Victorian Minister for Employment, Jaala Pulford and Member for Melton, Steve McGhie today visited workers at the Melton Botanic Garden, who have been constructing an Eastern Australian garden bed as part of the Working for Victoria initiative.
The initiative has joined with 72 councils across Victoria, creating more than 5,200 jobs in local communities including positions in land and asset management, aged care and community support, hardship relief delivery, crisis co-ordination, cleaning, road and urban maintenance and small business support.
The partnership with Melton City Council has supported the creation of 122 jobs including environmental management which will see workers remove weeds, plant trees and collect rubbish, outdoor infrastructure maintenance and cleaning of local parks.
“We’re supporting Victorians to get back into work with jobs that benefit the whole community,” said Minister Pulford.
“This is creating opportunities for people who have lost work through no fault of their own and providing crucial workers for councils to undertake important projects.”
The employees have been busy creating a dog park at Navan Park, upgrading the Melton Recreation Reserve Skate Park, and removing noxious weeds from Arnolds Creek Linear Reserve to allow native grass to grow back, among other important community works.
“We know that many people have been doing it tough and that’s why we’re creating jobs and providing a vital community service,” said Member for Melton Steve McGhie.
“These jobs in Melton will leave a lasting legacy for the community and for the individuals who have enthusiastically taken up the chance to re-join the workforce.”
Since launching in April, the Working for Victoria initiative has created more than 12,000 jobs, including supporting people who have lost their jobs due to the impacts of coronavirus.
For more information or to register for Working for Victoria go to vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria.
