The Andrews Labor Government is bringing hundreds of public sector jobs to the regions with new GovHub offices to be built in Ballarat and the Latrobe Valley.
The Victorian Budget 2017/18 secures a major jobs boost for these regional centres and will also kick off planning for a third GovHub in Bendigo.
Development Victoria will lead the establishment the new government offices which will create a total of 750 local jobs.
The Ballarat GovHub, to be located at the redeveloped Civic Hall site, will become home to 600 government employees and revitalise a major part of the Ballarat CBD.
The site, which sits on Crown land, will be developed in partnership with the Ballarat City Council and combine government offices with community services and local businesses.
The Latrobe Valley will also receive a jobs boost with a new government office to be built to house 150 public service jobs. The new complex is expected to deliver a $15 million boost for the local economy.
The Labor Government established the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) to oversee the transition and diversification of the Valley’s economy and to drive the creation of new jobs.
Following recent successes in negotiating the power industry worker transition scheme and securing a partnership with major sports clubs including the Collingwood Football Club, the LVA will partner with Bank Australia to jointly fund a feasibility study to bring new private sector jobs to the region.
Bank Australia, a customer owned bank with a strong track record of providing community support, already has a contact centre located in Moe, making the Latrobe Valley an ideal location for extended operations.
Construction of the new GovHub is expected to create up to 170 construction jobs when it starts next year and is expected to be completed in mid-2020.
Bendigo is already home to public servants from the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, but the Labor Government is exploring more opportunities with funding in this year’s Budget to plan for a new GovHub.
The Government will work with unions in the lead up to the job consolidations and has provided a commitment of no forced relocations and redundancies.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford
“We said we’d govern for the whole state and that means government offices and employees shouldn’t just be confined to the Melbourne CBD.”
“Ballarat’s new GovHub will create 600 local jobs to our city and revitalise the Civic Hall site.”
“We’re doing everything we can to create jobs to the Valley and 150 public servants will provide a great boost to the local economy.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020