AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Western Australia lures migrants with job huge offers.

Friday, 15 August 2008

Australia's West is now Australia's well paid West, and is selling itself to Kiwis to fill a chronic shortage of workers.

The Small business development corporation launched of its "Go West Now" campaign in Auckland this week. It offered truck drivers more than $NZ127,000 a year and prison guards twice their salaries. It also offers a better wage, lower taxes and additional benefits to those seeking to relocate.

Openings in Western Australia have long been in the mining sector and are now in plenty with vacancies numbering 27,000 in a range of sectors. Forecasts indicate that a range of sectors including booming mines will require an estimated 50,000 workers by 2020.

According to corporation spokeswoman Di Graham "the campaign had already canvassed Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and New Zealand is a good potential source of workers who do not require a long immigration process".

"The wage of a truck driver could be as high as A$100,000 (NZ$127,000) or more, and engineers, welders, boilermakers and trained tradespeople are also in strong demand. We don't want to put a gloss on anything, but the money is definitely there if you're a hard worker," Ms Graham said.

Western Australian residents seem to be leaving horticultural and hospitality industries in order to join the mining industry. The main reason for this is maily the better pay rates available in the mining industry.

According to another spokeswoman for Western Australia, Jacky Finlayson, most professions could earn more.

Chefs could earn as much as A$95,000; a concierge A$48,000 and a first class housekeeper around A$58,000.

"By the time they take into account our tax rates and a 9 per cent superannuation contribution from employers, they are taking home a lot more than they would [in New Zealand]."said Ms Finlayson

New Zealanders have been critical that the campaign has been pilfering more talent than Australia has naturally but Ms Finlayson said Western Australia was competing with Sydney and Brisbane for Australia-bound kiwi workers.

"Most Kiwis don't even think of Western Australia. Thirty thousand go to Australia every year and 75 per cent of them settle on the east coast."

New Zealand Statistics show migration to Australia for the year to June 2008 was the highest in 19 years, with 31,900 people migrating to Australia.

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