Published Tuesday, 09 May, 2000 at 12:00 AM
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations
The Honourable Paul Braddy
BEATTIE GOVT BOOSTS PINE SPORT FOR OLYMPICS/JOBS GROWTH
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Paul Braddy said the project showed what could be achieved in the form of valuable recreational assets and local jobs growth when government and the community worked together.
The $328,000 includes$135,000 from the Department of Communication and Information, Local Government, Planning and Sport, and a new grant of $193,000 under the Beattie Government's Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative, administered by the Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations.
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Paul Braddy said the new grant would allow local people to help themselves by gaining valuable job experience and contributing to their community. The work will include renovating and expanding the club's boat shed, making the facilities more accessible for disabled athletes and landscaping.
"The participants will gain work experience in excavation, concreting, shed erection, basic carpentry and joinery, plastering, tiling, painting, paving, planting and other skills which will help them find further work," Mr Braddy said. "Club members will also volunteer their time to help participants with their trade skills on the project, which starts in two weeks."
Communication and Information, Local Government and Planning and Sport Minister Terry Mackenroth said the planned improvement of the training facilities at the Pine Rivers Rowing Club would help attract more regional, national and international events to Lake Kurwongbah.
Mr Mackenroth said the upgrade aimed to increase the profile of the sport of rowing, predicting the facility would help attract schools, young people, veterans, disabled rowers as well as recreational and elite training groups.
"The first to use the revamped facilities will be the Danish Rowing Team to prepare for the Sydney Olympic Games," Mr Mackenroth said. "We expect it will prove a valuable facility both for local teams and for visitors and can only add to the area's tourism appeal."
The project will be coordinated by local organisation, East Coast Training and Employment, and is supported by the Pine Rivers Shire Council.
Mr Braddy congratulated the Pine Rivers community for its effort in helping break the unemployment cycle and said all levels of the community - private sector employers, public sector agencies and community organisations - had chipped in to help.
"Together, they have attracted more than $2.5 million in special Beattie Government funding and helped more than 500 people in their search for work," Mr Braddy said.
Since the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative began in 1998, Pine Rivers has seen: 157 people gain jobs under the initiative's Community Jobs Plan, with a total of $1.85 million funding awarded to eight projects;
126 people receive training, job search and other assistance under the initiative's Community Employment Assistance Program, with a total of $3,000,000 awarded to six projects;
158 private sector employers and 12 group training companies employ 245 extra apprentices or trainees in crucial skill shortage areas and received a total of $438,000 in cash incentives from the initiative's Private Sector Employment Program (up to $2000 per extra employee) and
public sector agencies employ 58 extra trainees under the Public Sector Employment Program.
Further information: David Burley on (07) 3225 2210/3835 9900 and quote pager 96149.