The company, one of the biggest employers in the city, has been a beacon for opportunities for years and, while the decision was the news no one wanted to hear, it wasn’t unexpected.

Keppel Prince for months has warned jobs would go from its wind farm manufacturing arm if the federal government reduced Australia’s renewable energy target. 

Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane indicated on Wednesday that the Abbott government supported the scaling back of the renewable energy target, reducing the amount of energy produced by renewable energy projects by 2020 from 41,000 gigawatt hours to about 26,000.

After holding on to the jobs despite mounting losses, Keppel Prince announced the devastating news for its workers.

You can’t argue with Keppel Prince’s decision. But you have to feel for the workers. 

More than 70 wrote to Premier Denis Napthine earlier this year pleading for the state government to do everything it could to help protect their jobs.

Dr Napthine, who was local member for the then seat of Portland in the 1990s when the town suffered a series of major job losses, yesterday wouldn’t blame the federal government’s stance. 

Instead, Dr Napthine argued wind farm companies were increasingly using imported turbines.

The problem for those affected is their futures were out of their hands. Instead, they were the innocent victims in a game of political football. 

The game continued yesterday. 

The state opposition blamed Dr Napthine, the Greens blamed both the Coalition and Labor at the federal level.

To steal a line from one of this country’s most inspired political leaders, Gough Whitlam, who passed away this week, it’s time for swift action. 

Australia needs a bipartisan approach to a renewable energy target; we need one, just get on with the job of setting one and sticking with it to ensure certainty.