The renewable energy sector has lost almost 2,500 jobs in the last two years, according to official figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Job numbers in the sector peaked between 2011 and 2012 at 14,890, but fell by 15 per cent to 12,590 (a loss of 2,300 jobs) between 2013 and 2014.
Uncertainty surrounding the future of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) hit the sector hard, with industry groups claiming investment in clean technology has virtually stalled.
Major political parties are currently locked in a standoff over how much to cut the RET by, with the Government rejecting a proposal backed by Labor and the Clean Energy Council for a 33,500 gigawatt hour target.
The current target was legislated at 41,000 gigawatt hours which, with demand for power falling, was likely to represent more than 20 per cent of Australia's energy mix by 2020.
The Government said it refused to accept anything above 32,000 gwh.
In October 2014, Keppel Prince Engineering announced it was shedding 100 workers from its south-west Victoria wind project.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' first report into renewable energy employment highlighted how Government policies influence job levels in the sector via taxes, subsidies and pricing policies.
"Uncertainty over the future of the RET, or over the size of the renewable power percentage, is likely to have a flow on effect on future investment in renewable energy infrastructure," the report said.
"Since 2011-12 all mainland Australian states have experienced a decline in annual direct [full time equivalent] employment in renewable energy activities."
Among the hardest hit were the states of Queensland and Western Australia.
"The largest such fall was in Queensland, where employment fell by 34 per cent from 3,820 to 2,520 between 2011-12 and 2013-14," the report said.
"For the same period, Western Australia experienced a fall of 920 (from 1,740 to 820), or 53 per cent."
The report shows the industry grew by 41 per cent between 2009 and 2010 and the peak of 2011-2012.
Job numbers in the sector peaked between 2011 and 2012 at 14,890, but fell by 15 per cent to 12,590 (a loss of 2,300 jobs) between 2013 and 2014.
Uncertainty surrounding the future of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) hit the sector hard, with industry groups claiming investment in clean technology has virtually stalled.
Major political parties are currently locked in a standoff over how much to cut the RET by, with the Government rejecting a proposal backed by Labor and the Clean Energy Council for a 33,500 gigawatt hour target.
The current target was legislated at 41,000 gigawatt hours which, with demand for power falling, was likely to represent more than 20 per cent of Australia's energy mix by 2020.
The Government said it refused to accept anything above 32,000 gwh.
In October 2014, Keppel Prince Engineering announced it was shedding 100 workers from its south-west Victoria wind project.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' first report into renewable energy employment highlighted how Government policies influence job levels in the sector via taxes, subsidies and pricing policies.
"Uncertainty over the future of the RET, or over the size of the renewable power percentage, is likely to have a flow on effect on future investment in renewable energy infrastructure," the report said.
"Since 2011-12 all mainland Australian states have experienced a decline in annual direct [full time equivalent] employment in renewable energy activities."
Among the hardest hit were the states of Queensland and Western Australia.
"The largest such fall was in Queensland, where employment fell by 34 per cent from 3,820 to 2,520 between 2011-12 and 2013-14," the report said.
"For the same period, Western Australia experienced a fall of 920 (from 1,740 to 820), or 53 per cent."
The report shows the industry grew by 41 per cent between 2009 and 2010 and the peak of 2011-2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment