Cardinia Shire Council has joined the Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) delegation in Canberra, proposing a path forward for local jobs and industry in the South East.
On Wednesday 26 June, mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik was in the national capital to support the launch of GSEM’s Jobs and Skills Roadmap, a comprehensive plan for the region’s development that puts local employment and education first.
The roadmap is an ambitious agenda of “big ideas” to create well-paid, secure jobs and provide the necessary skills closer to home for the fast-growing region’s 1.5 million residents.
“We think that greater collaboration is needed in the region to produce better advocacy results,” Cr Kowarzik said.
“In just Casey and Cardinia, 70 per cent leave the region for their jobs.
“This is a joint effort of the South East and hopefully, with this roadmap, it will start a process to change that and bring more jobs local.”
Developed from GSEM’s Jobs and Skills Summit in May, the roadmap regards a range of matters tackling the key issues for the South East.
“Of course the extension of Thompsons Road is on the list and also the South East Airport,” Cr Kowarzik said.
“But we will also raise matters like how migrants and refugees in the South East have existing skills but have difficultly getting the qualifications, we are really advocating for change on this issue.
“The main purpose is to see more employment as a whole, we are going to ask for the Federal Government to fund an implementation plan to keep up the momentum.”
The roadmap was handed over to Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor and presented to senior members of the Federal Government and Opposition.
The delegation is led by GSEM and included among the councils were representatives of industry, business, education and the community as a “unified voice” for the region.
“Greater South East Melbourne is a nationally significant region,” GSEM chair Simon McKeon said.
“Its people and communities deserve to be able to contribute to, and share in, Australia’s prosperity and get every opportunity to live, and have meaningful employment closer to home.
“One of the main challenges facing the GSEM region is making sure growth is beneficial and shared across the community.
“Pockets of serious disadvantage exist across Melbourne’s South East, but so do significant untapped pockets of opportunity and we need to link the need with the opportunities.
“That is what we are seeking to create with this GSEM Jobs and Skills Roadmap.”
The GSEM region which includes Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong and five other council areas comprises 500,000 jobs and 85,000 businesses.
It is one of Australia’s largest manufacturing regions with $85 billion in Gross Regional Product.
