By Luke Voogt
A campaign to bring a federal agency’s “700 jobs” to Geelong has created false hopes, according to the boss of Australia’s biggest public service union.
Nadine Flood was scathing of the Committee for Geelong and the TAC’s campaign for relocating Comcare to Geelong.
“Relocating Comcare’s central office to Geelong wouldn’t bring anywhere near the hundreds of jobs that some people are speculating about,” said the Community and Public Sector Union national secretary.
“Comcare staff are spread throughout Australia, as they need to be to carry out their work.”
The Federal Government should find “smarter options” than “forcing existing staff to move cities”, Ms Flood said.
“Restoring the thousands of regional jobs that have been cut in agencies like Medicare, Centrelink and the tax office is a far more efficient and sensible way to create employment opportunities.”
Comcare, which insures public servants, has 645 employees across Australia but a Canberra source told the Indy that relocating Comcare “wouldn’t even bring close to 700 jobs to Geelong”.
Comcare chief executive officer Jennifer Taylor said neither the Commonwealth nor lobby groups had approached the organisation about the proposal.
“Comcare’s workers’ compensation operations are based largely in Canberra and Melbourne where the majority of Commonwealth employers and employees are located.”
Committee for Geelong chief Rebecca Casson said moving Comcare could create 700 jobs and “bring millions of dollars” to Geelong.
“As has been shown by the NDIA, TAC and Worksafe, as organisations move there’s an opportunity for them to review structures.”
The committee based its campaign on a Federal Government announcement last month that it would move “suitable” public bodies to regional communities, Ms Casson said.
But the policy defines regional communities as outside “150 kilometres by road of Canberra or the capital city of a state”, which would rule out Geelong for its proximity to Melbourne.
“We recognise that Geelong is not a regional city. We believe they need to look again at the policy parameters regarding second cities,” Ms Casson said
The committee’s Winning From Second report highlighted Geelong’s potential as global centre of excellence for social insurance, she said.
“This is a specialisation that’s unique to Geelong and sets Victoria’s second largest city apart from every other regional city in the country.”
Past chief executive officer and chairman of TAC and Worksafe James MacKenzie backed Geelong’s case to host Comcare.
“Given the flourishing social insurance cluster in Geelong, and the resources that come with that, it is difficult to imagine a city with a stronger claim than Geelong,” he said.
