Omission of agriculture jobs prompts Premier to push for broadening of skilled migration occupations list

Premier Mark McGowan is set to push for a broadening of the occupations listed as eligible for the Federal Government’s permanent migration program. The move comes after positions such as truck drivers and farm machinery operators were missing from WA’s skilled migration occupation list, which was expanded at the weekend. Liberal Agricultural MLC Steve Martin said he was disappointed additions to the list did not address the need for more workers to support WA’s agriculture sector which was under strain. “It will the third harvest without staff and the Government might turn around and say ‘you got off a record crop, what’s the problem?’” he said. “At the WA Farmers conference a few weeks ago the point was made that this is cumulative — those guys are tired. “They’ve been working long hours because those harvests have to come off and those tonnes have to be carted by the same small group of people that have been doing it all.” He said the agriculture sector had been in “constant contact” with the Government, including Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan, over the last two years about its jobs “crisis.” “The Premier has put that out and there are two things which could have happened,” he said. “Either his agriculture minister could have presented him with her priorities and he ignored her, which is terrible, or she didn’t give him a list, which is worse.” A State Government spokesman said the concerns of the industry had been heard with the Premier intending to ask for “a broader range of occupations” to be considered at next week’s National Jobs and Skills summit. He said the positions that can be included to the WA skilled migration list were currently limited to those on the Commonwealth’s occupation list. “This means WA cannot include what the Commonwealth regards as semi-skilled and unskilled occupations, which includes agricultural workers, truck drivers, drillers, train drivers and care sector workers,” he said. “Farm machinery operator, for example, is classified as a semi-skilled occupation, so cannot be part of the Skilled Migration Occupation List.” A Department of Home Affairs spokesman said the occupation that make it on to the skilled migration list “have a sharp labour market focus and are based on advice from the National Skills Commission.” “The occupation lists are for the purpose of identifying occupations in Australia where there is a genuine skills needs and where migration is an appropriate solution,” he said. “Where skilled occupations fall outside standard visa programs, labour agreements or designated area migration agreements may be a suitable alternative. “These provide a flexible, tailored skilled migration arrangement for businesses and sectors with specific needs that sit outside the mainstream skilled migration program.” Regional Development Australia along with the Great Southern Development Commission and the region’s 11 local governments were establishing the level of support for a potential DAMA application. Mr Martin said experienced workers were needed to fulfil the positions supporting the agriculture sector. “It’s a million-dollar bit of gear taking off a multi-million-dollar crop,” he said. “To expect someone with no training to wander out on to a farm and just start driving shows a lack of understanding of the sector. “You also can’t get someone with a HC licence overnight — it takes a year or so if you’re starting from scratch.”