NZEA Board Communique February 2026
19 February 2026
The Net Zero Economy Authority (the Authority) Board held its eighth meeting in Melbourne.
The Board reviewed the declared interests of members and confirmed there were no conflicts with matters under consideration at the meeting.
The Board discussed strategies and plans for supporting transition in the Hunter, Latrobe, Central Queensland and Collie, and the Authority committed to finalising action agendas for each region during 2026.
The Board reconfirmed the Authority’s 3 missions to help workers, support communities and become a trusted and influential voice. The Board discussed key activities of the Authority over the next 12 to 24 months to deliver on those 3 missions. As part of this conversation, the Board considered risk management strategies.
The Board considered the Minister’s Statement of Expectations to ensure the Authority is contributing to national priorities and agreed the Board’s Statement of Intent that it will send to the Minister and publish on the website.
The Board noted the completion of the statutory review of Part 5 of the Net Zero Economy Authority Act 2024 (the NZEA Act) by Emeritus Professor Roy Green AM and agreed to engage with the Minister on any recommendations made to the Board.
The Board considered an update on work underway to further develop the Energy Industry Jobs Plan (EIJP) and how to track, report and evaluate the program outcomes. The Board also noted feedback from the EIJP Redeployment Grants Program consultation in late 2025 and discussed the proposed design of the grant program.
The Board noted conclusions from a review of its operations, and Board agreed to consider the recommendations to further strengthen processes to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.
The Board agreed the Authority’s Communications Strategy which will support strategic, coordinated and targeted communications. The Board also noted the Authority’s research activities, strategy and priorities for 2026.
The Board was updated on the fifth meeting of the Stakeholder Panel, which occurred on 11 February 2026.
The Board thanked the Working Partnership for their support in developing the NZEA First Nations Action Plan and noted next steps.
The Board noted advice from the Audit and Risk Committee and agreed to delegate its responsibilities under section 53 of the NZEA Act to the CEO, subject to defined conditions and oversight.
The Board agreed it will next meet in April 2026.