Calling all workers … Workers Jon Lowe, left, Lauren Chirgwin and Graeme Parkinson helped Star launch its new Jobs for Wyndham campaign. 65477
By Xavier Smerdon
WYNDHAM is in desperate need of more jobs with almost 60 per cent of its residents leaving the municipality for work in the city and neighbouring suburbs.
This week Star is launching a new campaign to curb the trend and see more people living and working closer to home.
Wyndham Mayor John Menegazzo has jumped on board the Jobs for Wyndham campaign along with other key advocacy bodies, calling on the State and Federal governments to stop giving other municipalities preferential treatment.
“Absolutely this is something, not just myself, but I think the entire Council supports,” Cr Menegazzo told Star.
“Job creation is still the single biggest issue facing this city.”
According to the latest census information, more than 57 per cent of residents make the daily trip out of Wyndham to work in other areas.
Almost 20 per cent of those residents cross the West Gate Bridge every day to work in the city.
“The number of people leaving Wyndham for work is close to double the amount of most other municipalities,” Cr Menegazzo said.
“The more jobs we can create to try and counter that, the better off we’ll be.
“If residents are working closer to home… they have more time to spend with their families and they can contribute to their community more.”
CEO of LeadWest, an advocacy group that works to improve the development of the western suburbs, Anton Mayer, said he also supported Star’s new campaign.
“Anything that continues to put the spotlight on the western suburbs as a real destination for development is great,” Mr Mayer said.
Cr Menegazzo said the development of the Werribee Employment Precinct, which was promised by the former Labor government, would bring in up to 60,000 jobs over 30 years.
“We’re very keen to work with the State Government to start working on activating the employment precinct,” he said.
“But obviously that’s not going to happen overnight, it’s a 30 year project.”
Both Mr Mayer and Cr Menegazzo said moving more government jobs into Wyndham would improve the situation.
“Something like relocating government departments into non-CBD locations makes a real difference,” Mr Mayer said.
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