Portland Observer
Wednesday 21/11/2007 Page: 3
A FORMER production manager at the soon to be closed Vestas blade factory in Portland predicts the company may re-open in the city within the next five years. John Herbertson praised the company, saying it was a great employer and had provided the 130 workers in Portland with highly valued skills. He described the recent details from Pacific Hydro that the renewable energy sector was looking at Portland as a possible site for a centre of excellence to train and upgrade the skills of professionals as heartening. "Some of the guys have already left and are being picked up by companies such as Boeing in Melbourne, others are hoping to pick up work at Keppel Prince," he said.
Vestas will close its Portland facility on December 19 - a little more than two years since first opening. It announced the pending closure in late August, citing the investment in keeping the plant open was not worthwhile in the then Australian market. The Federal Government's refusal to increase its Mandatory Renewable Energy Target past two per cent, and changes in wind farm market needs in Australia were given as reasons for closure.
Mr Herbertson said that as an employee he would have hoped Vestas had held off making a decision until after the Federal election result was known. "However, Vestas gave four months notice to its workforce. .. in Melbourne, you are lucky if you get one day with some employers," he said. "It also gave workers two and a half times the minimum it was required to for redundancy packages, plus financial counselling and visits from employment agencies."
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