Job boom mapped out

By Melissa Grant
MULTI-MILLION dollar retail developments and a job boom were the focus when Cardinia Shire chief executive Garry McQuillan addressed the business community.
A record 250 people gathered for the annual address at the Cardinia Cultural Centre last Thursday night.
Mr McQuillan spoke on the topic Securing Cardinia’s Future, which covered the council’s business initiatives and development plans for the shire.
Providing employment and making Pakenham an attractive place to shop were the immediate aims of the council, he said.
Mr McQuillan spoke about employment precincts in the Cardinia-Casey corridor, to be built over the next 20 to 30 years, which are expected to create between 50,000 and 75,000 jobs.
The precincts will draw upon the skills of a 435,000-strong labour force.
Work has already got underway at the South-East Business Park, which connects to established industrial areas north of the Pakenham Bypass.
It will boast a homemaker centre, which will feature some of Australia’s biggest brand retailers.
South-west of the Pakenham town centre, the Cardinia Road Employment Precinct will boost Pakenham’s professional sector, with most of 15,000 jobs expected to be white collar.
Mr McQuillan was hopeful that the planning minister would give the plans the tick of approval by the year’s end.
He is also hopeful that new retail developments in Pakenham will make the town more appealing to shoppers.
Work on Bunnings Pakenham is well underway, while preparations for an $80 million retail hub in the town centre, to feature a Big W and Woolworths supermarket, are gaining pace.
The latter will create about 600 jobs and build on Pakenham’s shopping experience.
“The dream we’ve had is to make Pakenham an attraction for people to come and shop,” Mr McQuillan said.
“We want to get (more) people spending money in Cardinia.”