Kahn Goodluck, Councillor, Gladstone Regional Council, said:
''Gladstone is at the heart of Australia's renewable energy revolution and this is another boost our region needs as we move to cut climate pollution. If we continue on this path, with our regions at the forefront of the global move to net zero, we'll see these areas continue to thrive as jobs and opportunities arise.
The world is rapidly transitioning away from coal, so investment in sustainable industries, like green refining and domestic manufacturing related to renewable energy, will ensure central QLD has strong employment opportunities well into the future.'' Interview availability limited.
Dr Amanda Cahill, CEO, The Next Economy: Amanda is the CEO of The Next Economy, an organisation that supports regional communities across Australia to build more resilient, climate safe and socially just economies. Working with government, industry and community groups across Australia, Amanda's recent work includes partnering with the Gladstone Regional Council to develop a ten-year roadmap to best manage the economic transition to net zero.
Dr Cahill said: "This is a good example of the role we need government to play if we are to unlock private investment and support regional communities to manage this massive transformation. It is this kind of support that helps Gladstone to attract new investment under the region's 10-year Economic Roadmap, showing just what's possible if communities, governments and industries come together to meaningfully address change.
"Australia is blessed with abundant resources, but this can be a curse if development is not done well with boom-and-bust cycles contributing to a range of challenges such as exacerbating housing and workforce shortages. We need a new, holistic approach to regional development so that profits are shared equitably, the rights of First Nations people are respected, and environmental impacts are avoided. For example, in some places companies are looking at how they can reduce the need for new extractive projects by adopting circular economy approaches, such as the mining of existing tailings."
Prof. John Quiggin, Economist at University of Queensland: John Quiggin is prominent both as a research economist and as a commentator on Australian economic policy. He can offer expert economic analysis of how government loans and subsidies can affect local industries in the context of global markets and trade.
