Briefing report one: Assessing current knowledge - Identification of opportunities to support structural adjustment in the Latrobe Valley region

For the purposes of this project the Latrobe Valley region is defined as the three local government areas (LGAs) of Latrobe City, Baw Baw and Wellington. The estimated population of this region in 2010 was 162,700 people (KPMG, 2011) up from 146,567 in 2006. Utilising existing data from key reports and research, this briefing report provides a contextual overview for this study by answering the following questions: 1. What has been said about economic diversification in the Latrobe Valley Region (Baw Baw, Latrobe City and Wellington)? 2. Where are the job opportunities (current and projected) in the Latrobe Valley Region and wider Gippsland? 3. What are the conditions for realising these opportunities? Seeks to identify the roles and the skills of workers in industries likely to be impacted by a transition to a low carbon economy.This Briefing Paper aims to answer the following questions with currently available data from key reports and research: Key findings 1. There is a lack of consistency in available reports as to where growth areas are located. 2. There are different understandings about the generation of jobs in the region. 3. There are likely to be very different outcomes depending on whether there is active government intervention or not. 4. The choice of policy approach appears to be either one that is comprehensive and integrated or a series of ad hoc interventions; the outcomes are likely to be different. Implications 1. Policy must be very clear about the approach that is advocated to generate jobs. 2. Decisions should be taken about the focus of intervention. 3. Consideration will need to be given to how the different levels of government and all relevant interest groups are involved in the process of transition. 4. Attention should be given to encouraging an agreed approach for the Latrobe Valley region, involving a range of social actors (e.g. employers, unions, local government, community organisations) across the three LGAs.