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Decarbonising manufacturing in the Hunter

Published on 25 March 2025

two men presenting at front of room


Close to 100 manufacturing and business representatives from across the NSW Hunter region came together to discuss decarbonising the Hunter’s manufacturing sector. 

Hosted by the Net Zero Economy Authority and Business Hunter, the representatives discussed the opportunity for a clean and prosperous local manufacturing sector.

Assistant Minister for Future Made in Australia, Senator The Hon Tim Ayres spoke at the event and reiterated the need to back industrial communities, ensuring there is a plan for every worker and every acre of industrial land when ageing power stations retire.

Assistant Minister Ayres said Australia must “diversify the products we trade, move up the value chain, and manufacture higher-value goods. We must be ambitious with our policy to be more economically resilient, more capable and more secure.”

The Government’s $2 billion aluminium production credit will assist aluminium smelters across Australia, like the Tomago Aluminium, allowing aluminium to be made in Australia using renewable energy.

Following Assistant Minister Ayres’s address, a panel was led by Business Hunter Partnerships Manager, Alex Brennan. The panel consisted of:

  • Jerome Dozol CEO at Tomago Aluminium
  • Rod Henderson CEO at Ampcontrol
  • Marcus Dawe CEO at MCi Carbon

The panel agreed that the Government needs to continue to back Australian businesses and Australian manufacturing, including the possibility of Australia having the first green aluminium smelter, which could be a world-leading facility. 

Marcus Dawe spoke about climate delay in his closing comments, “If you are at a company doing what you’ve always done, you are actively playing in climate delay. In your role, you need to be asking yourselves, what can we do to improve our carbon abatement, carbon efficiency and aid the transition.”

All panel members agreed the move to net zero brings economic opportunity for the Hunter if businesses continue to work together and are supported by state and federal government.

The Hunter has a long history as an industrial powerhouse - and has been a key part of our nation’s energy story for generations. This makes the Hunter an ideal centre for new net zero industries and growing Australia’s manufacturing capability - it has the workers, the infrastructure, a world class port, import and export markets, the skills, and the know-how.

The Net Zero Economy Authority was established to ensure that the Hunter and regions like it, their workers and communities, benefit from Australia’s transition to a net zero economy. 

We are working with international businesses, state and local governments, and the private sector to identify key projects in regions like the Hunter. Securing the necessary investment for new clean industrial projects will ensure we create new jobs and opportunities for one of Australia’s communities that has helped keep the lights on for Australians for generations.

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