Latest News• Add My News • Search Old News Gippsland › Latest news › Russel Northe MLANorthe launches petition on the Hazelwood closureFamily members of Hazelwood workers to launch a petition calling on the Andrews Government to support local workers and businesses given the impending closure of Hazelwood Power Station. Click here to see comments on this news item Member for Morwell Russell Northe and Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath, today joined with family members of Hazelwood workers to launch a petition calling on the Andrews Government to support local workers and businesses given the impending closure of Hazelwood Power Station. Mr Northe said the petition calls on the Andrews Government to at the very least honour its own commitment of a phased closure of Hazelwood, adopt a "pooled redundancy" scheme for workers and to create and retain local jobs for local workers. "Hundreds of workers, contractors, local businesses and families will be impacted by the Hazelwood closure in less than 9 weeks' time, Mr Northe said. "Part of the anger and frustration of many local workers and their families is that Government is not listening or acting upon their concerns. "It appears that State Government is more fixated on the barramundi in Hazelwood pondage over the jobs and livelihoods of Hazelwood workers and contractors," he said. "Our community is pleading for Government assistance, the Government stepped in to assist Alcoa but where is this same support for the Latrobe Valley community." Mr Northe said Daniel Andrews promised he would support local workers and create new jobs for displaced workers; however it appears the only new jobs being created are for public servants and consultants. "Jobs in Latrobe Valley are already at a premium with unemployment in the Latrobe region rising from 7.3% in December 2014 to a very alarming 10.7% even before the closure of Hazelwood Power Station.," Mr Northe said. "Not only will we see a rise in unemployment, energy prices are expected to rise by more than 10% for many consumers, whilst the loss of substantial base load power means that Victoria will likely need to import electricity on critical days." Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath said the Labor Party not only had a policy to close Hazelwood Power Station but it said it would do so gradually, and unfortunately for the hundreds of workers about to lose their jobs they can't even get that part of their policy right. "The Andrews Government also imposed hundreds of millions of dollars of extra taxes on Latrobe Valley generators in its 2016/17 budget," Ms Bath said. "Daniel Andrews must support Latrobe Valley workers and their families by retaining and creating local jobs for local people." Copies of the petition are available from Mr Northe’s electorate office located at 66 George Street, Morwell, Melina Bath’s electorate office Shop 2, 181 Franklin Street, Traralgon and hard copies are available for printing from Mr Northe’s website www.russellnorthe.com.au/petitions Media contact: 5133 9088 CommentsI do not want to live in the Dark Ages and can foresee that we are in for some power blackouts. Victoria is growing in population at a rapid rate and essential services are not keeping up with the pace. My husband is investing in a generator for our home in readiness. Dan the man needs his head read! The cost of electricity and rises in price are all due to him. As seniors we are now thinking we will resort to burning candles and using torches for lighting. Sandy Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: support@gippsland.com
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