Tuesday, 30 October 2018

The Latrobe Valley is set to become the capital of electric vehicle manufacturing in Australia, with the Andrews Labor Government providing support that will create hundreds of new jobs, help boost the local economy and support workers transition to new industries.

Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll in Morwell today to announce support for the Australian-owned SEA Electric to set up a massive new electric vehicle factory – creating 500 jobs.

The massive new facility will allow SEA to boost production of electric delivery vans and minibuses to meet growing demand across Australia.

Thanks to the backing of the Labor Government, the Latrobe Valley will become the home of electric vehicle manufacturing – with the new factory assembling the cab, battery pack and electric motor into a basic truck chassis and fitting the electronic infrastructure for the vehicle.

SEA will be able to assemble 2,400 vehicles per year with plans to double production as the facility ramps up its capacity in coming years. The company is already recruiting local workers to fill roles at its existing facility while its Latrobe Valley factory is being built.

Workers transitioning from other industries will also get the chance to work on these electric cars, with SEA working closely with the Labor Government’s Worker Transition Service.

These 500 jobs are in addition to the more than 1,100 jobs created through support from the Labor Government, which has helped generate close to $100 million in private investment, and the 8,200 new jobs created across the Latrobe-Gippsland region since Labor was elected in 2014.

The Labor Government’s support for SEA Electric comes from the $266 million Latrobe Valley support package which is delivering economic growth and creating new jobs.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“This is all about jobs. We said we would back the Latrobe Valley and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

“This investment will see the Latrobe Valley rightly called the capital of electric vehicle manufacturing in Australia.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll

“The Liberals ran the car industry out of Victoria – destroying confidence and destroying jobs.”

“We’ve turned that around – Victoria is back as a manufacturing powerhouse, which means more jobs for hard working Victorians.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing

“We are absolutely determined to continue delivering jobs and growth across the Latrobe Valley, and this investment will drive more opportunities for hundreds of workers now and into the future.”