Media release: Department of Planning and Environment
Energy intensive businesses in the Hunter and Illawarra regions will gain access to clean infrastructure and technology to fast track their emissions reduction and attract low carbon industry investment, thanks to the NSW Government.
The Government today launched the $5 million first stage of the $55m Clean Manufacturing Precinct project, to develop a decarbonisation pathway and implementation plan that’s pivotal to delivering NSW’s future low carbon.
Part of Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program’s Low Carbon Foundations, the first stage will help regions identify and develop decarbonisation plans that recognise their unique economies and business communities.
Program Director, Gill Goldsmith, said the Hunter and Illawarra regions are NSW’s largest industrial regions.
“This is a win for these regions’ economic future, creating new jobs in low carbon industries, transforming our supply chains and expanding onshore manufacturing,” Ms Goldsmith said.
“This is revitalising our industrial regions by supporting the Hunter and Illawarra to thrive as global energy and manufacturing hubs into the future.”
Clean manufacturing precincts will help high-emitting industries achieve their decarbonisation commitments by prioritising planning and co-investment opportunities.
“Understanding how we can decarbonise at such a large scale will need significant input from business and broad industry stakeholders,” Ms Goldsmith said.
“NSW has partnered with Environmental Resources Management’s (ERM’s) Go2Clean team to lead this collaborative project to develop the pathway to transform these precincts.”
Clean manufacturing precincts are clusters of geographically close businesses across multiple industries that share a goal of having low to zero energy and process emissions. They are vital to reducing NSW emissions by 70 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035 and achieving net zero by 2050.
ERM is the largest global specialist sustainability consultancy. Its Go2Clean team consists of Arup, HoustonKemp, MBB Group and GreenCollar, covering skillsets in decarbonisation pathways, engineering and finance.
The decarbonisation pathway and an implementation plan are expected to be completed by late 2023 in collaboration with local industry and economic development agencies. This will also help identify near-term investment opportunities in mid-2023.
More information about clean manufacturing precincts can be found here
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