Brimbank Council has called on the State Government to work with Council to leverage major local infrastructure projects in order to secure local industry, business, jobs and skills outcomes.
In a submission to the State Government’s Post-Secondary Education Review, the ‘Macklin Review’, Council outlined a series of steps that provide Government with a pathway to engage with Brimbank Council to help support impacted local industry, businesses, workers and young people by giving them the job, skill and education pathways to respond to COVID-19.
Brimbank Mayor, Cr Georgina Papafotiou said the Macklin Review provided another opportunity for Council to be an advocate to Government on behalf of the Brimbank community towards a more secure jobs and skills future.
‘Council has provided a submission to this review with 10 strong recommendations designed to put our case forward around what Brimbank needs to get ahead using our industry and business potential for workers and young people.
‘This includes further investment in the St Albans Health and Wellbeing Hub to potentially become a ‘COVID-19 Support and Recovery Hub for the West’ as well as support for our COVID-19 Business and Economic Development response and recovery initiatives to connect local business with local work and workers.
‘This is going to be more important than ever given the impact of increased restrictions on Brimbank businesses and community.
‘We are taking every opportunity to put forward the great opportunities we see in Brimbank, and the support we will require to make sure we can recover from this devastating pandemic,’ Cr Papafotiou said.
Council’s submission to the Macklin Review holds 10 recommendations including:
- Support for Brimbank’s call to establish a Business, Jobs and Skills Working Group.
- Ongoing funding for local learning and job preparation programs, including Brimbank Learning Futures to expand on work being done to support vulnerable job seekers and young people in the local community.
- Investment in local learning infrastructure resources and pathways, including through supporting the work of Neighbourhood Houses, a new St Albans Library, and redevelopment of the Deer Park Library.
- An integrated transport network for the west, which will ensure workers and students can access the jobs and education they need.
‘This is part of Council’s push to encourage the State Government to invest and support these recommendations in the context of developing a local Brimbank COVID-19 Health, Wellbeing and Economic Response Package that can complement the further restrictions that have been implemented across Brimbank recently to combat the pandemic,’ Cr Papafotiou said.
For a full list of recommendations see Brimbank’s Submission to the ‘Macklin Review’ – Brimbank Council Macklin Submission June 2020
