Jobs office to be lost

Jessica Benton
THE OPPOSITION has slammed state and federal government plan to close a Geelong body responsible for helping stimulate jobs and investment in the region.
Nationals leader Peter Ryan demanded the governments come clean on the future of Geelong’s Area Consultative Committee (ACC) office.
He believed the authorities planned to replace the state’s network of 12 ACC offices with a new organisation called Regional Development Australia.
“At a time when government should be working overtime to promote regional growth and create more jobs, Labor is threatening to cut jobs and rationalise economic development services in regional Victoria,” Mr Ryan said.
The jobs of office staff hung in the balance, he said.
“I’m very concerned these plans will lead to ACC staff losing their jobs and regional Victoria losing a wealth of corporate knowledge on regional development issues.
“Each of the 12 ACC offices has at least three staff that work on developing local economies and creating local job opportunities – their experience and expertise is vital to regional Victoria.”
The former Howard Government established the ACC offices in the 1990s to act as a link between government agencies, businesses and the community.
Geelong Chamber of Commerce executive officer Lawrie Miller said the ACC network was vital to economic growth and jobs creation.
“The governments are saying they’re rearranging deck chairs because in some areas the ACC hasn’t done a great deal but in areas like Geelong it has become a true corporate citizen,” he said.
“We’ll lose a really valuable organisation that keeps its finger on the pulse and it would be a tragic loss. Valuable experience, expertise and representation built up over 10 years will be lost.
Mr Miller said Federal Government’s plan to set up “a rearranged new structure” was hypocritical.
“At a time when the Government is imploring employers to avoid sacking staff, they’re doing it themselves.
“It’s making a mockery of what the government is saying to other organisations because hundreds of staff will be tipped out across Victoria.”
Regional Development Minister Jacinta Allan said the new banner would “strengthen” the network of regional development offices.
Ms Allan said both governments had a “commitment to support communities” to grow and prosper in these challenging times.