Minister for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sartor, today released
a comprehensive plan to generate 18,000 jobs for the Redfern-Waterloo area over
the next decade.
Minister Sartor said he was pleased to deliver the final
Employment and Enterprise Plan, after a draft was released in December last
year for public consultation.
“This plan is already off to a strong start, with last
week’s landmark agreement to build a new television production centre at the
Australian Technology Park (ATP),” Mr Sartor said.
“It shows our approach is working and we will continue to
deliver more job opportunities and training in Redfern and Waterloo, to help turn around social
disadvantage.
“The $120 million ATP agreement with Sydney Broadcast
Property and Pacific Magazines will increase jobs in Redfern and Waterloo by up to 20%.
“Most of this growth will be generated by future commercial
development on State Significant Sites in the area, including the Australian Technology Park.
“Our overall employment plan complements the Built
Environment Plan, which will drive urban renewal and jobs growth; and the Human
Services Plan, which will improve youth services, childcare, literacy and other
human services programs.
“Under the Employment and Enterprise Plan, we will
coordinate strategies to stimulate jobs growth through commercial development
and other means.
“Wealth creation is essential for the area to move forward
in a constructive way.
“Until now, almost one-third of Redfern-Waterloo’s
population receives income support, 40 per cent live in public housing, and
almost four in ten households have a weekly income of less than $400.”
The final Employment and Enterprise plan also aims to:
- Facilitate a research and innovation zone running from the
University of Sydney and UTS to the ATP by improving
physical connectivity; - Support small business growth and the hiring of local
unemployed people through partnerships with State, Federal and Local Governments;
and - Establish programs to train locals to fill skills
shortages, in particular industries located outside Redfern-Waterloo.
Mr Sartor said the initiatives would help to achieve the key
goals under the Iemma Government’s City of Cities
plan for Sydney’s
future.
“Over the next 25 years, metropolitan Sydney
will need an extra 6.8 million square metres of office space and a target of
58,000 new jobs has been set for the City of Sydney,” Mr Sartor said.
“We are working to meet that commitment, including the
Redfern-Waterloo Authority’s construction of the $47.5 million Building D at
the Australian Technology Park.
“The building will house multi-million dollar Commonwealth
research agencies and is expected to create 600 permanent jobs by 2007.
“We have already delivered 105 jobs for local indigenous
workers under the Redfern-Waterloo Authority Jobs Compact between the
Redfern-Waterloo Authority and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy
Union.
“Further, a cross-cultural training and employment program
in Indigenous cuisine will be established at North
Eveleigh as part of a new $700,000 vocational training facility.
“And the Government will use its landmark Indigenous
Employment Model to require successful construction tenderers to engage
Aboriginal employees.”
The Employment and Enterprise Plan will be available at www.redfernwaterloo.com.au
The original media release can be downloaded here (pdf~18kb)
Click on this link to download The Employment and Enterprise Plan (PDF 154Kb)
Further info also on http://www.redfernwaterloo.com.au/redfern_waterloo_plan/employment_and_enterprise.php