“We wanted the town to decide its future, not the government,”
The establishment of the Just Transition Working Group (JTWG) in 2019 – and its state-run secretariat the Collie Delivery Unit (CDU) – was a pivotal moment. The JTWG brought together all the partners in the transition – the community, employers, government and unions. “We had everyone at the table,” said trade unionist McCartney. “Decisions could then be made without going back and forth to Perth.”
Sub-committees tackled specifics, from job creation to retraining, ensuring every worker had a personalised plan.
There is no green future that involves coal being anywhere but still in the ground.
This is exactly what they are trying to do. Reading the article gives insights to how this community tries to move away from coal by creating new key industries, retraining workers and building renewable power sources.