THERE has been a lot of feedback in the past week about the tough new regulations regarding the claiming of unemployment benefits, with arguments from both sides of the social welfare fence.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
What must go hand-in-hand with that debate though is a discussion on job creation across Australia – a serious discussion – and particularly with regards to rural and regional areas.
The past 18 months have included headline after headline on the shedding of jobs by some of our biggest employers, and that doesn’t include positions lost in the small business sector in what have been some challenging economic times.
It’s no wonder then that Moree Plains Shire Council is celebrating confirmation of the building of a solar farm on Moree’s outskirts, a project the mayor says is a big vote of confidence in the area and which will create more than 100 jobs during its construction.
The project has been made possible by considerable investment from two government clean energy agencies, which, ironically, are in the cross-hairs of the Coalition.
They have tried on several occasions to have legislation abolishing the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation passed through the Senate, to date without success.
Renewable energy is the way of the future without doubt – it has to be – and it seems Australia has considerable expertise in a number of these different areas, including solar.
But, rather than enthusiastically pursuing these exciting new opportunities, we’re intent on stifling the avenues of assistance for new clean energy projects.
Renewable energy must also be an industry that has enormous employment potential in the future, offering the nation alternatives to the likes of our ailing manufacturing and car industries.
Innovation is something Australia has always done very well, be it science, health, agriculture, education, the environment.
This is something we can export to the world, something we can compete with other countries on, on an equal footing.
The time is now to start laying the groundwork for the prosperous Australia we want in the future; to have
a serious discussion on the industries that are going to take us there and preparing our students for the jobs those industries will need.
Rejigging welfare payments and eliminating agencies that are helping with job creation seems a negative response to the challenges ahead.
