It was fascinating last week to meet the team from Copenhagen Energy. The project team shared with us the overview of their Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm project, proposed to be located 15km to 70kms offshore and located in Commonwealth waters, with up to 200 wind turbines producing 3GW of energy - enough to power up to 3 million WA homes. Such projects are gathering significant momentum across the country. Closer to home we have seen announcements by the WA state government on the closure of certain coal fire power stations in the Collie area.
After decades of political positioning and debate, Australia now has a bipartisan net zero target by 2050. Such momentous change will need to be planned carefully as a whole suite of energy providers (beyond just wind)will need to be implemented. Our actions need to ensure that in decades to come, WA does not experience the energy crisis events unfolding on the East Coast.
The momentum for decarbonisation is unstoppable and driven by various global forces including the movement of capital markets, technology change and a growing community call for action. We have come to a stage beyond ideologies and seek practical projects that will mean the creation of new jobs, affordable and reliable power. The appetite of the public has demonstrated that we cannot stall any longer.
The South West Leaders Program was relaunched this year with the Chamber (BGCCI) becoming the key contributor and organiser. This provides our members with a fantastic opportunity for their leaders to grow while been mentored by some of our region’s most experienced leaders at a local level. The final EOI’s have all been received and the uptake has been extremely pleasing. We will have 140 people involved in the program this year with 19 Chamber organisations represented. They will all be taking advantage of this gratis program through their Chamber membership. Mentors and Mentees will be introduced to each other at the Lighthouse on 20th July to embark upon their 12-month journey of learning and growing together. We wish them all well.
In September this year, the Chamber will present the much-anticipated Women in Business program debut. The first event will be titled ‘Bubbles on the Bay’ at the Dolphin Discovery Centre, involving an evening of presentations involving local successful women who have excelled in industry and service organisations. There will be networking with a difference and an opportunity to create an environment where women can find a safe place to share and learn from each other the endless possibilities that lie ahead.
As we re-enter a period with no social restrictions, we hope to see many of you attend our in-person events over the next few months as we all enjoy the prospect of face-to-face interactions at Business After Hours, workshops, and presentations. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Safe Trading,
Danny Griffin
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