Government Announces Jobs Plan for Redfern Waterloo

The Minister responsible for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sartor and Minister for Community

Services, Carmel Tebbutt today announced the Redfern Waterloo Authority, once established, will put in place a comprehensive jobs plan to address the high levels of people in the area not participating in the labour force.

“In Waterloo up to 74 per cent of the general population are unemployed. This is even higher for the Aboriginal community, where 79 per cent are unemployed,” said Mr Sartor.

“Disadvantaged people living in Redfern Waterloo cannot continue to be left behind.

Although employment is the responsibility of the Federal Government, the NSW Government is committing to creating additional jobs in the area”.

“Clearly it is time for Government to address this issue and this will be one of the priorities of the new Redfern Waterloo Authority”.

The Jobs Plan will focus on:

• The creation of additional jobs, and
• Strategies to address labour market barriers faced by local people.

The proposals set out in the Jobs Plan include:

• Increasing employment through targeted development of State owned land
• Encouraging new commercial activity
• Establishment of an Aboriginal Business Hub
• Use of Government Procurement contracts for construction projects to create Aboriginal and local training and employment opportunities
• Strengthen Aboriginal employment partnerships
• Development of a complementary education and training strategy, and
• A focus on increasing participation of young people in transition employment programs

“We need to get people out of the cycle of poverty and one way to do this is help them get a job. The despair experienced as a result of unemployment is one of the major contributors to many of the social problems in communities like Redfern Waterloo.

“Poverty is a significant factor in drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, stress and social isolation – all of which impact on families and children,” Ms Tebbutt said.

“We know the most effective way to combat poverty is through a job – this initiative, underpinned by the new Human Services plan for the area, will address this important issue.