West Australian Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier has warned of massive labour shortages in Perth if the federal government continues to ignore their calls for skilled migrant status.
West Australian Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier has warned of massive labour shortages in Perth if the federal government continues to ignore their calls for skilled migrant status.
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan announced in the budget on Tuesday that skilled migrant intakes under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) would be increased to 16,000.
Although Mr Collier welcomed the announcement, he said none of the 16,000 would be headed for Perth as the government had ignored their calls for the metropolitan area to gain RSMS status.
He said the development and expansion of the WA's north and mid-west was draining workers from Perth's labour market, and the shortages would worsen if the problem wasn't addressed.
"You have a very serious crowding out effect," Mr Collier told AAP.
"You have development in the resources sector but in the metropolitan areas and the southwest in the areas of hospitality, tourism, aged care and disability services, they suffer terribly.
"That's why Perth needs to have that (RSMS) status."
Mr Collier met with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen in Canberra in March, where he said the minister was quite supportive about granting Perth RSMS status.
However he was disappointed the issue was ignored in the federal budget.
"I hope they see the error or their ways, and understand our labour needs in WA are quite unique and we do need workers in the north and mid-west," Mr Collier said.
"But that has a corresponding, negative impact in terms of putting labour shortage pressures on the metropolitan areas."
According to the WA Department of Training and Workforce Development, the state could face a skills shortage of 150,000 by 2017.
While figures by the state's Chamber of Commerce and Industry suggest WA could experience a shortage of about 210,000 workers by 2010.
Mr Collier said the labour shortages could not only impact the construction of major projects in Perth but also create problems across a range of sectors.
"You ask the disability sector, you ask the aged-care sector, the hospitality sector what do they think of the resources growth and they'll roll their eyes," he said.
