Joint initiative to boost jobs in Northern NSW

A Regional Partnership Agreement (RPA) signed in Port Macquarie today will target the green economy as a way of addressing Aboriginal unemployment in the Many Rivers region.

The Australian and New South Wales Governments will invest $1.7 million over the next three years to support the project.

This agreement is a first for the northern NSW region and will support the employment of up to 400 trained Indigenous workers in the climate change, environment and conservation job markets.

The success of the agreement lies in the strength of Government, communities, green groups and industry working together to create jobs, while boosting the economy.

It builds on the extensive network of Aboriginal Green Teams currently working on country, which will provide advice and mentoring to young Aboriginal people living in the area.

The Green Teams will source commercial contracts, coordinate and manage training and provide a central point of contact for agencies and companies seeking employees.

The communities benefiting from the agreement extend from Tweed Heads down to the Hawkesbury River and inland to the Great Dividing Range.

The RPA is the result of extensive consultation between the Australian and NSW Governments, the Many Rivers Training, Enterprise and Employment Aboriginal Corporation, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and representatives from industry and non-government organisations.

This Agreement contributes to the work the Australian Government is doing to Close the Gap in Aboriginal employment.