WA skilled migration: 10,000 new workers approved in new deal between Federal and State governments

WA has scored a massive victory against Canberra after the Albanese Government folded and agreed to allow 10,000 overseas skilled workers to come west to help address crippling labour shortages in key areas. In a stunning about-face, Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has buckled to repeated requests from the Cook Government to increase the number of places available under a Commonwealth migration program that had slashed numbers from 8140 places in 2022-23 to just 2350 in the 2023-2024 financial year. Earlier this year, a frustrated Roger Cook said calls for more allocations on the State Nominated Migration Program had fallen on deaf ears with the Premier revealing he had written to the Prime Minister pleading WA’s case for more overseas skilled workers. The breakthrough came earlier this week when the State and Federal Governments agreed on a new deal which will see 5000 skilled migration places available under the State Migration Program and another 5000 places under a newly established WA Designated Migration Agreement. This initiative will allow approved businesses in regional and metropolitan areas to sponsor workers from overseas when standard temporary or permanent visa programs are not available. WA’s SOS for overseas skilled workers will target occupations in the State’s beleaguered building industry such as electricians, plasterers, carpenters and joiners, plumbers, wall and floor tilers, glaziers and bricklayers. The period will be for the financial year starting on Monday, July 1. Cardiologists, clinical psychologists, dentists, midwives, occupational therapists, registered nurses, sonographers, speech pathologists and surgeons are among the other occupations that qualify. “Western Australia is the economic powerhouse of Australia and that makes our State an attractive place to live, work and play,” Mr Cook said. “We are committed to continuing to create quality local jobs for local people, but to keep our economy strong and build homes we need to bring in skilled workers. “My Government is particularly focused on boosting our construction workforce to speed up delivery of homes, and this agreement with the Commonwealth sends a signal to overseas markets that Western Australia is open for business.” Mr Giles said the new agreement “works to get the balance right between bringing migration back to sustainable levels and addressing labour shortfalls in key areas like healthcare and construction”. “Our Government is committed to working with our counterparts to rebuild a migration system that works for all Australians, which recognises the unique skills needs and opportunities of WA,” Mr Giles said. “These changes sit alongside the Government’s efforts to bring migration back down to normal levels.” The WA Government is desperate to get more skilled workers into the State, particularly in the building industry which is struggling to keep up with demands of a growing population which is set to hit three million by the end of this year. There were just 2409 properties available for rent in Perth at the end of May, with the average rent now at $650 a week, while new figures show there are now 20,284 applications for government housing in WA. Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief economist Aaron Morey said the Federal Government needed “to heed” requests from WA for more skilled migration places. WA Training and Workforce Development minister Simone McGurk — who has been lobbying the Commonwealth for more skilled worker places — said securing places for 10,000 skilled workers would help WA “fill the many positions that can’t be filled locally”. “Our Government has worked incredibly hard over the last 12 months to press our case that our State often runs counter-cyclical to the rest of the country and cuts to the State Nominated Migration Program were detrimental to our economy,” Ms McGurk said.