550 jobs, $50m a year, under Workcover election pledge

A RELOCATED Victorian WorkCover Authority head office would bring 550 jobs and $50 million a year to Geelong, under a re-election pledge by Premier Denis Napthine.
The relocation of WorkCover’s head office from Melbourne to Geelong, in combination with
the national headquarters of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
and the TAC, would create a cluster of insurance and disability related
services.
“Based on the experience of the successful relocations of other State
Government offices to regional centres, it is anticipated a relocation of
this size would generate more than $50 million per year in additional
economic benefits for the Geelong region,” Dr Napthine said.
“The jobs to be relocated will predominantly be in the administration and
back office operations of WorkCover such as IT, finance, procurement,
legal, payroll and human resources.
“Geelong has traditionally been a manufacturing city with a proud history
in the automotive and engineering sectors.  Engineering and advanced
manufacturing will continue to be an important core activity for Geelong.
“However, the Geelong regional economy is already diversifying and the move
of the TAC and the Coalition government’s successful campaign to attract
the NDIS headquarters to Geelong are evidence of this.
“Geelong has already established a reputation for insurance, rehabilitation
and injury support activities.”
“No analysis will have been done on where the workforce resides and experience says 80 per cent will not move and will be forced to take redundancy,” Community and Public Sector Union secretary Karen Batt said.
The union said the proposal affected around 700 families.
Dr Napthine, however, said the relocation would help create new jobs and drive
economic growth in the region.
“We are taking action to deliver jobs and lock in the future of Geelong,”
he said.
Operational staff in WorkCover would continue to be located throughout
Victoria. This would include operational staff serving Melbourne and its
suburbs as well as rural and regional Victoria.
“Consultation will be undertaken with all stakeholders, including WorkCover
staff and their families,” Dr Napthine said.