In the space of one week, Shoalhaven has been swamped by high-profile politicians talking about one of the electorate’s sore points – employment. Two prime ministers – incumbent Malcolm Turnbull and the man he deposed, Tony Abbott – and two Labor heavyweights, Stephen Jones and Brendan O’Connor, have swept into town in recent days to offer their perspectives.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Make no mistake. There’s nothing like being the least safe seat in the country to make Canberra sit up and take notice.
For an electorate that has struggled with chronic unemployment for years that can only be a good thing. We are in a unique position. The paper thin margin by which the Coalition holds Gilmore means our electorate can make or break the government.
It’s for that reason barely eight months after the last federal election, things are beginning to look a little like an election campaign in this neck of the woods. Many words have been spoken about getting people into jobs. Many more will be spoken in the months ahead. As with any election campaign, it’s important voters keep an eye on results as well as promises.
One positive result for employment in the region has been the big infrastructure spending by the federal government at HMAS Albatross and by the NSW government on the highway. Economic modelling used by Shoalhaven City Council shows both have a marked effect on increasing employment.
In the past seven months 15 industrial sites have been sold by council, with enterprises expected to fill them by year’s end.
Some of the companies moving into the region are “following the defence dollar”, according to council staff. They are here for the long haul.
With every new company that sets up in the region, there is a flow-on effect in other sectors of the economy. The outlook, says council’s economic development manager Greg Pullen, is “rosy”. However, he sees challenges ahead to see locals get into the region’s new jobs.
One of the biggest obstacles to employment is skills. The days of walking out of school and straight into work are over. So, education and training are key if we are to beat the unemployment hoodoo.
The party which presents the best plan for equipping our young people with the skills needed to enter the workforce is the one voters should pay attention to. The jobs are here. We just need the skills to fill them.
