PLANT SHUTDOWNS – AUSTRALIA

Newspaper publisher ACM may close presses in Victoria, SA and Canberra, shedding 200 jobs

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Original article by Emilia Terzon
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 9-Jul-20

Regional newspaper publisher Australian Community Media may shut down four of its nine printing plants. ACM has declined to comment on the likely job losses if the printing presses in Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Canberra and Murray Bridge are shut down; the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union estimates that about 200 people would be retrenched, primarily in Ballarat. ACM says reduction in printing volumes due to the coronavirus pandemic means it has excess print capacity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA

Strategy will shut four coal plants

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Original article by Matthew Denholm
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Nov-18

Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says Labor must explain how it will guarantee a reliable base-load power supply under its policy of a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030. She has warned that the policy could force four coal-fired power stations in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland to be shut down well before the 2030 target date, in addition to the Liddell plant in NSW. She adds that this would result in a big rise in electricity prices.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

End of the road for Holden

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 20-Oct-17

Data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows that Holden’s market share fell to just 6.9 per cent in September, compared with nearly 20 per cent in the early 1990s. Holden will offer a seven-year warranty on new cars until the end of 2017 in a bid to reassure consumers that the iconic brand will continue after local manufacturing ceases on 20 October. Meanwhile, it is estimated that car-makers have received about $A35bn in government assistance since 1997 to support local manufacturing.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL CHAMBER OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MITSUBISHI MOTORS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION PTY LTD, CONMA INDUSTRIES, OCVITTI

Unions must take the blame for our car crash

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 23 : 17-Oct-17

The attitude of car workers and their unions during the period from 2012 to 2014 was the main reason why Ford, Toyota and Holden ceased building cars in Australia. Car workers enjoyed generous pay conditions, while antiquated enterprise agreements allowed unions, rather than management, to control operation of the factory floor. Holden made it clear in 2013 that it would close down its operations if workers would not agree to labour agreements that were more in line with modern work practices, but this was ignored. The sustainability of the Holden and Toyota operations was not helped by new free trade agreements.

CORPORATES
FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Oh what a sinking feeling … a half-century on, Toyota pulls out

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Original article by Philip King
The Australian – Page: 7 : 3-Oct-17

Toyota’s Altona manufacturing plant in Melbourne will close on 3 October 2017, with the loss of 2,500 jobs. John Conomos, the former head of Toyota Australia, says the Japanese car-maker would have maintained a local manufacturing presence if Holden or Ford had also decided to remain in Australia. He adds that Toyota had been planning to build a third model in Australia, most likely a sports utility vehicle, when its rivals announced plans to end local production. Holden’s assembly plant in Adelaide will close on 20 October.

CORPORATES
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

AGL refuses to budge on Liddell

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Sep-17

AGL Energy’ chairman Jerry Maycock has told the company’s AGM that selling the Liddell coal-fired power plant would be "challenging", while extending the ageing plant’s life would involve substantial costs. He also ruled out building a new coal-fired plant, arguing that such a plant may ultimately not be competitive as the cost of renewable energy and battery storage technology falls. Meanwhile, AGL CEO Andy Vesey is confident that partially replacing the Liddell plant’s output with renewables will not result in higher electricity prices. He also indicated that the Loy Yang A power station could be shut down ahead of schedule.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, MARKET FORCES

50-year rule for coal-fired power stations gathers steam

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Apr-17

The Federal Government is understood to be considering a new mechanism for ensuring a smooth transition to renewable energy. Having rejected the idea of an emissions intensity scheme, the Government is believed to be planning to adopt a "50-year rule" for coal-fired power stations. The idea has the support of the Business Council of Australia, with CEO Jennifer Westacott saying it would enable the closure of coal-fired power plants to be staggered.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION

BHP coalmine on the brink as profits dive

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 18 : 29-Feb-16

BHP Billiton’s Mount Arthur mine in New South Wales currently produces about 10 per cent of the thermal coal that is exported from Australia each year. However, BHP CEO Andrew Mackenzie recently signalled that production at the mine could potentially be suspended unless there is a rebound in the coal price. The price of thermal coal was trading at almost $US150 per tonne in 2011, but Goldman Sachs recently forecast that it will average just $US48/tonne in 2016.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32

Origin Energy to ditch coal assets as it cuts carbon burden

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 21-Oct-15

Australian-listed Origin Energy has become the first energy group in the world to commit to all seven principles of the Carbon Disclosure Project. Origin will tell shareholders at its 2015 AGM that it will close down its Eraring coal-fired power station within two decades, with the aim of eventually generating all of its electricity via renewable sources. MD Grant King notes that energy companies account for 66 per cent of global carbon emissions.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Axe tipped to fall early on Holden engineers

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Original article by John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Sep-14

GM Holden has declined to comment on speculation that it will retrench 300 engineers. The car-maker has said only that the closure of its Australian manufacturing operations will be a "long and orderly" process, and that it will reduce its engineering team over a period of time. About 2,000 Holden employees will lose their jobs when production ceases in 2017

CORPORATES
GM HOLDEN LIMITED, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION