A new TV campaign from Australian Resources and Energy Group AREEA calls on the nation’s political representatives to “work with” employers as they push to secure new major project investment, create jobs and assist with the national economic recovery.
Launched on Monday, phase two of AREEA’s ‘Work with Us’ campaign highlights the significant growth potential of Australia’s resources and energy sector.
Running on Sky News and social media channels throughout March, the campaign comes as the Australian Parliament considers amendments to the Fair Work Act that would remove a significant amount of risk, uncertainty, and cost from Australia’s industrial relations system.
“Australia’s resources and energy employers have kept the economy strong throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Steve Knott AM, Chief Executive of AREEA, said.
“According to the Department of Industry, we now have $334 billion of new major projects in our national investment pipeline. If all this could be secured, the creation of jobs across construction, production and supply chain operations would easily exceed 100,000.
“These projects would also deliver state, territory and federal governments with multiple billions of dollars in revenues, each year for decades on end. Our nation has a very rare opportunity to kick-start its economic recovery with a new wave of investment into one of its most important industries.
“But we cannot take this opportunity for granted. The competition for global investment capital is now fiercer than ever. AREEA’s new campaign simply calls on our parliamentarians to ‘work with us’ on converting these opportunities.
“They can begin by supporting the Morrison Government’s industrial relations reforms that will encourage employers, employees and unions to work together to secure new investment and growth opportunities.
“For example, allowing employers and unions to agree on longer terms for greenfields agreements used in the construction of new major projects, will offer major project proponents a new level of protection and security over their multi-billion-dollar investments that didn’t exist before.
“Improvements to the enterprise agreement making framework will also deliver faster pay rises and productivity improvements in Australian workplaces at a time when they need it most.
“Our campaign highlights that we are all in this together. Regulatory reform that is in the best interests of a healthy, competitive resources sector, is in the best interests of all Australians. Work with us.”
For more information about AREEA’s campaign and/or to get involved with our advocacy for important regulatory reforms, contact [email protected].
