Weekend Australian
Saturday 7/3/2009 Page: 5
A STEADY flow of jobs in the sustainable water sector is likely to help bolster an employment market that is feeling the effects of the international financial crisis. A new report commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation and the ACTU, entitled Green Gold Rush, suggests Australia's sustainable water sector has the potential to generate 66,000 jobs and an annual market approaching $40 billion within the next two decades.
The report identifies six sectors in which growth in green-collar jobs is expected: renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable water systems, biomaterials, green buildings. and waste and recycling. A total of 850,000 jobs could be generated across those areas by 2030, along with a multi-billion-dollar export industry as Australia sells its environmental technology and services to the world.
Given Australia's status as the driest inhabited continent on earth, water systems that focus on efficiency improvements and alternative treatment technologies in urban and rural areas shape as a potential strength for the nation. Kate Noble, sustainable cities campaigner for the ACF, says Australia is well-placed to service environmentally sustainable sectors here and overseas.
"I think having had the drought that we've just come through, we're in a position to export some of our know-how on this," she says. "That's the big opportunity for us: the distribution and installation of systems that promote healthy water use."
The ACF cites companies such as AquaSpy and Sentek, which manufacture and distribute moisture-sensor technology that helps control irrigation for agricultural and horticultural operations, as examples of innovative businesses that could thrive. To take advantage of skill-sets that have already been developed courtesy of nationwide water saving schemes, Noble says government must act quickly.
"We've got the opportunity, but it's going to depend on what policies the state and federal governments put in place. By committing to policies that deliver a sustainable economy, the market for green-collar jobs will be stimulated." State and federal rebate schemes for rainwater tanks illustrate the importance of government-driven momentum. Demand for backyard tanks has burgeoned.
'A lot of the rainwater tank manufacturers are still Australian-based. So there are a lot of small to medium enterprises there with skills [that] should not be forgotten in the wake of changing climate conditions," Noble says. "I really think that's where we should be focusing, not just for our domestic economy but also in terms of skills to export."
To take advantage of this expertise, Noble says government will have to promote and fund training programs to improve the skills of the workforce. An urban water reform process being undertaken by the Council of Australian Governments is considering the need to address a skills shortage in the water industry resulting from an ageing workforce.
Noble believes universities and trainee schemes must be encouraged to ensure Australia's sustainable water market prospers. "It's really a whole range of skills that you're going to need: engineering and design and those kind of skills[are critical] for our water infrastructure, but also basic plumbing installation and maintenance skills."
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