Name: Powering the Future: creating a hydrogen industry in the hunter region
Uploaded: 2023-06-07T05:16:58.365Z
Duration: 441.53

Alice Thompson Edited.mp4

Alice Thompson Edited.vtt

Subtitles

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So the Hunter is a $65

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billion economy in transition

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as the world moves to net

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zero and to clean energy.

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So what we need to do

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is create new industry

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and new jobs in sectors

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that we are good at.

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One of the sectors of course

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we're really good at is.

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Clean energy and clean tech.

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So as coal industries decline

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in our region over time,

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which includes coal fired,

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coal fired power generation,

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as well as mining activity,

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it releases really valuable

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assets that can be released

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into the economy to be used

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to help grow and accelerate

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our hydrogen industry.

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So what are we doing to

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facilitate that is a lot about

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governance because we know

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that we need to coordinate,

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we need to collaborate to make

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the most in the global race.

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For hydrogen dominance.

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So we've got a task force.

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We've got an industry

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cluster that's really aimed

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at coordinating across

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different projects and

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identifying the shared

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infrastructure and workforce

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requirements over time and

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what we need to be doing

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to address those

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opportunities and any gaps.

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We also are working with a

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lot of the SMEs in the region

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in order to build up their

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ability to participate and

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harness, value and supply

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chains within hydrogen, which

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we know as a precursor for

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industry confidence to come in

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and invest and locate hydrogen

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projects in the region.

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We're also working very

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effectively with government.

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We've got collaboration

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and coordination across.

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The federal government

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across the state and across

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the local governments.

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So the New South Wales

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government and the

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federal government have

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set their vision for the

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development of hydrogen.

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We're working very closely

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on the actions and levers

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that cross portfolios in

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government, that cross

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levels of government.

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What we are doing and how they

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can best partner with us to

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accelerate and scale up this

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really important opportunity.

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We have that burning

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cliff, but we know that

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we can win with that more

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strategic, coordinated,

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collaborative approach.

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And I would say that's the

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secret ingredient in the

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hunter when you look at

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our value proposition is

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that highly collaborative

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environment and atmosphere

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across sectors, between

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industry, between research,

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with government, with

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business, with entities like

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the Committee for the Hunter.

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So we're all geared and

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we're all moving in the same

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direction, and I think this is

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a really exciting opportunity

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that we would like to

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invite others to be part of.

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In developing an industry.

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It's not the same as

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developing a project where you

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have a set number of partners

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and you can manage risk and

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confidentiality between it.

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We know that hydrogen involves

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marriages and that means

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making relationships and

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partnerships with entities

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that perhaps you compete with,

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but certainly perhaps have not

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sat around that table before.

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So again, we've got the

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core mechanisms where we

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can sit around the table,

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we can look at that vision,

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we can understand what

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everyone's doing separately,

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but what we need to be

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doing together in order to.

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Sees that opportunity.

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Clearly there's a lot of

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funding and financing levers

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that have been introduced by

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the federal government and

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the state government that will

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help de-risk and scale and

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accelerate that development.

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We really need to be seeing

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this now translate into

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projects and programs and

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funding on the ground.

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We need to certainly

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get moving.

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We also heard several times in

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this conference that you need

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to be thinking of other levers

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that might sit outside of a

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clean tech or a clean energy

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project development housing,

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in this new knowledge, in

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this new clean economy.

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It's really our smart,

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skilled workforce.

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It's people that are our

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most important resource.

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That means we need to invest

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in livability, we need

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to invest in housing and

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Australia's housing supply

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and affordability challenge.

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Is a challenge for the

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development of the hydrogen

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sector in the hunter and

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indeed across Australia.

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So again, it requires

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an integrated approach.

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All these components working

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together and putting everyone

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at that table, doing their

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share of the heavy lifting

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to make sure we move forward

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and address these challenges.

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So as a region, a coal

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region in transition,

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and a very large one,

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that transition affects.

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Sectors, it affects

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communities and it

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affects businesses right

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across the geography

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of the greater hunter.

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So this isn't really about

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scratching our heads and

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saying, oh, hydrogen, what

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an opportunity, what do

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we need to do to seize it?

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It's actually imperative,

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and it's imperative to

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develop it, because it

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leverages our existing

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infrastructure, our existing

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smart and skilled workforce.

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It's all there.

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So we have that

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burning platform.

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We are looking at hydrogen

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at one of those solutions

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on how do we develop new

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industry, new jobs, new

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economic activity and

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sectors that we're good at.

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And clearly that's clean

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energy and that's clean tech.

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So that's through the lens.

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We know that this

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is a long-term

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proposition and play.

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Our economy and our society is

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in that structural adjustment.

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And again, I think that

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really underwrites why there's

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a lot of motivation to be

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working together to seize the

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opportunities of the hydrogen,

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you know, global growth of

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the hydrogen industry, but

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also a realization that

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we need to work together.

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In order to tackle that

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and seize our fair share,

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because that's imperative

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to us not losing jobs, to

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not reducing our economic

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activity and to continue to

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improve the quality of life

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and standards for living.

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That's what development

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does in our community.

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And of course, we know

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that our development

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has to be low emissions

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trajectory, otherwise,

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we're not going to be safe.

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We're not going to be

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sustainable, we're not

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going to be competitive.

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So again, I think the

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whole of Australia and the

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whole world should be very

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interested in what happens

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in the Hunter because our

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global future actually rests

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in the, in the actions, and

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the investments that are

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taken right here on the ground

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in this part of Australia.

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So in the Hunter, I'm

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running a youth committee

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and we've surveyed young

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people all across the the

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10 LGAs of the region.

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What they've told us is

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that they're very concerned

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about the environment and

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they're very concerned about

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climate change, and they

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don't just want any job

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or to just live anywhere.

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They're really keen to be part

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of the solution and to roll

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their sleeves up in a variety

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of ways to make a difference

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on this global challenge.

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So why are we doing

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this hydrogen?

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It's a means it's not

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an end to unto itself.

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And I think developing

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a hydrogen industry in

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the hunter offers a very

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compelling proposition to

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the young people of Australia

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and saying, if you are

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concerned about these things

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and you want to be part of

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the solution, come to the

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hunter where the literal

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coalface of the climate

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and energy transition.

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And it really does

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represent an opportunity.

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To come and make a difference.

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So that's our invitation to

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the world and to the young

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people who want to live with

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good values and they want to

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create a safe and sustainable

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environment for themselves

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and future generations.

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We can do that in the

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Hunter working together.

Expert Insight

Join Alice Thompson, CEO of the Committee for the Hunter, as she outlines the region's transition to clean energy and the exciting opportunities in the hydrogen industry. 

Through collaboration, coordination, and partnerships, the Hunter region is poised to create new industries, jobs, and a sustainable future. 

Young people passionate about the environment are invited to make a difference in the forefront of climate and energy transformation. Together, let's shape a safe, sustainable, and prosperous future in the Hunter region.