Julie-Ann Campbell (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It does not surprise me one iota that the member for Forrest does not support this motion. It doesn't surprise me, because this motion is fundamentally about two things. Firstly, it is about the creation of manufacturing jobs, and, secondly, it is about renewables and sustainability in our energy space. What we know about those opposite is that, in terms of manufacturing, at every opportunity they have had, they have sent manufacturing jobs overseas. They have sent shipbuilding overseas and they have sent train manufacturing overseas. At every moment, every opportunity, every choice and every point, that is what they do.

The second point, in terms of renewables, is that we know that this is an opposition that despises renewables. We know that only weeks ago they said at the LNP convention up in Queensland, in my city of Brisbane, that they want to move away from net zero. It's because, when it comes to sustainability and climate change, those opposite are people who simply don't believe.

So I want to take the opportunity, in opening today, to really thank and congratulate the member for Swan for moving this motion. I'm pleased to have the opportunity today to talk about the Albanese Labor government's Battery Breakthrough initiative, a significant and forward-thinking investment that is a key part of building a future made in Australia.

But first I would like to acknowledge a battery on a local rather than a national scale. It's the upcoming launch of the community battery in my community in Moorooka. This is part of the Community Batteries for Household Solar program, which is installing 400 batteries across Australia. The batteries will store excess solar energy for households to use during peak times, and Southside residents will benefit from lower electricity bills, support to install rooftop solar and access to renewable energy.

Let's talk about the Battery Breakthrough initiative. It's worth $500 million and is one of the most significant investments in battery manufacturing in our history in this country. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency, ARENA, will administer the funding, providing access to capital grants and production incentives. The initiative was designed by a consultative progress with ARENA and industry stakeholders, ensuring it will be fit for purpose and have a positive impact.

In the manufacturing space, for many years I worked representing manufacturing workers, whether they were fitters and turners, boilermakers or working in the vehicle industry as vehicle builders—and we know that there aren't too many of them around anymore, because those opposite systematically moved their industry offshore and we lost jobs. But what we know in the manufacturing industry is that we have an opportunity to make things here again. We have an opportunity to make sure that, when we come up with ideas at universities and we drive technological advancement, we in this country can have the benefit of that scale-up. But we have to invest in the jobs, the skills and the industries that make that possible.

Australian researchers and companies are at the forefront of battery technologies, and showcasing that R&D excellence with practical industry application is what Labor is all about. We've been backing projects that firm supply chain resilience as well as contributing to emissions reduction. This combined focus benefits vital climate goals, as well as boosting economic growth. Companies such as Li-S Energy, based in Brisbane, and Sicona, in Wollongong, are collaborating with CSIRO, with universities and with Defence to help develop advanced battery components and systems.

The Battery Breakthrough initiative builds on Labor's $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia agenda, which includes major investments in solar, in hydrogen, in green iron, in aluminium and in critical minerals. What this motion is about at its core is what Labor believes in. We believe in a renewable energy future because it is cheaper, it is better, it is more resilient and it means that we have cheaper energy for everyone. What we believe as a Labor government is that we should make things in this country. In order to do that, we need initiatives that call out and drive the skills that we need to manufacture, and we need to back in renewable energy at every moment. That is what this motion calls for, and that is what Labor does every day.

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