Media Release:
Healthy Futures welcomes the Victorian Government’s $7.9 million dollar budget allocation to the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) particularly for their commitment to develop the region’s first Just Transition Plan. However, prominent health organisations continue to call on the Government for long term funding to give certainty to the community.
We see this as a crucial first step towards a just transition from coal that ensures prosperity for workers, their families and the community.
We encourage the Government to fully embrace the needs of the Latrobe Valley and surrounding Gippsland community by committing to longer term funding for LVA and the implementation of a rapid transition plan to renewable energy.
In response to today’s announcement from the Victorian Government, local health and community service workers, organisations and members of the community, have delivered a request urging the State Government to adequately fund the LVA well into the future by securing funding to not only plan but deliver a full energy transition plan for the Valley that revitalises the local economy and improves community health.
The request has been presented to the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas through the form of an open letter supported by prominent local community organisations and individuals.
“The Valley, and Gippsland more broadly, require funding committed to for many years. This will enable the Latrobe Valley Authority to work in partnership with the community and industry to not only develop a just transition plan but to deliver one and give our communities certainty as we work towards a clean, safe renewable energy future” said Community Health Worker and Gippsland local Geraldine McClure.
We hope that the Andrews Government can be inspired by countries like Germany who have pledged billions of Euros to support their coal mining communities to transition [1].
There is a wonderful opportunity here in the Latrobe Valley to embrace a future that benefits all of us hence we are calling for long term funding commitments from the Victorian Government to secure a clean, healthy future for the region.
References:
- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Germany (2019).
Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment. Retrieved from
https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/EN/Publikationen/commission-on-growth-structural-c
Hange-and-employment.pdf