Not a good sign - Refining Operations to Cease

Shell has announced a proposal to cease refining operations at their landmark site at Clyde and instead to make the facility a fuel import terminal. The immediate impact, should the proposal go ahead, would appear to be job losses, certainly in some trades, and the loss of a significant part of our region's manufacturing output. It is the manufacturing loss that sounds alarm bells for the Chamber.

Shell have said nothing in their media release to indicate that this proposal is in any way linked to the federal government's carbon tax policy, but it has come at a time when the public debate on the tax is at a high level. There are indications in the Shell comments that refining costs will play a large part in their deliberations.

The Western Sydney economy and its employment opportunities rely heavily on manufacturing and the Camellia area where Shell operates is home to other manufacturers. The area is a vital part of the Parramatta business community and an important employment hub.

It is to be hoped that all levels of government become involved in discussions with Shell to head off this proposal. While they are at it, some deeper thinking on the carbon tax proposal wouldn't go astray.

TREVOR OLDFIELD
PRESIDENT