Energy Transition and the Northern Rivers

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The energy transition is increasingly being delivered in regional New South Wales. In the Northern Rivers, it is already influencing energy affordability, reliability, land use, business confidence and community resilience. Changes to how energy is generated, transmitted and priced are no longer abstract policy settings; they are affecting operating costs, investment decisions and risk for businesses across the regional economy.

This session provides a practical, region-focused discussion on what the NSW energy transition means for the Northern Rivers economy, local businesses and communities. It focuses on real-world impacts, emerging opportunities and the role of business and regional leadership in shaping outcomes.

Why energy matters for the Northern Rivers

Energy has moved from a background utility to a core business input. Energy costs, reliability and resilience now sit alongside labour, housing and transport as key determinants of business competitiveness and viability. In a region exposed to extreme weather events and network disruption, reliable and affordable energy underpins productivity, investment confidence and economic stability.

The energy transition and local implications

New South Wales is undergoing a major transformation of its energy system. Coal-fired generation is progressively exiting, electricity demand is rising as transport, buildings and business processes electrify, and the system is shifting toward renewable generation supported by storage and firming. Most of the infrastructure required to support this transition is being delivered in regional NSW, placing regions such as the Northern Rivers at the centre of change.

While the direction of travel is clear, delivery at a local level is more complex. The Northern Rivers is a renewables-rich region with strong community interest, but it is also network-constrained and sensitive to land-use and environmental impacts. Network capacity, planning processes, connection timeframes and community engagement will influence energy costs, reliability and business confidence.

Impacts, opportunities and leadership

Energy costs, reliability and uncertainty increasingly shape business investment, expansion and hiring decisions. Poorly sequenced or coordinated delivery can increase costs, disrupt operations and delay investment. At the same time, the transition presents opportunities, including lower long-term energy costs, new jobs and skills pathways, growth in electrification and energy services, community energy models and improved business resilience.

Regional leadership will be critical in shaping these outcomes. Local leaders can influence how the transition is delivered through place-based planning, early community engagement, advocacy for enabling infrastructure and support for business readiness. Collaboration between business, community and government will be essential to ensure the energy transition strengthens the Northern Rivers economy.

Psychosocial Hazards - Snapshot

Since 2021, new safety regulations and/or codes of practice targeting the management of psychosocial hazards at work have gradually been introduced in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia. Safe Work Australia has also identified “psychosocial hazards” as a priority issue in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033.

There are three key messages that businesses need to take away from those developments:

1. the obligation to ensure health and safety at work includes “psychological health”;
2. the obligation to engage in psychosocial risk management is here to stay; and
3. if your business has taken no steps in relation to psychosocial hazards – action is required.  

What is a psychosocial hazard? This is a technical term to describe a very common group of hazards that can cause psychological harm. A psychosocial hazard arises from or relates to four features of every business: 

• the way work is managed or designed
• the work environment
• the equipment
• workplace interactions and behaviours.

What do businesses need to do?

Businesses need to ensure they are complying with their obligations under work health and safety legislation with respect to psychological health – that means rectifying any knowledge gap on the issue of psychosocial hazards (especially amongst senior leadership) and taking proactive steps to manage psychosocial hazards at work. This includes:

• taking steps to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks (so far as is reasonably practicable) – this requires businesses to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risks and implement and review control measures
• consulting with workers about psychosocial hazards and risks (i.e. include them in the safety conversation)
• providing information, training and instruction to workers about psychosocial hazards and risks – this includes your senior leadership who likely have due diligence obligations under work health and safety legislation
• consulting with other duty holders (where relevant to your business).

Businesses need to be able to show the safety regulator that they are satisfying their obligations when it comes to psychosocial risk management. Just like the management of the risks arising from physical hazards: proactive action is required.