I moved the amendment in the Parliament to formally designate the Illawarra a REZ as part of negotiations to pass the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020.

This fact has been acknowledged by Business Illawarra in a media release today:

This outcome is in large part due to the advocacy of the Member for Wollongong Paul Scully MP on attaining REZ status for the region.

I am pleased to see that there has been an overwhelming interest to invest in 44 projects in the Illawarra worth around $43 billion.

I always knew this would be the outcome of any expression of interest in an Illawarra REZ.

The Illawarra has all of the assets – a deep port, a steel industry, existing heavy energy users, and transport network to deliver renewable energy infrastructure.

Most importantly, we have the skilled workforce to build and make the wind towers and other infrastructure to generate and store renewable energy right here.

The only missing ingredient so far is the lack of NSW Government support to deliver local content and funding to deliver an Illawarra Hydrogen Hub.

The Illawarra community, its businesses, labour movement, and researchers and educators at the University of Wollongong and Illawarra TAFE, are geared up and ready to rock and roll to contribute to a low carbon future.

It’s time the NSW Government got serious and now gets behind the push to help the Illawarra make this renewable energy investment boom real.

We nearly missed out once.

I am determined to make sure the Illawarra doesn’t miss out on $43 billion of investment and high-paying, high skilled jobs.