Antinuclear

Hi-tech renewable energy jobs reviving south-west Victoria’s economy

High-tech, clean energy jobs key to future of Geelong, south-west Victoria, ABC News, 5 June 16 By Cameron Best Steve Garner understands how important his wind farm manufacturing business is for the town of Portland in south-west Victoria.

As the state’s traditional manufacturing base continues to decline, jobseekers and the wider economy are looking for the jobs of the future.

Six months ago, Mr Garner’s Keppel Prince Engineering facility lay idle under the Federal Government’s freeze on new wind energy investment and former prime minister Tony Abbott’s desire to reduce the growth rate of what he labelled as “visually awful” wind farms.

Now, under a new Clean Energy Finance Corporation mandate, the production line at Keppel Prince is back up and running with about 300 workers making towers for a project near Ararat.

It has come just in time for Portland, which is facing the possibility of life without its major employer……

“the stronger we can grow something like this [facility], that actually does create a lot of jobs, the better off we’re going to be.

“And if we get government support to do that, we’ve then got a sustainable business for a long period of time.”…

New-wave tech replacing manufacturing of old

High-tech industries are springing up to utilise some of the skilled workers coming out of the automotive industry but in order to remain globally competitive, this new wave of advanced manufacturers cannot afford to be as labour-intensive as the companies of old…….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-05/high-tech,-clean-energy-jobs-the-key-to-geelong-future/7476816

June 5, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business, Victoria, wind