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Melina Bath and Martin Cameron accuse Labor of neglecting Latrobe Valley's unemployment crisis

The Nationals' Melina Bath and Martin Cameron criticise the Allan Labor government for neglecting the Latrobe Valley, citing high unemployment, minimal jobs growth, and flawed transition plans following power station closures.

By news@gippsland - 18th September 2024 - Back to News

Paltry jobs growth figures and high unemployment rates in the Latrobe Valley show the Allan Labor government has abandoned the region, according to The Nationals' Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, and Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron. The Small Area Labour Market for the quarter to March 2024 shows the unemployment rate in the Latrobe local government area was 5.3% - the highest of any regional centre in Victoria.

The Nationals' Melina Bath and Martin Cameron claim Labor has abandoned Latrobe Valley, citing 5.3% unemployment and flawed job transition plans

Labor ignoring Latrobe

Ms Bath said, "At every opportunity the Minister for Regional Development, Gayle Tierney, has failed to answer questions about how Labor will address the disproportionately high unemployment rate in the Latrobe Valley. At the end of its eight years in operation, and $300 million in funding, the Latrobe Valley Authority's ultimate offering was a glossy brochure - not a plan - that was devoid of any tangible actions."

"Job growth in the Latrobe Valley over the past decade has been the equivalent of just 0.47% on an annual basis, while jobs in Wodonga have grown 2.7% and jobs in Geelong have grown 3.4%. Given the mass redundancies from Regional Development Victoria, workers rightly have no faith that Labor will focus on bolstering employment in the regions so locals can work where they live," she said.

Labor's plan fails

Mr Cameron said claims by Labor that jobs in offshore wings along the Gippsland coast would replace job losses from the impending closure of the Valley's power stations were flawed. "I'm not sure if Labor is aware of the fact we don't have a coastline in the Latrobe Valley, so those jobs won't be here where the closure of our power stations will be felt by locals."

"The so-called 'transition plan' completely ignores the urgency to establish new industries for our highly skilled workforce in which to transition here in the Valley where we have powered the state for more than a century. Hazelwood shut in 2017, Yallourn will shut in 2028, Loy Yang A will shut in 2032 and Loy Yang B will follow later that decade - the time to shore up local jobs is now."

"One worker warming a desk for the SEC in Morwell's GovHub doesn't cut it, especially when some 59,000 jobs were promised. The fact the LVA was absorbed by RDV and won't exist beyond this year, before the power stations have even shut, is evidence Labor has no plan to help the Valley transition. Labor can't manage money and regional Victorians are paying the price," he said.

Pictures from Martin Cameron MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com