In light of the State Budget announced last week, panelists Senator Sam Dastyari, Tim Ayres of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) NSW Branch, Goulburn Labor secretary Brendan Forde and Elizabeth Veasy of Goulburn Nationals spoke at length on the topic of regional job growth. 

The web of a regional work force woven by social identity was launched in Mr Ayres’ introductory speech in which he drew a correlation between job losses and the impact on workers’ dignity and self-worth.

“It’s not an inevitable consequence,” he said. “The government gets out of the way and decided to let the market rip... communities like this suffer. Country towns and regional impacts [are] more keenly felt.”

The act of saying ‘we’re not going to get involved’ was a decision, Senator Dastyari added, and a consequence.

“There is a pact and promise. To study, further yourself, the great Australia dream. For the first time another generation is realising this is not going to be the case. That’s the generation left behind,” he said. “We know it’s happening, we’re going to hit the wall and react.” 

Senator Dastyari said the problem with regional jobs was easy to fix. The problem was in the priorities of the Federal Government, who needed to put regional communities first. As a solution, he suggested a political independence for regional and job policies for the state.

Mr Forde said the predicted expansion growth of areas such as the Yass Valley and Murrumbatemen district raised the question of harnessing expansion.

“How do we harness the expansion to quality local jobs?” he said. “The unemployment rate in Goulburn Mulwaree is 5.58 per cent and in Yass 2.09 per cent. Scratch below the surface and you will hear stories of desperation and hopelessness.” 

Praising the $50 million investment into the Barton Highway and the presence of Country University Centres (CUC) in regional NSW, Ms Veasy said one of the biggest problems for young people was travel.

“Fly in, fly out won’t work in regional towns. There needs to be a decentralisation of jobs. Jobs don’t need to be in the city,” she said in reference to the public sector.

Among identifying faults, the night ended on a call for action. “You cannot hope jobs will just arrive. [The] government of NSW failed the regional community,” Mr Ayres said. “You’ve got to fight better and punish the government.”