'What did they think would happen?': MPs pin gas ban on Seeley's Border closure

Benambra MP Bill Tilley and Albury MP Justin Clancy have both criticised the Victorian government's gas substitution pathway, which as of January 1 phased out gas connections for new dwellings, as the reason for the imminent closure of ducted gas heating manufacturer Seeley International's Border operations by December 2025.

The announcement delivered by Seeley International group managing director Jon Seeley on Tuesday, March 5, means a loss of 125 Albury-Wodonga jobs, with the company to consolidate its workforce in Adelaide, where it specialises in evaporative coolers.

"This is the direct result of an addiction to an ideology that has no bearing on reality - a ban on gas appliances that ignores the rich resource available to us and the added cost of the alternatives," Mr Tilley said.

"This is 125 people who are about to lose their job, 125 families on the Border, about half of them here in Wodonga.

"At a time when family budgets are stretched to the limit, this Labor government continues to find new ways to make our lives harder.

"What did they think would happen to a company that sells 80 per cent of its gas heaters in Victoria - this is the real consequence of their ideology and actions.

"There was enormous dollars spent investing in gas infrastructure yet the end result will be no gas stove tops, no gas heating and no gas hot water anywhere in Wodonga's growth corridor and the PSP (precinct structure plan) that guides it."

Mr Clancy said his thoughts went out to the Border families affected.

"Today's announcement is a potent reminder of how poorly developed policies around energy and manufacturing, driven by rigid adherence to anti-business ideologies, render this nation less competitive and less able to build our future," he said.

"The human cost of this carelessness is heartache. The business cost is lost opportunity.

"I acknowledge the commitment by Seeley International to fulfil its obligations to all workers. These workers have helped make this a world-leading company and they deserve due acknowledgement through the shutdown and redeployment processes that will take place over the next two years."

Mr Seeley said changes to federal industrial relations law, which hampered the company's seasonal workforce, also contributed to the decision.

Indi MP Helen Haines encouraged Mr Seeley to contact her so she could write to Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke for more detail on how changes would affect the business as provisions in the recent bill relating to casual workers had been amended.

"It is disappointing to hear that Seeley International will close down its local operations, a business which employs many people on the border. My thoughts are with all those who are affected by this announcement," Dr Haines said.

Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio was contacted for comment.