"The announced Altona refinery closure is not just a blow to the workers and their community, but also worrying for the wider industrial ecosystem in which our refineries are embedded. Beyond petrol and diesel, a range of petrochemicals are critical inputs for many other businesses. We don't want to see a wider collapse," Innes Willox Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group said today.
"We also have to confront our severe fuel insecurity. Not only is Australian refinery capacity plunging, but most of the oil comes from overseas. Any future disruption to global supply chains would see Australia rapidly grind to a halt unless we take far-sighted action.
"A more aggressive push into electrification, hydrogen and bioenergy can provide more sustainable security over time. But viable long-term solutions need to tie together climate, energy, industry and transport strategies.
"The closure adds to the pressure on governments to make far sighted and clearheaded decisions to rebuild Australia's industrial and economic recovery. We will not create the jobs of the future we all crave if we don't get the basic building blocks right," Mr Willox said.
