Our Region Our Future: Securing an economic future for Gippsland and Latrobe Valley

In December 2015, the Committee for Gippsland initiated a project to inform and drive a recommended approach to industry transitioning in the Latrobe Valley. The project established a number of methods of data gathering to inform this report's findings and recommendations. These included a business survey that went out to 2,000 small to medium businesses in the Latrobe City, Baw Baw Shire and Wellington Shire local government areas, acknowledging the relationship between Baw Baw Shire and Wellington Shire to the Latrobe Valley area.

The potential job loss figures above give pause for serious thought about the structure, timing and planning of what the Committee for Gippsland considers, will be the likely closure of at least one Latrobe Valley power station in the near future. Gippsland has had its share of major structural change. A resounding theme from the survey phase of this report had businesses telling the Committee for Gippsland that government needed to send clear messages, backed by a sound, consistent policy setting.

The Committee for Gippsland is of the view that closure of one power station will be announced in the near future, and that State and Federal Governments need to be active participants in working with the Gippsland region through this period. New jobs, skills, technology, infrastructure investment and innovation should be the focus of any structured transition plan.