SCOTT LEVI:
Good to have you with us.
TREASURER:
Great to be with you, Scott.
SCOTT LEVI:
Mr Hockey, it must be nice to be the bearer of good tidings after the hard slog of getting around the country selling the Budget?
TREASURER:
Well, it is a terrific story. I have long travelled to the Central Coast and I just think it needs a shot in the arm and Lucy Wicks has been an indefatigable advocate for it in a short period of time. So, we are setting out the Australian Taxation Office with 600 guaranteed Federal Government jobs in the heart of Gosford City and today we released – in conjunction with local business groups – modelling that says that that will create in turn an additional 1400 jobs. So, that means 2000 jobs in the heart of Gosford City and the Australian Taxation Office informed us today that they expect those to start being delivered by 2017.
SCOTT LEVI:
How do we ensure that Central Coast people benefit from these sorts of jobs?
TREASURER:
Well, the starting point is, it is a purpose-built facility. So, the ATO will be going out to tender in September for a new, A-grade quality office space to accommodate 600 people and it will be a long-term lease by the Australian Taxation Office. So, it is not a short term proposition. And the construction jobs will be there, they will be there. Now, it is up to local builders to get engaged; it is up to local developers. We haven’t identified a specific sight in the middle of Gosford City but it is going to tender. So, there will be many opportunities for everyone to participate.
SCOTT LEVI:
Of course we have green fields sites like the old school that is going to be redeveloped now that it is going to be sold off. We have existing sites; we have plenty of space there. Is this something that will be overseen by the Federal government because in the past when money has come from the Federal government it has often been overseen by Council or State? Is this something that will be a purely a Federal project?
TREASURER:
Well, it is because we need the office space. The Australian Taxation Office is a Federal Government body. We need office space; between 6000- 6500 square metres for the 600 staff. It will be a centre of excellence for the ATO and they will be well renumerated staff. But, it will also be a honeypot and this is very important because it will attract accountants and IT specialists and auditors and a range of others who will be coming to provide the services to the senior positions at the Australian Taxation Office. So, that means that there is going to be obvious demand for better quality accommodation in the heart of Gosford City and also, you know, that will flow through to restaurants, cafes and a range of other things.
SCOTT LEVI:
The fibre optic connection is switching over on the 5th of October. That is the only option, the copper will be gone. Will that make life easier for those workers, as well?
TREASURER:
Well, sure. I mean, the interesting thing is that the ATO told me today that as the construction occurs, they will be fitting it out, fitting out the facility which means that we can get on with the job of getting people in there as soon as possible. Malcolm Turnbull is helping Lucy Wicks tomorrow when he visits Gosford to talk about the NBN and actually getting on with it – getting on with the roll-out and in turn, proving to the rest of Australia that it is easy to locate jobs in Gosford, on the Central Coast and in turn, that will be an incentive for others to come along as well.
SCOTT LEVI:
To fill these jobs we also need well qualified people. Sadly, the Coast is lagging behind when it comes to tertiary qualification, only 11 per cent; that’s about half the national rate. How can we get more participation there so people can get into these sorts of jobs which would take a lot of qualification?
TREASURER:
Well, I am hoping that this in turn will be an incentive for university campuses to set up perhaps a business school in the heart of Gosford City. Certainly I will be encouraging the Australian Taxation Office, as their Minister, to look at an intern program or some sort of relationship with a business school that would then provide the opportunity for a university campus to be set up in the middle of Gosford City as well. Now, there are a huge number of people living on the Central Coast that commute to Sydney each day. We are investing more than $400 million in NorthConnex, which in turn will reduce the travel time each month by about 10 hours for people travelling to Sydney but most importantly, there will be an opportunity for them to relocate jobs to the Central Coast, as a result of what we are doing and getting on with.
SCOTT LEVI:
What is the time frame, Mr Hockey?
TREASURER:
Well, the ATO – the Taxation Office, advised me that the tenders will be called for in September; so, in only a few days’ time. Once the tender has gone through, they will select a proposal for the construction of the building and that will rely, of course, I expect on council approval. I would urge Gosford City Council to move quickly to approve the proposition so that there is a very strong example, very powerful example of everyone working together to make sure that jobs come into the Central Coast. By that stage, we expect people to start filling the offices in 2017.
SCOTT LEVI:
Alright, there are plenty of questions you have been fielding on a national level but our brief as ABC Local Radio on the Central Coast is to look at local stories and it is good that we have a good local story to cover in this regard; end of 2017, we are being told?
TREASURER:
Absolutely, that is certainly what the Taxation Office informed me and various business leaders, as well as obviously Lucy Wicks.
SCOTT LEVI:
And they won’t be as hard on Central Coast people once they move in? They will give us – cut us a bit of slack will they, Mr Hockey?
TREASURER:
When it comes to your tax returns there will be no special favours but certainly there (inaudible). You know it is not a pay as you go facility, don’t worry.
SCOTT LEVI:
One of the only certainties – death and taxes. Thank you very much for joining us on the program.
TREASURER:
And it is great to be supporting the Central Coast; it is terrific and well done. Keep advocating.