100,000 jobs

By Paul Dunlop
UP to 100,000 new jobs could be created in future industries as Pakenham strives to become the major employment hub for south-east Melbourne.
New industrial areas opening up south of the bypass are expected to provide a massive boost worth millions of dollars to the local economy.
Civic leaders say employment is a crucial factor in its attempts to mould the raw materials of a fast-expanding population into a cohesive, harmonious community.
Cardinia Shire Council chief executive officer Garry McQuillan said at a recent residents’ forum at Lakeside that job creation was the key to the area’s future prosperity.
Concerned that many growing suburbs have become little more than dormitories for city workers, the council is looking to make Pakenham a place where residents can work, rest and play.
“Our target is 100,000 new jobs,” Mr McQuillan said.
“The biggest thing we can do as a municipality in the growth area is try to create jobs so people don’t have to travel,” Mr McQuillan said.
“We don’t want people having to travel an hour or more each day to get to work.
“Statistics show the family unit suffers when two people working have to travel an hour or more. It puts pressure on families.”
Mr McQuillan said up to 65 per cent of employees in Cardinia currently left the shire to work.
The Pakenham bypass will help reduce travel times.
But, more importantly, the council is looking to capitalise on the potential of a major opportunity created in late 2005 when the State Government redrew the map of Melbourne.
The state’s move changed the urban growth boundary to allow extra space for employment and industrial growth as well as consolidating residential expansion.
Coupled with the South East Business Park, council officials hope it will shore up the area as the major employment hub for the Casey-Cardinia growth corridor.
Mr McQuillan said the new industrial areas would be a massive jobs boost potentially worth millions to the local economy.
Under the plan, land south of the bypass from Officer to Pakenham will be given over to industry, hopefully taking the pressure off local people to commute into Melbourne to work and bringing workers from other places on a daily basis.
“Our aim is to try and keep people in Cardinia,” he said.
“We want people to live here and work here.”