Save Our Coast Event
29 July 2025
I rise to share with the chamber the incredible energy, passion and determination I witnessed in Newcastle at a community celebration, hosted by Save Our Coast, marking the long-fought-for and hard-won rejection of the offshore petroleum application known as PEP-11. Its rejection is a historic victory for coastal communities up and down our eastern seaboard, especially for my community of Newcastle.
This decision, made by Labor's Minister for Industry and Innovation, was made for reasons of public interest, concerns about the applicants' estimate of the cost of works and concerns about their ability to raise necessary capital to fund the proposed works. It followed a fierce campaign from everyday people who refused to stay silent while the future of our oceans was put at risk. Thousands of people from all works of life—surfers, students, scientists, artists, local leaders, and traditional owners and elders—stood shoulder to shoulder to say that our ocean is not for sale. They rallied, they campaigned, they lobbied and they never gave up. The celebration I attended earlier this month was one of pride and persistence. It was a moment to reflect on the power of sustained community advocacy.
PEP-11 was an environmental and economic risk. Offshore drilling for oil and gas off our coast was never acceptable, and I'm proud to stand with the more than 80,000 Novocastrians who fought to see this project rejected. This Albanese Labor government is listening to our communities. Labor knows that acting on climate change and protecting our environment must be at the centre of our national agenda.
While we have rightly said no to risky fossil fuel proposals like PEP-11, we are saying a big, resounding yes to clean energy investment, especially in Newcastle. Just this month we unveiled the final design for the $100 million Clean Energy Precinct at the Port of Newcastle. It's hard to imagine a more powerful symbol of our region's transformation. Land once earmarked for an additional coal terminal will now be at the forefront of the global clean energy transition. This is not just sound environment policy; it's also sound economic policy. It's about creating secure, sustainable jobs for the future while decarbonising heavy industry.
We've backed the serious work of decarbonisation with a lot of investments, namely $432 million to kickstart Orica's green hydrogen hub in Newcastle. We've made great progress working on reducing emissions. Safeguard mechanisms are kicking in and working well, and, indeed, there is a very, very bright future for places like Newcastle. We have powered Australia for generations, and, with the Albanese Labor government, we're making sure that we'll continue to do so for generations to come, all the while focused on a sustainable future.