SOUTH Australia has a lot to be proud of after undergoing a period of rapid change. Under 16 years of Labor government, SA saw the opportunities of jobs and investment which came from becoming a world leader in adopting renewable energy and transition to a clean energy economy.
Through the Rann Government's wind farm rollout in the 2000s to the Weatherill Government's world's biggest battery and the world's biggest solar thermal plant, we became the leading state in driving down pollution and modernising our energy sector. This momentum has allowed investment to flow through the private sector, with Sanjeev Gupta last week announcing his ambition to secure $1.37 billion in renewable-energy investment for SA.
However, with the loss of a federal seat due to slow population growth and continued interstate and overseas migration of our youth, the future of Adelaide needs to be driving jobs growth in our industries. We need to grasp the opportunities to create a capital city that is vibrant, and that is an expression of our confidence in the future.
The jobs are there to be seized, through projects such as the huge pipeline in shipbuilding and future frigates program - but there needs to be strong leadership to get us there.
Federal Labor has a vision to drive investment in the state with our commitment to create a $1 billion Australian Manufacturing Future Fund.
The fund will give loans to manufacturers - or even take equity in them - to drive innovation and grow jobs.
Labor will guarantee funding for TAFE so more kids get the opportunities and skills they need for the jobs of the future.
Crucially, a future Labor Government will reverse Malcolm Turnbull's cuts to SA schools to prepare our students to properly shape a future Adelaide.
There are challenges ahead as we continue to grow our state. But with the right leadership Adelaide will embrace a bright future.
This piece first appeared in the Sunday Mail on Sunday, 26 August 2018