COMCARE ON MOVE PUSH: ‘WE DON’T WANT TO BE IN GEELONG’
LOBBY groups pushing for the relocation of federal agency Comcare to Geelong have failed to approach the agency itself about their proposal.
And now the agency’s boss has revealed it would prefer to stay in Canberra.
Geelong Council, G21 Geelong Region Alliance and Committee for Geelong have spent more than a year campaigning for the decentralisation of the government workplace health and safety agency in the hope it would bring about 700 jobs to Geelong.
In that time the council and lobby groups have spent thousands of dollars sending multiple delegations to Canberra to lobby politicians for the agency’s decentralisation.
But a Comcare spokesman this week revealed the agency had “never” been approached about the pitch by any of its proponents.
And, as the latest lobbying delegation met with federal MPs in Parliament this week, Comcare chief executive Jennifer Taylor released a statement advocating for the agency to remain in Canberra.
“The largest numbers of government employers and employees are in Canberra, so this is where most of our staff are based,” Ms Taylor said.
“Comcare’s critical services as a regulator and claims manager demand that we are responsive and accessible,” she said. “Relocation would severely limit our service delivery.”
Committee for Geelong spokeswoman Rebecca Casson said the campaign hadn’t approached Comcare because it was being run alongside a federal government move to decentralise commonwealth entities.
Ms Casson disagreed with Ms Taylor’s comments.
“It is understandable that this topic may draw a range of views,” Ms Casson said. “However, the evidence shows that decentralisation done well is good for clients and the taxpayer — which is good for Australia.
“Geelong has proved that it can accommodate and support both state and federal agencies relocating and establishing here — we look forward to supporting Comcare the same way.”
Geelong director of investment and attraction Brett Luxford also said Comcare hadn’t been contacted directly because council was responding to the federal government inquiry. “It is not appropriate for the group to directly lobby the agency itself,” he said.
A spokesman for G21 referred the Advertiser to the council’s comment when contacted for comment.
Ms Casson first publicly backed Comcare’s relocation to Geelong in May last year, with support for the proposal soon coming from thendeputy prime minister Barna- by Joyce, Local federal MPs Richard Marles and Sarah Henderson, state Opposition leader Matthew Guy and local state MPs.
If successful, Comcare would join the National Disability Insurance Agency and the Australian Bureau of Statistics as federal agencies calling Geelong home.
Economic modelling taken to Canberra this week by the most recent lobbying delegation a Comcare move would inject more than $400 million into the Geelong economy each year.
Delegations travelled to Canberra this week and last September to present their case for moving the agency.