Thursday, 13 August 2026

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for Environment, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (12:07): I rise today to update the house on how Labor will grow Victoria’s energy workforce by 50 per cent by 2040 and how we cannot do this without women coming forward, training up and taking part in these great jobs. The Victorian Energy Jobs Plan demonstrates that Victoria will need approximately 68,000 energy jobs by 2040, with 37 per cent of those jobs needed in regional Victoria. That is more than $18 billion in wages by 2040 delivered to workers’ pockets throughout Victoria’s regional communities. I am advised that this will include $1.94 billion in Ballarat, $1.2 billion in Bendigo, $2.4 billion in Geelong, $2.3 billion in the south-west, $2.5 billion in the north-west, $4.6 billion in Gippsland, $2.1 billion in Hume and $1.1 billion in Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley.

The shift to renewable energy is not just about technology, it is about workers. Whether you are a linesman in Bendigo, a plumber in Geelong or a customer service worker in Morwell, there are opportunities right across the state. Through Labor’s women in energy strategy, we are bringing government, industry, and education and training providers together to ensure women’s full and equitable participation in training and employment opportunities in Victoria’s growing renewable energy sector. Only Labor will maintain the lowest electricity prices in the country, deliver the replacement energy infrastructure needed to keep the lights on and put regional jobs first.