A MAJOR union campaign will be unveiled today to convince decision-makers to build new trains, buses and ferries in the Hunter Valley, rather than import them from China.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union says its ‘‘Build Them Here’’ campaign will highlight the long-term benefits that will come with buying locally.
Union assistant state secretary Tim Ayres said yesterday that more than 2000 Hunter jobs were at stake.
Mr Ayres said the State Government’s transport blueprint called for 160 new train carriages, 1000 buses and 23 ferries.
Building them in the Hunter would create the demand for at least 1000 direct manufacturing jobs and 200 design and management jobs.
On the other hand, failing to build new transport contracts in the region was likely to cost 800 existing jobs, making a total difference of 2000 jobs.
The planned transport contracts were worth $4billion over 10years and the 1200 new jobs would bring in $1.3billion in wages and salaries and generate as many as 3600 flow-on jobs.
‘‘While overseas imports may look cheaper on paper, they won’t take account of the massive job creation opportunities and flow-benefits to NSW – particularly in the Hunter and the Illawarra,’’ Mr Ayres said.
‘‘The Hunter and other regional centres have the local know-how – the capacity, the people, the skills and the supply chain – to get our state’s critical transport infrastructure built,’’ he said.
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