Cradle Coast Authority (CCA) has today released Local Power, Local Prosperity, a new report calling on community, government, and industry to collaborate to secure long-term benefits from the region’s upcoming $15 billion renewable energy pipeline.
The goal of the report is to stimulate early action from the multiple stakeholders and potential beneficiaries of renewable energy project outcomes, setting out a practical path to ensure the projects deliver real value for local industry and communities. While the region has strong natural advantages, the benefits will not be guaranteed without coordinated planning to prevent cost pressures, workforce shortages, and missed local opportunities.
Key opportunities highlighted in the report include:
- Local Jobs and Skills: Backing the Tasmanian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence in Burnie to train local workers and using “Buy Local” procurement tools such as the Gateway by ICN to keep more spending in the region.
- Housing and Community Legacy: Exploring new housing pathways for young people, converting temporary worker accommodation into long-term community assets, and trialling Demand‑Responsive Transport to improve access across the region.
- Future Industries: Using the major increase in data capacity from Marinus Link to attract technology businesses and data‑driven industries to the region.
The report emphasises that no single organisation can manage the scale of change alone, saying, “Working together, we can capture opportunities and convert unprecedented investment into long-term prosperity for our region.”
CCA is asking the Tasmanian Government to take three immediate steps towards a shared regional vision that offers maximum economic benefits from the renewable energy pipeline:
- Create a Senior Whole‑of‑Government Taskforce to coordinate housing, transport, and workforce planning across overlapping projects.
- Begin a Cumulative Impact Assessment to understand how multiple projects will affect local services, labour supply, and housing.
- Strengthen Local Decision‑Making so planning reflects regional realities rather than being driven solely from Hobart.
The report also identifies key risks, including the need to protect the region’s agricultural sector through stronger biosecurity infrastructure, and the importance of improving literacy and numeracy so young people can access future STEM careers. The actions taken as an active, strategic and future-focused collective now will determine whether the legacy for our next generations will be a positive one.
Cradle Coast Authority is inviting all stakeholders to contribute to a shared regional plan for managing the transition. The full Local Power, Local Prosperity report and accompanying survey (refer to the QR code on page 4 of the report) are available at www.cradlecoast.com.
About the Cradle Coast Authority: The Cradle Coast Authority (CCA) is the regional development and natural resource management organisation representing the nine councils of the Cradle Coast. CCA works with councils, communities, and industry to support regional development and a strong future for the region.
