Following the Morrison Government’s announcement of a major fuel security package to support Australian refineries including Viva Energy’s Geelong Refinery, the silence from Labor is deafening.
With Viva confirming that its Geelong Refinery will receive more than $75 million in a refinery production payment under this package, it is time for the Victorian Labor Government to step up and provide vital financial support.
The refinery employs some 700 local workers and supports countless local businesses At a time when regional cities like Geelong are doing it tough throughout COVID-19, protecting these jobs is more important than ever.
The Morrison Government recognises how important Australia’s petroleum refinery and storage sector will be for our future economic and national security and its fuel security package includes:
- Investing $200 million in a competitive grants program to build an additional 780ML of onshore diesel storage;
- Creating a minimum stockholding obligation for key transport fuels; and
- Backing the refining sector by entering into a detailed market design process for a refinery production payment.
When it comes to backing the Geelong Refinery and manufacturing workers in such a vital industry, Victorian Labor has been missing in action.
Federal Labor MPs Richard Marles and Libby Coker, both of whom sit in Labor’s anti-coal camp, need to call this out and put manufacturing jobs and the Geelong Refinery first and foremost.
15 September 2020