Thursday, 18 May 2023

Ministers statements: women in renewable energy

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:28): I rise to update the house on women who are supercharging the renewables revolution. Forty per cent of the renewable energy workforce are women, and we are growing this sector, as will the jobs flowing to women. This compares to 23 per cent in the oil and gas sector and 16 per cent in the coal sector, and just 30 per cent for those opposite. With our emissions reduction target by 2035 of a 75 to 80 per cent reduction, net zero by 2045 and our 95 per cent target of renewables by 2035, we are enabling the next generation of women in our energy workforce through the creation of 59,000 jobs that will be accelerated by bringing back the SEC.

Women in our energy industry are already making waves. The member for Bayswater will be proud to have Christine Kennedy and Total Solar Solutions in his electorate. Christine is the general manager of Total Solar Solutions, which have taken on two female apprentices through Solar Victoria’s $11 million Growing Our Clean Energy Workforce training and workforce development package. The two apprentices Darcey and Madeline are absolutely excited to be in energy. I met them, and they are so, so excited about the opportunities given to them courtesy of our government. With Christine, this retailer is a powerhouse in supporting women in solar. Along with Bobbi McKibbin and Sophie Wright, Christine is also a member of Solar Victoria’s industry and consumer reference group. Their leadership is helping us deliver more than 240,000 installs of solar, PV batteries and hot water systems through our Solar Homes program.

All this shows is that you cannot be a true leader by ignoring more than half the population. With those opposite flip-flopping on quotas and on climate – going nuclear is the only thing that they are actually committed to – this government is absolutely focused on supporting women and empowering them in the energy – (Time expired)