AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Australian immigration to bring in 15,000 construction workers

Tuesday, 4 March 2008

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is looking into a solution to ease Australia's current housing shortage, which includes taking care of the country's other shortage: construction labour.

Mr Rudd told Channel Seven this morning that importing 15,000 building workers was a possibility.

"What we'll do, and the Immigration Minister is looking at this right now, is use that increase in the skilled migration quota to look at the specific needs of the construction industry," Rudd said.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is calling for a specialist temporary visa program to address the country's critical shortage of construction workers.

Managing Director of the HIA, Ron Silberberg, says this shortage of construction workers is hindering Australia's ability to build new houses.

He says that up to 15,000 skilled workers are needed, and that many could come from the United States, where he says the building industry is collapsing.

"We've increased the possibility of bringing folk in," Rudd stated. "We know there's pressure in the construction industry for housing and obviously there is an availability in supply of various parts of the world - like the US."

Tradespeople from other countries, such as from Europe, will also be considered, as long as they have skills that would be readily transferable to Australia's residential building industry.

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