Matt Kean says he doesn’t know how many jobs will be lost in Eraring Power Station closure

Treasurer Matt Kean said he does not know how many people will lose their jobs after a grilling on the early closure of Australia’s largest coal fired power station.

Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean said he does not know how many people will lose their jobs with the closure of the Eraring Power Station.

Under a grilling from Labor MLC Penny Sharpe and One Nation MP Mark Latham Mr Kean said it was “not possible” for him to know how many of the 400 people working at the power station will be displaced because of Origin Energy’s decision but said “the best way to replace existing jobs is to create new ones”.

Mr Kean said Origin Energy intended to find alternate jobs for as many workers as possible but did not say how many.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean answers questions during Budget Estimates on Monday. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

Under the government plan to create more jobs for the impacted workers, 1000 will be new ongoing jobs, 500 will be part of the development of new industries and the remainder will come from the development of heavy manufacturing.

“We are supporting the workers, we are supporting the region, we are supporting the state,” he said.

“What I can guarantee is that we will be holding Origin Energy to account to ensure they honour their obligations to their workers and do everything within their power to support their workers through this very difficult period.

“The government’s role will be to create new jobs, new opportunities for those workers to access.”

Earring Power Station in Lake Macquarie will close in three years. Picture: Liam Driver

Mr Kean doubled down on earlier comments that a major battery to absorb the energy shortfall from the Eraring closure will be ready before 2025 and dismissed criticism from Federal counterpart Angus Taylor about the plan being delusional.

“I don’t think he understands how the battery works,” he said.

He said he spoke to Mr Taylor on the matter last week.

The Treasurer also faced heat for telling the budget estimates hearing in November 2021 that he was not aware of any coal-fired power stations closing down despite conceding that he found out in July 2021 that there was a “possibility” that Eraring could close.

As revealed by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Kean was involved in discussions with Origin Energy about the closure of the Eraring plant for eight months in what his office dubbed “Project Phoenix”.

“Was I aware of any owners of power stations making a decision to close a coal plant? And I wasn’t because no decision had been taken,” he said.

“Our focus was on doing the scenario planning for a range of possibilities that might arise to make sure whatever happened … that NSW consumers, NSW taxpayers would be in the best position possible.”

Labor finance spokesman Daniel Mookhey said Mr Kean’s decision to fast-track former Treasury Secretary Mike Pratt’s intended departure in March by four-week cost taxpayers a whopping $434,000.

Mr Kean defended the costly decision by saying he wanted the same person to start the budget process and end it for the sake of “continuity of governance”.