14/04/2000

Around one hundred people who will have a major influence on the future of the West of Melbourne will attend a conference on Friday as the start of a program to maximise the employment, lifestyle and investment opportunities in the western region of Melbourne.

Speakers at the Summit - Making the Difference, which is aimed at generating 500 jobs will include the Victorian Premier, Steve Bracks, the Editor in Chief and Publisher of The Age, Mr Steve Harris, and Dr Ian Gilmour, Vice President Australian Operations Huntsman Corporation.

Executive Director of the Western Melbourne Regional Economic Development Organisation (WREDO), Ms Barbara McLure said that whilst the west had boomed in the past five years, 75% of the jobs created employment for people who lived outside the area.

Ms McLure said, “there are 5000 unemployed people in Maribyrnong whilst there are 10,000 more jobs than residents in work with only 16.5% of jobs within the area being held by local people.

“We have a booming economy in the west with housing development at unprecedented levels at Caroline Springs and Sanctuary Lakes, industry expanding and taking advantage of the Western Ring Road and upgraded transport facilities. But the bottom line is this is not translating into a high employment level for local communities through a mismatch of skills and a lack of coordination to place local skilled persons in available jobs.”

Ms McLure said that the image of the west that had traditionally related to a heavy industrial area is now changing and a recent survey conducted by WREDO found 72% of people from outside the area saw the western region improving, up 5% from six months earlier.

"The west had become a borrowed region in relation to employment and it is important to improve the percentage of local employment to underpin the economic and social fabric of the region.”

Media Enquiries:
Barbara McLure Executive Director WREDO (03) 96880343
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications (03) 98185700