NSW Green Skills Summit

Some of the best minds in NSW came together recently to make sure our businesses and communities are in the box seat to deal with the challenges of the move to a low carbon economy.

NSW Jobs and Green Skills Summit hosted by the Premier was attended by some of the State’s leading education and training representatives, key business and community leaders, environmental groups, sustainability advisers, apprentices and green-skilled workers.

Ben Bardon CEO of Central West Group Apprentices with Anthony Stockman and apprentice Ben Hughes from AJS Electrical were selected to be on the panel of experts for the NSW Green Skills summit. 

"The NSW Government is looking for the best way forward to build a workforce for a sustainable future. Our presentations concentrated on what skills small and medium enterprises will need to acquire as we move to a low carbon economy”. said Mr. Bardon

Speaking at the Summit, NSW Premier Nathan Rees announced new plans to make it easier to establish clean, renewable energy projects, in a major step to attract green investment and create green jobs in NSW.

“The expansion of the Commonwealth’s Renewable Energy Target to 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply by 2020 will drive major new investment in the generation of renewable energy.” said Mr. Rees

A key part of the plan is the creation of new Renewable Energy Precincts for wind energy, which included the Central tablelands. Renewable energy projects generating more than 30 megawatts of power will benefit from “critical infrastructure” status. Formerly it was 250 megawatts.

“This means that green, renewable energy projects will benefit from the same priority as other important infrastructure, such as major road or hospital upgrades.”

The Government will improve relationships with industry by creating dedicated green go-to people to assist renewable energy investors to see investment flow and jobs created.

“With natural resources to generate wind, solar and hydro energy in abundance, we are well placed to drive investment in a sustainable, renewable energy future and to drive investment in green jobs.” said Mr Rees

“A Taskforce has been established and will turn the ideas and proposals raised at the Summit into a plan of action to support a future green economy in New South Wales.” announced Lesile Loble, Deputy Director-General, Strategic Planning and Regulation Department of Education and Training.