With the closure of Hazelwood something ‘green’ can grow

By Jennifer Meyer-Smith

Hazelwood’s closure is a central issue to the whole of the world (even if they don’t know it yet) and it’s happening in my own backyard.

Hazelwood has operated in the Latrobe Valley for half a century and generations of Victorians have seen it developed as state infrastructure, then privatised by Kennett and now defeated by community opposition to dirty coal fuel energy.

It is a reprieve for all of us, who to any degree fear the onslaught of climate change and, who recognise the negligent waste of opportunities for alternative clean, green energy industries, as well as innovative alternative and diverse industries.

I’m no scientific expert who can explain the vast advantages of wind, solar and other renewable energies, and I invite such informed and eloquent people to join the discussion to explain why they are the future of energy delivery, so that our trees are not decimated, our agricultural pastures stay green and don’t become black, our marine ecosystems stay blue and viable, and our climate bearable for ecological diversity. I could continue my poetic descriptors but I know you get my point.

The emphasis of my article is on how our new combined political impact and the commercial decision by Engie, has now delivered ALL of us a golden opportunity to realise our aspirations for a better future for our children and our environment. The emphasis is on how we can feel good in the present about building that future. The benefits will become increasingly tangible by being involved in the rejuvenation process.

The Latrobe Valley has suffered over 20 percent unemployment rates for a long extended period of time which has far exceeded other regions of Australia. The Latrobe Valley has suffered such a malaise for so long that its plight had fallen off the radar of political retrospectivity and community concern. It was just a fact of life and the fact that rampant disadvantage, crime and substance abuse were at high thresholds, oh well, that’s just the way it was.

Now, with a new surge of potential unemployed and under-employed, government concern is reborn! Praise the Lord! Maybe it is because even the most ignorant politician or dignitary cannot deny how the Latrobe Valley cannot afford the devastation of a doubly-enforced entrenchment of disadvantage and poverty caused by non-effective employment opportunities and infrastructure supports.

So these are my solutions (and I invite ideas from others to BUILD on my suggestions). Don’t bother to argue or attempt to trump my ideas but I do invite you to come up with some extra ideas of your own so that I can advocate and represent them to Latrobe City Council and the State Government when I meet with both levels in my pursuit for effective and equitable opportunities for the Latrobe Valley, wider Gippsland region and Australia full stop.

My innovative concept is that the ways to get unemployed and under-employed people back into meaningful and sustainable employment is to provide such following opportunities:

• The State Government and Latrobe City Council provide a large under-cover, weather-proof marketplace with small or medium, affordable rental and lockable cubicles for people to operate their micro-businesses, which can vary from innovative science projects, innovative new industries, jewellery making, tutoring, antiques and collectables, computer repairs, plants, food, shoe repairs and the list goes on. This concept is similar to the Incubation Hub concept at Melton, which from reports has had much success in promoting effective self-employment opportunities for low and no income people, who want to escape the drudgery and destitution of unemployment and under-employment.
• The State Government and Latrobe City Council coordinate a government-backed micro-financing regime for low and no income people to fund their grassroots enterprises understanding that the micro-finance needs to be over and above Newstart for a reasonable period of time until the businesses can support each person’s dignified living standard.

The reality is that there are already thousands of disadvantaged unemployed and under-employed people in the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland wider region.

The closure of Hazelwood is a magnificent opportunity to not only rehabilitate our environment away from dirty coal fuel and towards green, clean energy but also to grow new, diverse, innovative industries which I am advocating.

The promotion of self-employment opportunities for unemployed and under-employed people in the Latrobe Valley solves multitudinal problems in the current situation of Hazelwood’s closure, such as Health and Mental Health problems, socio-economic disadvantage, while it strongly promotes flourishing home-grown Aussie industries and ongoing employment for people, who are ready, willing and able to give it a go.

I’m out there advocating these remedies to the devastation caused by old coal fuel industries and neoliberal inadequacy and disservice. I’m looking for your added ideas of what I will advocate when I meet with these officials in these uncertain but pregnant times of opportunity.