Minister thanks local workers

FEDERAL Minister for Government Services, Bill Shorten, visited Bendigo last week to thank Services Australia employees for their work during the pandemic and recent natural disasters.

“Services Australia is an important employer in Bendigo, it delivers 230-plus jobs, and a lot of the people who work here have been here for more than 10 years,” he said.

“It’s a good employer and it provides opportunities for local residents to have meaningful work and help deliver something back for the country and the region.”

Services Australia is central office for many Federal Government services including pandemic payments, youth allowance, pensions, and childcare.

Mr Shorten said during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent floods in Queensland and New South Wales there was plenty of support coming from the Bendigo centre.

“People in Bendigo have been helping their fellow Australians in trouble,” he said.

“Services Australia is a fundamental part of the Australian Government, it’s important we make sure that not all jobs in government are in Canberra.

“The smart centre, the payment support and the office is a big part of Labor’s commitment to regional jobs in Australia and also having a generous well-funded safety net for people who are vulnerable.”

While visiting, Mr Shorten met local workers, including Susan Barber and Trish Driscoll, who assisted with COVID-19 payments and flood support respectively.

Ms Barber said she started with Services Australia in March 2020 and processed thousands of payments within the first few months of the pandemic.

“It was a privilege to be able try make things a bit easier over a pretty rough period for a lot of Australians,” she said.

“It’s an honour to be able to help people… [working here is] the best thing I’ve ever done.”

She said most of her causal-working team of 30 has stayed on at Services Victoria, and she herself as moved into health services.

“A lot of us were able to secure jobs and managed to stay on,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere because it’s a great place to work.”