Workers at South Australia’s closing Torrens Island B Power Station would receive up to $33,500 from AGL for upskilling, retraining, career planning and financial advice, as part of a union-proposed Energy Industry Jobs Plan.
As an Australia-first test case of Net Zero laws kicks off this week, the Australian Services Union is leading a push for AGL to provide more than 100 workers with tangible retraining, financial advice and job transition support before the Torrens Island B Power Station closes in June 2028.
The hearing in Adelaide is the first time the Commission decides what a closing power station operator must do for its workers under the Net Zero Economy Authority Act 2024. The outcome is likely to be closely watched by workers at other power stations facing closure, including Eraring in NSW and Yallourn in Victoria.
The case follows the Commission’s November 2025 ‘community of interest’ determination in relation to Torrens Island B and a period of negotiations between the unions and AGL. The ASU and AGL could not agree on what support AGL should provide to its employees, and both have asked the Commission to decide.
The ASU, together with the AMWU, APESMA, AWU, and CEPU, is seeking a jobs plan that includes, among other things:
- up to $25,000 per worker for retraining
- up to $6500 for financial advice, and $2000 for career planning advice
- up to 160 hours of paid time off for day workers and 240 hours for continuous shift workers to attend training, receive advice and to attend job interviews and other recruitment-related activities
ASU National Assistant Secretary Scott Cowen said the case was the first real test of whether Australia’s Net Zero laws would deliver a just transition for the workers they were designed to protect.
“Torrens Island workers have kept the lights on in South Australia for decades,” Mr Cowen said. “Many of them have specialised skills that only exist in a power station, and some now face the prospect of retraining for a whole new career.”
“Last year, the Commission agreed that AGL has a legal obligation to support these workers so this week we are asking it to spell out what that support looks like in reality.”
Mr Cowen said AGL’s proposed $7500 cap on training and financial advice is not a sufficient contribution toward the cost of upskilling and retraining a power station operator for a new trade or profession.
“Our members need the time and the money to retrain, to receive financial advice to plan for their families’ futures, and real help connecting with new employers,” he said.
“With the decision in this case likely to shape how power station closures are handled across the country, we must ensure it sets a standard that every energy worker can rely on as Australia moves closer to net zero.”
