the economy changes.

JOURNALIST: Their opportunities in the future. Today there was an announcement out of the Hunter Valley that the Eraring power station has given been given a two-year extension. Is the ambition keeping up with the reality of change?

MCALLISTER: We are committed to decarbonisation and we know that the electricity system is decarbonising. That's always been accompanied by a commitment to ensuring that the electricity system was also reliable. The New South Wales Government has worked through these arrangements with Eraring and we're confident that these are sensible decisions designed to secure reliability whilst making sure that we continue to drive investments in renewables. All of the information we have before us indicates that what is needed is continual investment in renewables, in storage and firmed by gas. That is the electricity system of the future. But we want a smooth and orderly transition.

JOURNALIST: And on that, on the investment side of things, this week – today we hear about Eraring. Last week, we heard that gas will always, or at least until 2050, be a part of the energy mix. Does that sort of, you know, increase investment into gas and, you know, turn people away from investing in renewables that sort of, you know, commitments that is to say that gas will always be here. What do you think that does to the renewable investment market?

MCALLISTER: So our commitment is to reach 82% renewables by 2030. That's not 100%. And there are going to be – there is going to be a particular need for gas to firm the electricity system. But we are seeing record investments in storage. We are seeing a growing pipeline in renewable projects and our ambitious but achievable targets set Australia up to be part of the clean economy [inaudible].

JOURNALIST: The European experience has been nuclear and again, that's the issue that is dogging the government, whether nuclear power should be in that mix.

MCALLISTER: So the GenCost report produced by CSIRO came out this week, and it indicated incredibly clearly that nuclear is the most expensive form of generation that Australia could use. The challenge now is for Mr. Dutton, who has been advocating for this policy to explain why he is calling for Australians to have the most expensive form of new generation instead of the least.

JOURNALIST: I suppose he's got to get it past the public to start with.

MCALLISTER: Mr. Dutton has been speaking for years now about his intention to establish an Australian nuclear industry. They indicated that they would release the details about the nuclear plans prior to the budget. That didn't happen. I'm not surprised that they’re afraid to put their ideas before the Australian public, given the recommendation that CSIRO has provided us. Nuclear is an incredibly expensive technology in the Australian context. Mr. Dutton needs to explains why he continues to insist that.

JOURNALIST: We’re still waiting though on confirmation of the wind generation capability of the Illawarra coast. When’s that coming?

MCALLISTER: You're right that the government has been consulting with the community about the offshore wind zone in Illawarra. We’ve, of course, been interested to hear community perspectives on this. We know that when it's established, it has the potential to offer employment opportunities and to underwrite continuing industrial capability in Illawarra. We're processing the feedback we’ve received –

JOURNALIST: It's been a long conversation though.

MCALLISTER: These are important conversations. And we want communities to come with us in all of the decisions that we’re taking.

JOURNALIST: Now we’re talking Fee-Free and the students, trying to attract more students into the TAFES – trades. Do we actually have the physical facilities to cater for them? We're talking, here now that, they're saying, well [inaudible], particularly in this electrical trades course.

MCALLISTER: We're seeing very significant growth in demand for trades courses. And it reflects the projected growth in demand for these professions. Jobs and Skills Australia expects that we'll need as many as 30,000 new electricians by 2030. Of course, we're seeing increased demand [inaudible] in TAFE, and our last Budget included $90 million so we can expand facilities and upgrade them so that students have the training and the necessary technology. And also expand and turbocharge the resources available for trainers and assessors so we can have the staff we need to do this work.

PHILLIPS: Can I just add one part on that? I think as well we have other TAFE campuses along the along the coast in the electorate of Gilmore. And we are seeing a growth in students coming back because of Fee-Free TAFE which is great. And I think there's more opportunities to grow electrical further down the coast, at Moruya as well. So sometimes, where perhaps there might have been, you know, some rooms available – rooms that have, are available, we are seeing that change as well, where we're seeing more people, going, going and, doing a trade course, such as electrical. So I think there's, you know, that's an important opportunity. It's an important discussion. and I think that's the way that the TAFE is heading as well.

JOURNALIST: People are wondering if we're, you know, keeping up, if we're moving fast enough, if we're, you know, on track with this transition. Is there a way of maybe, helping people, you know, comfort people with tracking what these new fee-free courses and those new upskilled people, are they actually working in these new environments? Are they taking on new, renewable roles? Are we tracking that at all?

MCALLISTER: We are very confident that these jobs are going to be a key part of the economy that is to come. And we know that we've got employers looking for staff in the electrical trades but also right across construction. We're really excited to see so many young people coming into these facilities, undertaking training –

JOURNALIST: Just to pick you up on your comment Fiona, about Moruya being an option. Is that a realistic option? We've heard from the teachers inside, that, you know, they don't have enough teachers to – to take you – teach these courses. Are you talking about moving the course here down to the rear, lock stock and barrel. So where are we going to get these extra teachers from?

PHILLIPS: No, no, I'm talking about opportunities for growth. So, I know that in Moruya, there is a demand from local employers that want students to be able to do their training locally so they don't have to travel as far. So when I'm simply saying is that we've got huge growth numbers here. Let's look at, you know, tapping into a local campus there.

JOURNALIST: But you wouldn't expect apprentices from this region to then jump in the car every Monday and go to TAFE down at Moruya.

PHILLIPS: No, no not at all. What I'm saying is it opens up more opportunities further south, for example, in Moruya, where we've got local businesses that take on apprentices. And, you know, often they have to travel long distances as well. So let's look at what we can do, through Fee-Free TAFE, and through both obviously the Federal and the State Government, to get more apprentices training locally, whether it's Moruya, whether it's at Ulladulla, whether it's here, because it's good for everyone. It's good for – it's good for the apprentices, it's good for local employers, it's good for clean energy. And we talk to students today that are solely working for local employers in the clean energy industry. You know, this is a growing area. So, you know, we want to help grow that as well.

JOURNALIST: Do we have students coming? How far are students at this TAFE, how far are they coming from? Are they coming from the Batemans Bay area or Ulladulla.

PHILLIPS: Yeah, yeah. They are traveling. Yeah. So my understanding, I think around sort of the Wollongong to the Highlands and that area. So it is a growing – it is a growing area as I said. There's a great demand from employers to put on apprentices. And we're seeing that whether it's clean energy, whether it's construction, whether it's commercial, people want apprentices. And that's why we're investing in apprentices through Fee-Free TAFE and doing everything we can do, to encourage people to take up a trade course.