The Illawarra would get more than $12 million to move away from fossil fuels under a Greens proposal.
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Greens candidate for the seat of Whitlam Tom Hunt said the party’s Renew Now plan would see $250 million spent across the country to help people transition away from coal, oil and gas.
Mr Hunt said $12.5 million would be spent in the Illawarra.
“While some people have a negative view that climate change spells bad news for the Illawarra, with its dependance on coal mining, the steelworks, heavy industry and major port, The Greens have a plan that will help our city transition to the new economy,” Mr Hunt said.
He said there was the possibility of the creation of 14,000 new jobs in the Illawarra in building and maintaining renewable energy infrastructure.
Mr Hunt claimed the Illawarra was in a better position than many other regions across the country when it came to moving towards new technologies.
"The Illawarra, including Australia’s 10th largest city, its world-beating university, Australia's largest steelworks, major port, and plethora of heavy industry and steel fabricators, is ideally placed to be a centre for the development and construction of renewable energy infrastructure,” he said.
“Wind turbines, solar PV, solar thermal, high-speed trains, new battery technology, and all the ingredients of the renewable economy need the very types of resources, skills, technology and people we have in the Illawarra."
Meanwhile, the Greens also announced its Mining Jobs in Mine Rehabilitation plan, which looks to deal with the declining coal mining industry.
Among the measures it included a $1 billion Clean Energy Transition Fund and to secure funding to help mine workers move into new jobs i those regions most at risk from the decline in coal mining.
“As we inevitably transition away from coal-fired power and coal mining, we need to make sure that all workers are protected," Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said.