SGMC Meets with Local Labor Candidate & State Member for Lara
Jeff Whalley - Geelong Advertiser
A GRASSROOTS group of Geelong workers has formed a committee to get better assistance to the manufacturing sector in the city.
The Save Geelong Manufacturing Committee is pushing for an increase from $15 million to $100 million from the Commonwealth to help industry revive itself.
The group is also pushing for Labor to commit to ploughing some of its $2 billion green car plan into the city.
The group met Labor Corio candidate Richard Marles and state Lara MP John Eren last week.
Group chairman Michael Stirling said the group was also putting its concerns to Labor.
``Manufacturing workers in Geelong and Australia are losing their jobs at an alarming rate, largely due to lack of federal government policy and direction,'' he said. ``What would a Labor government do to support and revitalise manufacturing in the Geelong region?''
Mr Marles said he supported the group's ambition of keeping manufacturing alive.
``The newly-formed Save Geelong Manufacturing Committee is working to ensure there is a future for manufacturing here in Geelong,'' he said. ``One of my priorities as the Labor candidate for Corio in the coming election is to put manufacturing back on the political agenda.''
Mr Marles said Labor had a three-point plan for the region. He said this included having a body of business leaders, union leaders, government and community leaders that can survey the employment landscape and develop new opportunities.
Mr Marles said Geelong also needed to become a national transport hub and focus on its education.
Workers Form Lobby Committee
