Weld Australia has called on the Federal Government to mandate local content in the construction of critical national infrastructure projects after it introduced legislation last week that will pave the way for construction of Australia’s first offshore wind farms.
The Offshore Energy Infrastructure Bill could permit the construction of the 2.2-gigawatt Star of the South wind farm off the Gippsland coast in Victoria’s south-east. The Bill could also enable construction of the Marinus Link interconnector between Victoria and Tasmania, as well as windfarms in areas like Gladstone, Newcastle and Wollongong.
“The only way to ensure that these massive wind turbines meet Australian Standards for reliability, quality and safety is to award the fabrication contracts to local Australian companies,” said Geoff Crittenden, Chief Executive Officer of Weld Australia. “Local fabricators comply with internationally recognised Australian Standards and are certified by the relevant Australian authority.
The Star of the South and Marinus Link interconnector projects alone are worth $10bn combined and are expected to create 10,000 jobs. According to Crittenden, a procurement policy that mandated local content would see that $10bn reinvested back into the Australian economy. It would also create thousands of jobs in regional areas like Gippsland, Gladstone and Newcastle, supporting Australia’s post-COVID-19 recovery.
“The importance of our local manufacturing industry cannot be underestimated when it comes to Australia’s post-COVID recovery,” said Crittenden. “Australia’s jobs-driven COVID-19 recovery must be manufacturing led. Now is the time to make manufacturing a national priority. Government, at all levels, must support and invest in the manufacturing sector to aid its growth.
“Mandating local content in national infrastructure projects is the only way to ensure product quality and public safety, create new jobs, and strengthen Australia’s economy.”