By Luke Voogt
The construction of a new Lara prison has exceeded targets to employ local workers by 50 per cent, according to state government.
The project had injected $200 million into the “local” economy, including $126 million for services and supplies from businesses in greater Geelong and Melbourne’s western suburbs, a government statement said.
State government has spent the other $74 million employing local sub-contractors and workers living within 30 kilometres of the project site.
Authorities initially set employment targets for workers in Corio, Norlane, Whittington, and parts of Colac, prior to the start of construction in February 2020.
The Community Safety Building Authority identified these focus areas for targeted recruitment in consultation with the G21 Regional Opportunities for Work initiative and Geelong council.
The project, on Chisholm Road, had created more than 45,000 labour hours for workers in these areas, exceeding the initial target of 30,000.
“This project is meeting and beating its targets to provide local opportunities and investing in workers starting out as trainees and apprentices,” Lara MP John Eren said.
More than 1200 workers are now on-site to construct the new jail near the existing Barwon Prison Precinct.
The project, managed by engineering contractor John Holland, entered its peak construction phase last month, with the workforce expected to rise to more than 1400.
Ten per cent of labour hours on the project are allocated to young workers including apprentices, trainees and cadets.
Corrections Minister Natalie Hutchins said the project had provided a significant boost to the Geelong region.
State government expects the project to be complete by 2022.
An additional $16.3 million has been directed to social enterprises that support Indigenous and disadvantaged Victorians and people with a disability in gaining employment.
But Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service spokesperson Andreea Lachsz slammed state government’s lauding of milestone.
“The government spends too much time talking about the wrong targets,” Ms Lachsz said.
“It needs to focus less on building prisons and target labour hours for prison construction projects, and focus more on how to stop filling up prisons with Aboriginal people.
“It’s time the Andrews Government took seriously its commitments under the Closing the Gap agreement.”
