Renewable energy jobs vanish from South Australia

22Mar

Jobs in the South Australian renewable energy sector have been in freefall since Jay Weatherill became Premier.

Analysis of the latest ABS Employment in Renewable Energy data for SA has revealed jobs in the sector peaked in 2011-12 and have been on the decline ever since.

“Jay Weatherill likes to trumpet his green credentials, but the reality is he has presided over  hundreds and hundreds of job losses in the renewable energy industry every year of his Premiership,” said Shadow Minister for Energy Dan van Holst Pellekaan.

“It takes a special type of incompetence to force a baseload power station to close at Port Augusta and all the jobs that go with it, and at the same time preside over job losses in the renewable energy sector.

“What this demonstrates is that we have a Premier who talks a big game on renewables but doesn’t deliver when it comes to actual jobs for the sector.

“We saw last week that the unbecoming behaviour of the Premier might get him a headline, but unfortunately for South Australians it doesn’t make electricity prices lower, the system more reliable, or in this case it doesn’t add a single job to the sector.

“These ABS figures lay bare the failures of the Weatherill Labor Government, showing that they can’t be trusted to fix SA’s energy system.”

 

Source: ABS 4631.0 Employment in Renewable Energy Activities, Australia 2015-16