Posted: March 12, 2005

Weeds, needs and local job creation

When CofFEE staff speak about our proposal for a Job Guarantee (JG) - whether to community groups, the media or at conferences - the first question thrown at us is 'What sort of work would JG workers do? It is a sensible and fair question, and the answer is not 'painting rocks'.

Today's Newcastle Herald carries a major story titled Creep of a Killer Pest. It provides a fine example of how JG workers could be employed in a way that makes a significant contribution to restoring and protecting the environment and advancing our collective well-being. For those who equate JG employment with unproductive work (the 'rock painting' brigade), I invite you to think again.

The Herald story focuses on the continuing spread of Alligator Weed in the Port Stephens area and the threat this poses to the supply of drinking water in the Lower Hunter. Most of the Lower Hunter's drinking supply comes from the Williams River catchment, and Port Stephens Councillors were told this week that this catchment was already "extensively infested" and that the choking weed also threatened 18,000 hectares of wetlands and several district turf farms. The Council estimates that the cost of 'containing' the outbreaks this financial year would be $205,000 with smaller, but significant, funding requirements in the out years.

So how does the Job Guarantee fit into the equation? Much of the work required to contain and combat Alligator Weed outbreaks is manual work suited to many of the unskilled and low-skilled workers who are drowning in the unemployment queue. Port Stephens is described by the Herald as Australia's "Alligator Weed Capital", as of the 4000 hectares of land affected by the weed in 2001, 3500 hectares were in the Port Stephens shire. Arresting the progress of this 'killer pest' through the provision of a Commonwealth-funded JG workforce (who would receive the Federal minimum award wage and conditions) meets all criteria for good public policy:

1. It creates urgently needed jobs in an area of high unemployment. According to the most recent Small Area Labour Market data, the unemployment rate for Port Stephens in September 2004 was 6.3 per cent (well above the national average) and there were 1,726 people looking for jobs. Note that this is 'official unemployment' only and does not take into account the level of underemployment and hidden unemployment in the area.

2. JG funding will lead to net job creation. It will not create jobs that substitute for private sector employment. Environmental projects - such as combating noxious weeds - are ideal targets for public sector employment initiatives as they are likely to be under-produced by the private sector due to their heavy public good component.

3. Given that unemployed people are already supported by the public sector welfare system, the JG requires only a low level of additional public investment to allow unutilised labour to perform a range of activities essential to the health of local communities and the environment. The JG strategy acknowledges the strains on our natural ecosystems and the need to change the composition of final output towards environmentally sustainable activities.

4. Containing the Alligator Weed outbreak is essential to the maintenance of public health (preventing contamination of drinking water) and promotes private sector productivity. The Herald notes that alligator weed is spreading, via flood mitigation channels, to the rich agricultural lands of Hinton and Woodville. Is the Government troubled by export outcomes or has it just been (repeatedly) feigning concern?

When CofFEE developed its model of a Community Development Job Guarantee (CD-JG) - in which JG work would be directed to areas which promote community development and/or environmental sustainability - one of the Case Studies we included was titled 'Creating a healthy Hunter River' (see Section 5.2 of the CD-JG Proposal). Why pick it? Well, the final report of the Independent Inquiry into the Hunter River system released in May 2002 found that the Hunter River and its catchment supports economic activity with an estimated annual value of $6 billion, while providing an important recreational and social amenity, and a site of special cultural significance to the local Aboriginal people. However in the generation of substantial economic returns and social benefits, the river valley has suffered significant environmental damage. Why pick it indeed!

Despite outrageously mindless rhetoric about a labour and skill shortage, Australia currently has 550,000 people in its official unemployment queue and a labour underutilisation rate of 10.6 per cent. There are people - skilled and unskilled - waiting to be used, and myriad examples of local environments in urgent need of restoration and repair. The CD-JG addresses both needs directly to our collective benefit. While ever we fail to put the creation of a fully employed, and environmentally sustainable, economy and society at the top of the public policy agenda, the weeds spread, the rivers die and the costs mount. The 'rock painting' critics should think about it.

Blog entry posted by Sally