Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the motion by the member for Page. Coming, as we do, from opposite sides of the House, we clearly have our differences but I am pleased that we have been able to come together on this very important issue, which is an economic threat to our electorates—the move by Telstra to close the call centre at Grafton. I should say from the outset that the provincial City of Grafton does not lie within my electorate of Cowper but the call centre does draw employees from right across the lower Clarence and the surrounds, and it is a very important issue for the people of Maclean, Tucabia, Ulmarra and all of the settlements around Grafton on the north coast.

The loss of 108 jobs is a huge issue for any regional centre. It affects not just those who have lost those jobs but also those whose jobs are dependent on the income coming in from those 108 families. There is a loss of confidence in a regional centre when a major employer closes its doors. Certainly, this has had a detrimental effect on the community. There will undoubtedly be further job losses from businesses as a result of this closure when the income from those 108 jobs no longer permeates the economy. There will be an obvious knock-on effect. Certainly, the community is in no doubt about the impact of this closure and the way that the effects will ripple through the community.

I am pleased to join with the member for Page on this issue, but we are just two amongst many, as the member has pointed out, who have taken up the cudgels in this case. The state member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell and Mayor Richie Williamson have been involved. All three levels of government have been involved and there has been strong support from the community. As the member mentioned, Shirley and John Adams sat all week in Grafton Shoppingworld collecting signatures—6,000 signatures in fact. That is a huge local effort, showing the local passion for an important local employer. Hundreds attended a rally that was held in Prince Street, Grafton—all supporting this very important issue. Some 1,800 members of a Facebook group have been calling on Telstra to reconsider this ridiculous decision.

Commercially, I think this decision flies in the face of practical experience. Look at what has been achieved in Coffs Harbour. The Centrelink call centre in Coffs Harbour is the largest single-purpose Centrelink call centre in Australia. Some years ago it had only 120 employees, but it has been expanded and now has 408 staff. That shows the competitive advantage that can be delivered by operating a business unit in a regional centre. With modern technology there is no need for these centres to be located in metropolitan areas. I find it curious that cost savings can be involved in centralising these jobs back to Brisbane or Melbourne where it can be difficult to recruit staff and where people seeking a job have so many more employment options. In a regional centre, the workforce tends to stay in a job longer, staff turnover tends to be lower and there tends to be a strong community ethic, which helps to make for a good workplace. There are far greater reasons to locate call centres in a regional area than in a metropolitan area, and the Centrelink call centre is proof positive of that. It has expanded in size, it is doing good work and it has won awards for its productivity. It is the example that should be followed. Rather than Telstra relocating their staff to Brisbane or Melbourne, they should be creating jobs in the regions and expanding their call centre in Grafton. If the claim is that it is too small to achieve an economic critical mass, make it bigger. I do not accept the statement that the workforce in a regional area is not available. If you can find 408 workers in Coffs Harbour to man a Centrelink call centre, you could certainly find a very similar number to man a call centre in Grafton. It is just nonsense.

The biggest piece of nonsense I have heard is something that the member for Page touched on earlier—that is, the statement by Telstra that they are going to provide better service to their customers with fewer staff. I would like to know how that is going to happen. I would welcome Mr Thodey pointing that out to us at the cocktail party tomorrow night. Perhaps he could show us how they are going to produce higher productivity and better service for their customers through fewer staff. It is clearly ridiculous that we should see these jobs go from a regional centre to a major metropolitan area where there are problems with traffic congestion and overcrowding. In regional areas, we have the ability to provide the workplace and we have the land for new developments. We have all that is needed to provide an efficient call centre. It can all be provided in a regional area. But I think there is one thing missing—that is, the will to make it happen.

There is a city-centric notion amongst some corporates. There is talk about Telstra Country Wide servicing the regions, well Telstra should reinvest in the regions—not just in telecommunications but in employment opportunities. Let us not have equity of access to communication services alone; let us have equity of access to employment opportunities. A call centre would clearly be an excellent way for Telstra to demonstrate its commitment to regional and rural Australia—keep it open, make it bigger and create more opportunities, particularly for our young people. Call centres are a great place for a first job for school leavers after an entry-level job. It is a great introduction to corporate Australia. It is a great way to work within guidelines. Young people could benefit from many lessons learnt from employment at a call centre. We should be expanding this centre not making it smaller. I certainly commend the effort of the member for Page and our colleague Steve Cansdell, the state member for Clarence, and the entire Grafton and lower Clarence community for getting behind an important local employer. The rationale that Telstra uses is clearly ridiculous and does not pass muster. There are competitive advantages and we can see them in Coffs Harbour. I commend this motion to the House.

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