Review of TCF Assistance

City of Whittlesea’s verbal submission to the Productivity Commission on the Position Paper to be held in Melbourne on 3 June 2003

Names of persons attending the public hearing: -
Councillor Sam Alessi		Councillor – City of Whittlesea
Mr David Sutton		Owner & operator, Bilby Shoes Pty Ltd
				2, Northgate Drive, Thomastown
Mr John Francis		Director Economic Development & City Marketing
				City of Whittlesea

Summary of verbal Submission: -

1.	Introduction of TCF&L Industry in City of Whittlesea	Cr Sam Alessi	
			
2.	Regional Impacts of the Productivity Commission’s preferred option on :-
•	TCF&L employees
•	Number of people living in the City of Whittlesea with jobs dependent on the TCF&L Industry
•	Number of people working in the City of Whittlesea with jobs dependent on the TCF&L Industry	

Cr Sam Alessi	
			
3.	The Demographic profile of the City of Whittlesea :-
•	Unemployment rate of City of Whittlesea 7.40% which is much higher than the North Eastern region rate of 6.25% and the National rate of 6.60%
•	Higher proportion of persons who speak a language at home other than English (45.80%) than Melbourne SD (25.80%) or Victoria (20.0%) as well as a higher proportion of persons born overseas who arrived in Australia prior to 1986
•	Higher proportion of persons aged 15 years and over who left school at Year 9, or Year 8 and below, than Melbourne SD or Victoria
•	Lower proportion of persons who stayed at school until Year 12 or equivalent (33.60%) compared with Melbourne SD (43.20%) and Victoria (38.90%)	

Cr Sam Alessi	
			
4.	Introduction of Bilby Shoes Pty Ltd
•	Company History
•	Staff numbers – now & then
•	Supply Chain	

Mr David Sutton	
			
5.	The demise of the footwear manufacturing sector in recent years
•	Closure of companies
•	Jobs lost	

Mr David Sutton	
			
6.	The ‘Social’ issues
•	Where do the retrenched workers go?	
Mr David Sutton	
			
7.	Funding support needed for the survival of the Footwear Industry	
Mr David Sutton	
			
8.	The future of the Footwear Industry	Mr David Sutton	
			
9.	Conclusion	Cr Sam Alessi