Hunter-Central Coast Rez Roi Launch will inspire Business Jobs Growth inthe Region

The region’s peak business organisation, Business Hunter has welcomed the Minister for Energy and Environment’s announcement of the registration of interest (ROI) phase for the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (REZ)

Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said that Minister Matt Kean’s visit to the region today to launch the ROI phase was important in providing a clearer picture of what the Hunter Central Coast REZ will look like and how it will function.

“The activity and manoeuvring in the region in relation to new energy projects has been unprecedented and significant and the challenge for the region and government is to link the enquiry to genuine opportunity and Business Hunter is confident the ROI process will shine a light on this element.

“The Hunter particularly has the opportunity to host a range of renewable energy projects which if successful, will support jobs growth in responding to future low carbon energy markets here and abroad and realise ambitions to drive a net zero carbon-and-beyond economy,” Mr Hawes said.

“Minister Kean has said himself that the Hunter remains the powerhouse for future energy production and distribution – we have all the right assets in place, advanced research and existing infrastructure, a high functioning and strong visionary Port, great regional interconnectivity by road and an airport on the cusp of considerable international upscaling to make the Hunter a hotbed of global renewable energy trade.”

“This means enormous jobs growth potential at the end of the day – and that’s what we need to keep our sights set on. As economies diversify, our interest and challenge is ensuring job continuity and opportunities for employment of our region’s future workforces are attended to through today’s policy.

“We encourage all Hunter businesses in the energy sphere to reach out to us to go over the ROI process and ensure any proposals to government will best capitalise on the opportunities on our region’s doorstep,” Mr Hawes said.

More information for business from NSW Government

The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo NSW) is in the early stages of planning the Hunter-Central Coast REZ and the registration of interest (ROI) will help to inform the timing, capacity, design and location of the Hunter-Central Coast REZ.

REZs are modern day power stations bringing together low-cost solar and wind generation with transmission and storage to produce cheap, clean and reliable electricity.

The call for registrations of interest in the Hunter-Central Coast REZ will close on the 4th of February 2022.

For more information on the Hunter-Central Coast REZ and the ROI process, visit https://energy.nsw.gov.au/renewable-energy-zones