Thousands of new jobs could be created across Gippsland with a series of proposed developments now gaining steam.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said he was excited to hear of progress of new developments in hydrogen, solar farms and offshore wind.
“I was pleased to get a briefing this week from the consortium behind the Gippsland Circular Economy Precinct which plans to develop hydrogen facilities from waste and also has plans to manufacture hydrogen vehicles in our region.
“This is a very exciting prospective development and I hope Gippsland’s existing strengths and skills can be utilised to ensure it goes ahead.
“Likewise, the proposed development of three new offshore wind farms is gathering pace with state government funding now announced to help with the planning and development of these projects.
“I’ve long been a supporter of the Star of the South project which has been on the drawing board now for a number of years and it has great prospects for long-term employment in the region.
“The addition of the Flotation Energy proposal off the Ninety Mile Beach and Macquarie Group’s proposed offshore wind farm off the Bass Coast Shire create further opportunities for our region.
“There are great synergies already between our offshore workforce, our engineering and construction skills in the Latrobe Valley and around Sale and these new developments could help us transition from fossil fuels to this new economy.
“There are a number of questions still to be answered about all these developments but I’m confident that if they follow the community consultation model adopted by Star of the South then everyone will have the opportunity to have their say and be listened to.
“I look forward to working with these companies to deliver new jobs and opportunities well into the future for Gippsland.”