WA needs 40,000 more skilled mining workers

31/10/2007, Thinking Australia:

WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy acting chief executive Reg Howard-Smith yesterday ( 14th Oct 2007 ) predicted that about 40,000 extra workers will be needed on Western Australia mining sites by 2015. Mr Howard-Smith went on to say that “There will be undoubtedly significant demand for overseas people simply because we don’t have local people.”

The chamber’s prediction follows confirmation last week by Federal Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews that mining companies were applying to bring in foreign workers on 457 visas, which last up to four years, to solve WA’s labour shortage.

WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist John Nicolaou said that “Failure to do so (recruit from overseas) will severely compromise the State’s ongoing economic performance and impinge on the ability to deliver major projects on budget and on time,” he said.

Industry groups have also commented that failure to look overseas for workers could damage WA’s booming economy.