NSW: Carbon Price Stimulates Jobs Growth

Study finds carbon price to stimulate jobs growth
11 August 2011

A study by the ACTU and the Australian Conservation Foundation has found strong action on climate change will lead to job growth on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

Both groups are part of the Southern Cross Climate Alliance, which will meet Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott later today to discuss the findings.

Australian Conservation Foundation executive director Don Henry says the report findings fly in the face of scaremongering about the effects of a carbon price.

Mr Henry says the mid-north coast, like most other regions in Australia, will prosper.

"We'll see a job growth of about 23,000 new jobs up to 2030 in the mid-north coast, with strong action to cut greenhouse pollution because in building a cleaner economy it stimulates new jobs, like renewable energy, and helps make traditional jobs like agriculture and manufacturing more efficient," he said.

He says the report supports Treasury modelling on the impacts of converting to a cleaner economy.

"There is a lot of scaremongering out there about the a price on pollution," he said.

"But the bottom line is when you look at independent research, it shows, for example, for the mid-north coast, that we'll see strong job growth over the next 20 years and that makes sense because as you cut pollution and have a cleaner economy, it creates job opportunities."