Opposition leader Peter Dutton has announced his government plans to scrap Hunter offshore wind, if elected, as part of the Coalition’s broader proposal to halt renewable energy projects nationwide- instead attempting to establish publicly funded nuclear power.
Under his proposal, taxpayers will cough up half a trillion dollars to fund the establishment of plants across Australia, including one slated for earthquake-prone Muswellbrook.
The ramifications of the plan would be staggering for our regional communities. Here's why.
The Coalition's nuclear proposal kills jobs.
Our regional communities face enormous economic upheaval and job losses as traditional energy industry declines, yet there is hope on the horizon: new industries are investing in our regions, creating the jobs and opportunities local workers need and deserve.
Unions are working closely with industry and government to maximise local content and to develop training and upskilling pathways that guarantee maximum benefit for workers.
But this crucial opportunity is at dire risk, because Dutton plans to kill these industries to make way for nuclear. Renewables aren't the only victim, either, because under the Coalition's own costings and proposal, much of Australia's heavy industry, including aluminium, will shut down.
Jobs in nuclear will not adequately replace these losses, nor would they replace them soon enough. According to Victoria's Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority, it will take between 2 to 3 decades just to rehabilitate the planned sites for the plants.
Dutton's proposal would leave local workers in limbo as coal plants retire, jobs are lost, and regional economies stagnate.
Nuclear will increase power bills and increase cost of living pressures.
The science is clear: nuclear is the most expensive form of energy generation for a country with abundant sun and wind.
CSIRO, Smart Energy Council, and the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis have all released detailed reports and analysis confirming nuclear is financially unviable, even when propped up by half a trillion tax payer dollars.
Moreso, the payoff for our enormous investment would be negligible; nuclear would supply just 3.7% of Australia’s energy mix.
Smart Energy Council found that power bills will double for homes with solar, impacting 4 million households across Australia. Other households will see their bills increase by 30%.
In the decades before nuclear is producing energy, gas usage will be drastically expanded to meet demand as coal plants retire. the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found this will increase power costs by up to 3.8 times.
The increasing cost of power will trigger economy-wide inflation, increasing the cost of living for all. Australian workers will be forced to shoulder enormous bill increases while public services suffer: hundred billions of taxpayer dollars sunk into nuclear means hundred billions diverted away from our hospitals, schools, public transport, social security, and more.
Hunter offshore wind and other new industry represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and combat climate change. It’s a lifeline for traditional power workers and a pathway to long-term regional prosperity.
Peter Dutton’s nuclear proposal, on the other hand, risks leaving the Hunter region and other regional communities across Australia in an economic void. It sacrifices workers’ livelihoods and burdens taxpayers with skyrocketing costs, all for an energy source that epically fails to deliver on its promises.
Either Dutton is in fantasyland, or he's a liar: the science overwhelmingly stacks against him.
