By Karen Poh
HANG on to your men, Melton, it’s time to do something about the man drought.
Leading demographer Bernard Salt was addressing more than 85 business people last Tuesday at the inaugural Melton Open for Business Breakfast meeting organised by Delfin Lend Lease, the Shire of Melton and the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development.
With the Caroline Springs Town Centre, CS Square Retail Expansion and the four-building office park CS Exchange on schedule for completion in 2009, the mood in the room was buoyant. But the author of KPMG’s 2007 Population Growth Report called on local businesses to embrace the big picture – of “the skills shortage and other issues affecting Melton business”.
According to the report, Melton Shire, which includes Caroline Springs, experienced a net population growth of 6235 people in 2005-2006, bringing the total population to almost 81,000.
Ranked fifth nationally, Melton came a close second behind the City of Casey as the fastest growing municipality in Victoria. But while Melbourne is fourth behind Melton in terms of net population growth, it is the first time in the report’s 18-year history the the number of people moving to the city has rivalled the number shifting to leading growth corridors in the suburbs.
The downtown “funk factor” is a big drawcard for a new generation of singles, couples, “DINKs” (double income no kids) and empty-nest baby boomers who don’t want to commute, Mr Salt said. “There is a demographic logic behind the rise of Generation Y in Australia”, he said. A generation that is characterised by their adaptability, mobility, and jet-setting lifestyles.”
By 2011, Melton’s population is expected to reach 200,000, Melton Shire Council CEO Neville Smith said. But Mr Salt said strong population growth alone was insufficient for establishing healthy and well-balanced communities.
“What makes communities interesting is not just ethnic diversity, but age and gender diversity. You don’t want to see communities dominated by young, or old, one gender or another,” he said.
In what Mr Salt described as a “man drought”, he said there was a gender imbalance opening up in Melton that needed to be watched.
“It’s the men that will leave a community in search for a job opportunity… I would like to see more men aged between 22-58 (in Melton), which is your prime reproductive and economic contribution to life. I think the issues for small business are recruiting and retaining staff,” he said.
Addressing these issues would require a shift in the way operators think about running their businesses. Small business operators can turn their characteristic “can-do” attitude into a “I can do this and I’m going to do it because it’s the right thing to do for the community”, Mr Salt said.
“I know it’s a bit of a shift, because you have to think about the social issues rather than looking at just yourself. But I’m appealing to middle-aged baby boomer businesses that have done well to do their bit … by investing in youth and giving them a go, and making training opportunities happen for them,” he said. “You’re going from (a population of) 90,000 to 200,0000, so there’s opportunity there in retail, finance, housing, construction, infrastructure, administration… in transportation, logistics and storage. And particularly high tech.
“It’s a new type of industry, I think it fits well with the skills set of the Melton community, and I think it’s something that you could actually create a niche in,” he said. “It’s almost like what Peter Costello said, have one for the country. I think there needs to be a new mantra – train one for the country. So fight back Melton, stand by your man, and hang on to him. Grab his foot and lock him down, and while you’re at it, attract a few other fellas as well.”
