The challenges of energy transition are rumbling towards communities across Australia like an approaching freight train. It's been off in the distance for a while, but the roar of the locomotive is getting louder and louder.
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Communities that have been dependent on fossil fuel industries for generations have no choice but to pay attention.
The former head of Australia's first transition authority in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, wants to help communities and individuals prepare for the changes that are heading their way.
"What's starting to happen is communities across Australia are now starting to understand that they really have to pay attention to this issue and do it in a much more considered way," Karen Cain, who was chief executive of the Latrobe Valley Authority for five years, said.
She will visit the Hunter next month to speak with groups and organisations about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The Victorian government established the Latrobe Valley Authority in 2016 to support the transition of workers, their families and the community following the closure of the Hazelwood Power Station and mine.
An original $266 million investment kick-started the authority's work and enabled hundreds of jobs to be created through construction of around $750 million worth of major projects.
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A major focus of the authority during Ms Cain's tenure from 2017 to late 2021 was promoting collaboration and cooperation between groups
"These are challenges and opportunities - how you bring a disparate group of organisations and sectors together in a way that can be coordinated for mutual benefit," she said.
"It's not the role of the authority to provide those services because those services and those organisations are already there. It's really about coordination and creating an opportunity model to bring people together to build on really strong evidence about what are the best activities and priorities."
A competitive recruitment process will be run to identify community representatives who can provide regionally specific advice on applications for funding through the NSW Government's $25million Royalties for Rejuvenation Fund.
Ms Cain said while $25 million would be useful to get the ball rolling, much more would be needed over the longer term.
She also said international research pointed to the benefits of an authority model rather than an panel.
"I'm not criticising what the NSW government is doing. I think that might be a good starting position," she said.
"An authority model is not necessarily a dependency model on government. It can't be just about government, state or federal handouts"
"If you bring in some early money in as incentives you end up getting those different sectors coming in to work collaboratively together, committing funds of their own, because they see the benefit."
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
