Port Augusta: Powering People First: Regional Leadership in the Clean Energy Transition
Earlier this week, the Australian Renewables Academy was pleased to host a breakfast workshop in Port Augusta, bringing together leaders from government, education, industry and community across the Upper Spencer Gulf and Eyre Peninsula.
The focus: workforce development that puts regional people first.
As investment in clean energy accelerates across South Australia, we must ensure that regional communities are not just consulted but are actively leading the transition.
This means:
Using renewables construction as a training ground for transferable skills
Developing local leadership and community accountability frameworks
Shifting from FIFO models to regionally embedded workforces
Rebuilding training systems from the regions up
Designing clean energy careers that reflect authentic lifestyle and community values and the prospect of people having ‘skills for life’.
There is growing momentum here, with a new Port Augusta Technical College opening on 4 August, and local leaders ready to drive change. But to succeed, we need:
✅ Clear local workforce strategies
✅ Genuine policy alignment
✅ Consistent community benefit standards across all contractors and suppliers
As one participant reminded us today:
“We can’t get to net zero without regional Australia. Let’s stop treating it like the edge of the map.”
We thank all who attended and contributed to the conversation, and we look forward to continuing this work with project developers, local employers, RTOs, policymakers, and communities across the region.
If your organisation is ready to build skills, jobs, and opportunities in clean energy—starting with people—get in touch.
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