Director of IXL Group and GMC Deputy Chair, Rob Backwell was featured in this week’s Geelong Advertiser (Wednesday 8 April) discussing how Australia’s energy policies are eroding business competitiveness. He says complex regulation, subsidies and emissions targets have driven up costs and reduced reliability, deterring investment and hurting manufacturers that once benefited from Australia’s natural energy advantages.
Backwell warns this approach risks ongoing de‑industrialisation as global competitors prioritise affordable, abundant power. Without a policy reset focused on cost, reliability and scale, Australia may continue to lose jobs and investment. He suggests real change is unlikely until economic pressure forces governments to rethink – potentially after significant damage has already been done.
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