National Secretary’s Message: Autumn 2026

As we charge into 2026, we’re already celebrating a massive win, with the Federal Government finally announcing an east coast gas reservation, capping off a decade-long AWU campaign to Reserve Our Gas!

Since 2014, tens of thousands of members across Australia signed petitions, filled in surveys, attended rallies and shared our message online. It is thanks to all of you that this vital reform will soon become a reality.

This year, we also celebrate 140 years of the Australian Workers’ Union. It’s a time to celebrate, but also reflect how far we as a union have grown, from a few dozen shearers at a pub in Ballarat to one of Australia’s most powerful and influential trade unions. I’m very proud of what we have achieved, both for members and for all workers in Australia over the past 140 years.

In the past several years, we’ve achieved some significant wins – a Future Made in Australia, an east coast gas reservation, a huge range of industrial and WHS laws, and life-saving investments for Tomago, Whyalla, Glencore, and Nyrstar. But when we look at the issues facing millions of Australian workers, there’s a still a lot to do.

Our rising cost of living remains a major concern across Australia. The AWU is battling that where we can by fighting for pay increases that keep up with CPI, making sure your wages don’t go backwards each year. But we also need to look at why and how costs are rising, and what we can do to alleviate the strain on Australian households.

Housing is, without a doubt, the number-one issue facing young workers today. In our cities and regions across the country, many of our members just starting out in the workforce are locked out of the housing market.

Prices are climbing faster than people can save, and we simply aren’t building enough houses to keep up with Australia’s growing population – right now, we’re 40% behind the rate required to meet the National Housing Accord. There are opportunities to look at how we can build homes faster, and cheaper, and pass those savings along to first-home buyers.

That’s why we’re calling on the Federal Government to reform the National Construction Code to allow more modern methods of construction, where homes can be built at a fraction of the time – and cost – of traditional methods.

Increasing our housing supply and boosting productivity is one of the most effective things we can do to help young people get into their first home. You can read more about the Labor Government’s plan to improve housing affordability in our Big Issue, from Federal Housing Member and proud AWU member Clare O’Neil.

Our rising energy prices remain a concern. The Labor Government’s east coast gas reservation is a huge victory for thousands of our members in manufacturing and heavy industry, whose jobs depend on an affordable, abundant supply of gas. But the exact shape of the reservation –  including when it will take effect and just how much gas will be reserved – will be determined in the coming months.

The December announcement provided key details of the incoming east coast reservation. Importantly, the scheme will almost certainly be built around an export permit system. This means that Queensland’s three LNG exporters will all be required to supply a set amount of gas to the domestic market before they are permitted to export a single joule.

This is a key clause that we fought for, because it means the companies that extract the lion’s share of east coast gas will have to set some aside for Australians. The requirement to sell locally before exporting should also help bring gas prices down. We also know that the volume of gas that exporters will have to supply domestically will depend on their overall production.

The union’s preference was a requirement that was based on local demand – how much gas Australian manufacturers and households need. However, the system the government has selected mirrors what’s currently in place in WA, where gas prices are less than half of those on the east coast. 

While the coming reservation looks positive, a few features are still up in the air. The Federal Government’s announcement suggested that the scheme will apply to all three Queensland exporters from day one, but this isn’t certain yet. The AWU will continue to fight for a reservation that applies to all exporters from the very beginning. We’re confident these exporters can meet their existing export contracts while setting aside enough gas for local users. It’s also unclear exactly how much gas will be reserved for Aussie users. We’re calling for the proposed maximum of 25% of exporters’ total production.

This will help ease competition between local buyers to secure gas, ensuring the scheme does as much as possible to bring down prices. We expect major exporters will argue they should supply much less, so the AWU will keep the pressure on as the government works through the details.

Crucially, the exact date of implementation still isn’t confirmed. We know it will be in 2027, and while big gas companies will likely want to push it back to the end of the year, we think it should be implemented as soon as possible – preferably on 1 January! A formal consultation period on the coming reservation’s details has just begun. We’ll be using it to pitch for a scheme that meets Australia’s needs – locking in enough gas for local users at fair prices, requiring every exporter to pitch in, and taking full effect from day one.

Affordable, abundant gas is just one part of Australia’s energy network. The Labor Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme is also investing in renewable energy projects to bring new sources of energy online, which will lower prices across the grid. The scheme is exceeding original power generation targets and is on track to generate and store 40 GW of energy – enough to power 20 million homes, or our Tomago smelter 44 times.

Boosting renewable energy and modernising construction would create thousands of jobs in construction and construction materials right across the country. And we’ll fight to make sure these are good union jobs with strong wages, conditions and job security.

There’s no quick fix to solving the cost of living crisis, but we’re taking action. Every day, hundreds of AWU officials are fighting for our members. Whether it’s at the bargaining table with employers, in court or the Commission, or in the halls of Parliament itself, your rights at work, your safety and your well-being remain at the heart of everything we do. I’m excited to see what we can achieve this year. Enjoy the Worker, and I’ll see you at work soon!