As John Holland dumped 150 aviation engineering jobs and word spread its Tullamarine maintenance plant is up for sale, Victoria’s Manufacturing Minister David Hodgett came north with some good news.
He gave Epping’s New Age Caravans a $1 million grant to set up an advanced robotic manufacturing centre with 65 new jobs.
It’s part of a $3.7 million planned expansion of the factory that turns out both caravans and mining accommodation units.
It will be the first project funded under the $24.5 million Melbourne North Innovation and Investment Fund (MNIIF), a tripartite agreement between the federal and state governments and Ford. Geelong received the same deal in the wake of Ford’s decision to stop manufacturing by the end of 2016.
“Melbourne’s north is a hub of engineering, aerospace and defence, electronics and print-packaging industries, which are thriving in a global market,” Mr Hodgett said.
Ford Australia president Bob Graziano said his company would host a jobs expo at Broadmeadows on April 29.
Recent labour market figures show Broadmeadows has experienced one of the biggest unemployment rises in the country.It rose from 9.6 per cent to 12.8 per cent between December 2012 and 2013, even before this year’s job slump hit hard.
But with more MNIIF-funded projects due soon, there is now some hope for the four municipalities most impacted by Ford’s Melbourne closures – Hume, Moreland, Darebin and Whittlesea.
