The AMWU is calling on the Rockliff Liberal Government to intervene to save the future of Bell Bay Aluminium after its energy contract with Tasmanian Hydro expires in December this year.
More than 550 direct jobs will be lost if the plant closes but hundreds more metal trade and manufacturing jobs in the area are at risk. Apex, Kymera, Kempe, CPT, and Confab are just some of the businesses that will be directly affected by the closure of Bell Bay Aluminium.
Around 250 jobs were lost after the closure of the Liberty Bell Bay manganese smelter. Some of those workers were able to find jobs at local businesses connected to Bell Bay Aluminium. The closure of the aluminium smelter will mean these workers will lose their jobs for the second time in less than a year.
The Tasmanian government has the opportunity to step in and direct Tasmanian Hydro to extend their contract with Bell Bay Aluminium to ensure that cheap power can be provided. This will ensure hundreds of jobs based there, and in the wider area, will be saved.
Tasmanian Hydro was set up to provide cheap power and ensure that Tasmanian manufacturing remained competitive, but the Rockliff Liberal government has allowed Tasmanian Hydro to offer their power to the highest bidder. AI data centre operators may be willing to pay the full retail price for electricity, but they do not support our sovereign capability for manufacturing, or anywhere near the number of local jobs as this aluminium smelter.
Using Tasmanian Hydro energy to power data centres when it formerly powered good manufacturing jobs would be a devastating blow to our aspirations of a self-sufficient Australia.
AMWU Tasmanian Branch Secretary Jacob Batt said:
“The closure of Liberty Bell Bay was a shocking outcome for the north. The closure of yet another smelter would be a death knell to the future of manufacturing in Tasmania,” Mr. Batt said.
“If Bell Bay is allowed to close, more than 1000 jobs would be lost. Enough of the blame game, the government must intervene to save Bell Bay.
“Tasmanian Hydro was designed to make sure that Tasmania could be self-sufficient with ample, cheap electricity to power our major industrials. Allowing Bell Bay to close just so we can power some multinational’s data centre would be a travesty to the region.”