By NOEL MURPHY
SOME of the world’s top newspapers have turned their gaze to Geelong as they scrutinise the chances of an Australian recession amid jobs losses at Ford, Target and Shell.
The attention of The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and international news agency Reuters prompted concerned at Geelong Chamber of Commerce, which fielded several queries this week about the local economy’s fortunes.
“It’s concerning, absolutely, that Geelong is being perceived in this negative way because I think Geelong is far from it,” chamber executive officer Bernadette Uzelac said.
“We’re really on the cusp of greatness. There are so many things we can talk about regarding our economic future and job growth – there’s so much happening.”
The Wall Street Journal datelined a story headlined ‘Economists See Risk of Australian Recession’ with the location ‘Geelong, Australia’.
The paper cited Ford’s decision to stop making cars, Shell’s refinery sale and Target laying off hundreds in a report on Australia’s prospects of recession, quoting leading economic analysts.
The story focussed on the mining sector’s declining fortunes as well the stubborn refusal of consumer spending and manufacturing – “the most rate-sensitive sectors of the economy” – to respond to Australian Reserve Bank efforts to boost the economy with interest rate cuts.
Ms Uzelac said she had fielded calls from reporters with Reuters and The Guardian following a similar storyline about Geelong.
The Wall Street Journal has a weekday circulation of 2.4 million including online subscribers. Reuters is syndicated to hundreds of papers around the world.
“People around the world are looking at Geelong. We should use the opportunity to promote Geelong’s lifestyle, diversity and what a great place it is to work and live,” Ms Uzelac said.
“There’s so much happening in education and health sector … drive jobs for the future and there’s the advanced manufacturing sector, too.
“Geelong is home to so much innovation and creativity. I don’t think the message is getting out to the broader marketplace.
“We know it in Geelong but maybe not in the rest of the world.”
