IN an interview last week with the Newcastle Herald, a sceptical Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce voiced his concerns for regional Australia by reeling off a list of "mining towns", then asking "where are all the renewables towns?"
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It was a reasonable question, as we observed at the time.
And it received a partial answer, at least, yesterday, when a decidedly upbeat Prime Minister Scott Morrison toured the Ampcontrol works at Tomago and inspected some of the company's innovative and practical solutions to the energy questions of our time.
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As impressive as the machinery was the veritable army of Ampcontrol employees whose day-to-day lives centre around bringing once futuristic technology to practical, and affordable, reality.
Jobs, in other words, in renewables.
Ampcontrol, as we report today, has a proud history of innovation, and its can-do mantra is in line with Mr Morrison's desire to see Australia meets its climate change goals "through technology, not taxation".
Mr Morrison hammered that theme home yesterday taking questions from the media at the Port of Newcastle, which has obtained half of the $3-million cost of a feasibility study into a port "hydrogen hub" from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, ARENA.
The port wants to see the land previously earmarked for the T4 coal terminal used to build hydrogen industries. Coal will continue to be a major Hunter export for some time but the port's owners see a hydrogen hub - as well as the longed-for container terminal - as the major prongs of a diversification strategy.
MORE FROM THE PM's MONDAY VISIT:
- Scott Morrison: why backing the Hunter is part of our net zero plan
- Morrison impressed as Hunter shows way to low carbon future
- Hunter Liberal candidate on 'war chest' for election
- Morrison backing women lawyers to flip Hunter seats
- PM hits Hunter on campaign footing
- Ampcontrol shows off its renewable wares
To help generate more jobs in renewables - and to help Australia meet its "net zero" targets - the Coalition at both state and federal levels is handing out money to the private sector to help it take today's fledgling ideas and to turn them into scaleable, commercial ventures.
Retrofitting existing industry will also be important, hence yesterday afternoon's announcement of state and federal funding to help install new technology to capture nitrous oxide emissions from Orica Kooragang Island, ticking both pollution control and greenhouse gas boxes.
After years of infighting, the Coalition is setting out a clear climate change strategy.
Mr Morrison survived COP26 intact, and the pressure will mount on Labor to respond.
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