City ramps up pitch for Comcare office
THE financial and operational benefits of relocating the TAC to Geelong is being used to lure a national insurance agency to the city.
A delegation of Geelong leaders yesterday descended on Canberra, armed with a case for shifting the federal department Comcare’s headquarters to Geelong.
Among the selling points was the success of the Transport Accident Commission, since it set up in a new office in Geelong in 2009.
TAC chief executive Joe Calafiore told MPs the organisation had been able to save about $15 million annually since moving to Brougham St.
Its strong financial position has been backed by record client outcome scores and its highest levels of staff satisfaction.
“Our experience shows that Geelong has everything a social insurance agency needs to be successful,” Mr Calafiore said.
The delegation, led by council chief executive Kelvin Spiller, also included leaders from the G21, Geelong Chamber of Commerce and the Committee for Geelong.
Their bid has the support of Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson, who said she expected the Government would cut costs if it moved Comcare out of the nation’s capital.
“I expect substantial cost savings would also be made by Comcare if it was to move to Geelong,” Ms Henderson said.
“As a region, we need to ensure that Comcare is, first and foremost, identified as an agency which should be moved out of Canberra. I am advocating very hard for this relocation to our great city, which would build on our reputation as a centre of excellence for the social insurance sector.”
Mr Spiller said Comcare would deepen the local labour market through growth in high skilled jobs.
“As the transformation story for Geelong gathers pace, there is a real enthusiasm for further developing Geelong as a social insurance innovation hub,” he said.