POLITICS
Albanese Government breaks job creation record
with Michelle Rowland MP
We know a lot of people are doing it tough right now dealing with the cost of living .
That ’ s why we ’ re doing everything we can to get wages moving .
We are only halfway through our term , and we ’ ve already created more jobs than any other first term government on record at 624,000 new jobs .
October ’ s ABS Labour Force Figures show : - Employment increased by 55,000 – exceeding all market expectations . - Female employment increased by
37,500 .
- Importantly , female full-time employment increased by 26,200 in October , to a record high of 3,867,000 , and is now 144,600 ( or 3.9 per cent ) higher than it was a year ago .
- The participation rate increased to 67 per cent , returning to the record high it hit in August this year .
- The female participation rate is at an all-time high of 62.8 per cent . However , there ’ s still more work to do . This month the Albanese Government passed the Closing Loopholes Bill . The Bill will criminalise wage theft , and close labour hire loopholes that mean Australians doing the exact same job are being paid different rates of pay .
On top of this , our focus to ease the cost of living for Australians has remained steadfast . It ’ s our top priority . We are delivering $ 23 billion in targeted relief , while not adding to inflation .
This includes : - Electricity bill relief - Making medicines cheaper - Making it easier and cheaper to see a doctor - Cheaper child care and expanding parental leave
- Building more social and affordable homes and increasing rent assistance - Fee-free TAFE - Wages rising for fastest rate for a decade – including for minimum wage and aged care workers . But the job isn ’ t done , and the Albanese Government is working every day to deliver a Better Future for Australians .
MESSAGE
with Tony Bleasdale OAM Mayor Blacktown City
Representing the interests of our residents will always be an important role for our Council .
This month we took the vital public transport needs of our 415,000 residents to the NSW Parliament ’ s Inquiry into current and future public transport needs in Western Sydney .
There is an obvious , critical need for better public transport in our City .
We described the critical public transport issues that exist across the 52 suburbs in Blacktown City . Over the next 20 years , we expect to grow to a population of 600,000 people . We must fix these problems now . Our residents need to be linked to the rest of Sydney , to be able to leave their cars at home , to reduce congestion . We need better public transport options which break decades long barriers to education and job opportunities .
We need new transport options across Blacktown City ’ s suburbs . At the top of the list is the Sydney Metro missing link . We must start planning to join Tallawong and St Marys now .
If we finalise the location of stations , we can maximise community benefit in the suburbs around Mount Druitt . These communities need the Metro missing link to access the education and high-value jobs currently just out of reach in Sydney Business Park , Norwest , Macquarie Park , North Sydney ,
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Western Sydney Airport , and the City of Sydney itself .
We can all plan for higher densities , and development around metro stations . If construction soon follows , we know that subsequent planning will reduce the focus on cars , secure in the knowledge that good public transport infrastructure supports development .
Our need is so varied , due to physical distance , the reality for many Blacktown commuters is that they still need a car to access public transport . We need another 2,000 parking spaces at least , over the next 20 years , to match our population growth . Commuter facilities like bike sheds must also be considered .
Bus Rapid Transit , bus priority measures , more buses and more bus stops are also part of the solution . Blacktown City has one of the lowest bus stop and shelter provisions in Greater Sydney . Most of our bus stops consist merely of a bus stop sign .
Our Council is committed to keep providing good active transport pathways , but welcomes all additional support to provide a range of better public transport options In summary , Blacktown City , and Greater Sydney needs clear public policy decisions , and we need them quickly . Future rail corridors must be confirmed and established so that we can effectively plan for future development .
Good public transport will deliver great outcomes in Western Sydney , and the time is now to provide it for the benefit of all our community .
16 ISSUE 34 // JANUARY 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT