Joel Fitzgibbon says Australia's new official climate target is a commonsense move which hopefully ends the climate wars.
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The former Hunter Labor MP was a leading actor in those political battles over climate, arguing in recent years that Labor had abandoned its working-class base by pursuing overly aggressive emissions policies.
The lower house passed a climate bill on Thursday which will enshrine in law a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, the first time Australia has had a legislated emissions target.
The bill received support from the Greens and so-called teal independents, who campaigned successfully for more action on climate change at the federal election. All Coalition MPs except Tasmanian Liberal Bridget Archer voted against the bill.
Mr Fitzgibbon said on Thursday that the bill was a "commonsense outcome for a well balanced and meaningful policy approach".
"A good outcome for the economy, for investment confidence, for jobs and for our natural environment," he said.
"Let the climate wars be behind us."
Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said the legislation would send a "clear message" to investors that Australia was "open for business to become a renewable energy powerhouse".
"With our skilled workforce, abundant resources, industrial expertise and rail and port infrastructure, Newcastle is ideally placed to take full advantage of the new energy industries before us," she said.
Shortland MP Pat Conroy said the bill's passing was a "huge step forward in ending the climate wars" and presented a "massive economic opportunity for regions like the Hunter".
Labor said during the election campaign that it would incrementally cut emissions allowed under the existing "safeguard mechanism", which seeks to cap pollution by the country's 215 top industrial emitters.
The 215 companies include 14 Hunter coalmines, Tomago Aluminium and the Orica ammonia plant on Kooragang Island.
Mr Conroy said Labor's climate policies would create 600,000 jobs, most of those in regions such as the Hunter in new industries like green hydrogen and advanced battery manufacturing.
Both parties promised during the campaign to spend $100 million on preparing Newcastle port to produce and export hydrogen on a commercial scale.
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
