• Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Point Cook Star

By Bridie Byrne

14th July 2009 11:05:19 AM

 Purchase this photo from Star Photos

On the job … Lalor MP and Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard will support more white collar jobs in Wyndham. 33174

---

ACTING Prime Minister Julia Gillard has backed calls for more white collar jobs in Wyndham.

Advocacy groups have long pressured both state and federal governments to change the employment culture across the municipality and diversify employment opportunities.

In an interview with Star last week, Ms Gillard endorsed a long-term strategy to boost white collar opportunities.

“If you are trying to change the economic mix of the community that’s not a quick job,” she said.

“It’s been a long-time dream of the council – and I can understand it – to have more employment opportunities locally.

“We need to think of ways of attracting new and growing service providers into the region.”

A business sector of lawyers, engineers, architects and information technology experts could bring a new calibre into the community at the Werribee Employment Precinct.

The area around Avalon airport is also set to be an employment centre.

Ms Gillard said clogged roads and train overcrowding could be prevented with more local jobs.

But she said Wyndham’s biggest downfall was its lack of broadband access.

“There are significant pockets of this community that are beyond the reach of broadband now and that becomes a constraint on your marketability to employers or the creation of possibilities from working at home,” she said.

“The biggest complaint we have in the electoral office is broadband.”

The comments came as the Federal Government announced its North Western Melbourne as a new Priority Employment Area initiative.

The Keep Australia Working report tabled last week recommends a forum to develop regional employment, conducting a Centrelink jobs expo and financial information seminar and considering the best way to focus the jobs fund projects.

Ms Gillard said the first step was to appoint a local employment co-ordinator.

“Through economic stimulus we can support new jobs and new infrastructure through Wyndham,” she said.

LeadWest CEO Anton Mayer said the group had been campaigning for a diversified jobs base in the West.

“Its been a key agenda area … people would relish in the idea of working closer to home,” he said.

Mayor Shane Bourke said the council would now push extremely hard for white collar positions within the employment precinct. “The whole synergy will change,” he said.

“If you can attract those organisations here you get hundreds of people with them.

Cr Bourke said he hoped the percentage of residents who worked in Wyndham – currently 33 per cent – would increase substantially over the coming years.

---

Popular Stories