Engineers Australia releases energy security report

Engineers Australia released the report ‘Energy Security for Australia’ today at Parliament House. The report, which was launched by Senator John Madigan, draws attention to Australia’s current energy security flaws and maps out a pathway to a stronger energy future.

Report co-author Neil Greet, a former Australian Defence Force engineer, said, “Now, more than ever, it is important to acknowledge our current energy security policy settings are insufficient and open the discussion up to a whole-of-society, whole-of-government perspective. Australia’s energy future is one of uncertainty and risk. We need to ensure resilience is built into our national energy strategy.”

The report covers the following key discussion points:

• There needs to be a national conversation on energy security and our thinking must be reshaped to prepare for future global uncertainty.
• Energy security is not an isolated economic matter for government; it is a highly technical and complex social issue which affects all Australians.
• Energy security requires a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation approach.
• Our future prosperity and security rests on our decisions now. Energy security cannot be an afterthought in today’s world leaving actions to future generations.

“By broadening the energy security discussion and subsequent policy development beyond the standard economic view to encompass other areas - such as defence, welfare and food security - we would put Australia on a path toward more resilient energy security settings,” said Greet. “For example, recent discussion around fuel shipping routes to Australia becoming a potential target for terrorist attacks highlights our inadequate fuel reserves. Australia’s liquid fuel security is non-existent.

“There is a need to shift government perceptions of energy from just a market-based economic viewpoint to broader thinking, which encompasses wider risks of energy policy aligned with national security issues.”

Engineers Australia is the national forum for the advancement of engineering and the professional development of its 100,000+ plus members. According to Greet, “Engineers are leading the way in Australia’s energy future and we encourage policymakers to engage with them on this important issue of energy security.”

The report is available here.