By Luke Voogt
A Chinese-owned energy company will employ 87 staff at its new Australian retail headquarters in Geelong, State Government has announced.
The government took credit for making the jobs boost “possible”, with Regional Development Minister Jaala Pulford officially opening the office yesterday.
“The Andrews Labor Government has worked closely with Tango Energy to facilitate its relocation to Geelong to start a new chapter for the company and create jobs in Geelong,” Ms Pulford said.
Lara MP John Eren described the move as a “vote of confidence for the way Geelong does business”.
“It means more local jobs and opportunities for our region,” he said.
Tango Energy Australia, the retail arm of Pacific Hydro, relocated its headquarters to a heritage building in North Geelong’s Federal Mills Park.
China’s State Power Investment Corporation bought Pacific Hydro in 2016 through a subsidiary after obtaining approval from the Australian Government’s Foreign Investment Review Board.
The corporation has $131 billion in assets and a presence in 36 countries.
Pacific Hydro’s operating assets in Australia abate more than 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution annually, according to the company’s website.
The State Government expected the move to support 87 full-time equivalent jobs in Geelong by 2021, with the company relocating five of the employees from Melbourne.
Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio welcomed the company to Geelong.
“We know how important companies like Tango Energy are in creating new jobs in Geelong – but also in helping Victorians get a better deal on their energy bills.”
The move would see the company invest in a new online billing and customer service system, which would likely create more jobs, a State Government statement said.
The Labor Government supported Tango Energy’s relocation through its $500 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund.
The fund had created and retained more than 4,600 jobs and leveraged $1.2 billion in investment through 355 projects across regional Victoria, according to the statement.
The announcement followed revelations this week that a Chinese property developer appeared beside Premier Daniel Andrews on a government trip to China soon after donating more than $50,000 to the Labor party.
During the 2016 Mr Andrews met with Guo Jing Chen, who once said Australia “couldn’t survive” without Chinese migrants, the Herald Sun reported.
“Luxury housing and expensive cars are all bought up by us Chinese … Mineral and energy resources are all bought up by us Chinese,” Mr Chen once said in interview.
Mr Andrews’ former adviser Mike Yang, who a senior figure in an Australian lobby group linked to China’s Communist Party, also appeared on the visit.
Mr Andrews labelled the Herald Sun story a “joke“ in question time this week.
Pacific Hydro has developed energy projects in Australia for more than 25 years since its founding.
It established its retail electricity business, Tango Energy, in 2014.
