THE potentially bad news for the Bathurst economy is the Simplot manufacturing plant may close if it can’t become a viable operation.
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If that worst-case scenario was to eventuate it would see more than 200 permanent and 50-100 casual jobs lost.
However, that could be a chance for the city to turn it into a positive and leverage on similar opportunities that are opening up for the 1200 workers at Geelong’s Ford plant in the aftermath of the recent announcement it would be closed and operations moved offshore.
These involve retraining initiatives worth millions of dollars promised by the Federal Government.
According to the locally-based Western Research Institute (WRI) chief executive officer Andrew Johnson a similar scenario could also apply to Bathurst.
“Often difficulties with a business make an opportunity for innovation,” he said yesterday. “Given what Simplot has stated in its press release, they are giving serious consideration to how they can improve their operation.
“Things look uncertain, but we will have to see what happens. They are only flagging they might shut and we shouldn’t be too pre-emptive.”
However, Mr Johnson said the Geelong model could work for Simplot.
“If Bathurst could work with Simplot here along those lines, it could turn a negative if the plant closes into a positive,” he said.
In the meantime, a former Simplot employee said the flow-on effects of a possible closure would ripple through the economy.
“It would impact on the workers who lose their jobs for a start,” he said. “Then there’s the blokes who grown the corn locally, and don’t forget the engineering firms and electricians who do work for the company and from there down the line. Eventually it has to impact on spending in the shops. It’s just huge.”