Western Australia is casting its recruitment net even wider, extending its $10,000 cash relocation offer to tradies from across the ditch.
The scheme expansion, set to take place in January 2025, will allow skilled workers from New Zealand to claim the cash boost as the state government looks for ways to bolster its beleaguered construction workforce.
Part of the Build a Life in WA initiative, the wallet-filling incentive was initially introduced to lure Australia’s eastern states’ tradies out west to help address the state’s ongoing housing crisis.
But with WA needing to build 26,000 new homes annually until the end of the decade to meet demand, the Cook government has now decided to expand the scheme to include the nation’s Kiwi cousins too.
The initiative offers an initial $5,000 payment to eligible workers after securing employment with a WA-based employer, with an additional $5,000 provided after spending six months on the tools.
Premier Roger Cook says Kiwi tradies can play a vital role in helping the state fix its housing problem and build vital infrastructure projects.
“To build more homes, we need the workers, and that’s why we’re expanding our Build a Life in WA incentive—and casting the net across the ditch to New Zealand,” Premier Cook said.
“Whether it’s training locals or encouraging skilled professionals to venture west, my government is doing everything possible to get more boots on the ground so we can get homes built sooner.”
“With our strong economy, secure employment, and great lifestyle, it’s an exciting time to live and work in WA, and we look forward to welcoming tradies and building professionals from all over Australia and New Zealand to the best state.”
A sub-divided response
While the government is heavily backing the scheme, industry experts and tradies themselves remain divided.
As reported by Build-it, the initiative has faced strong criticism for being a short-term fix rather than a sustainable solution to WA’s worker shortages.
Australian Constructors Association (ACA) CEO Jon Davies warned that simply poaching workers from one region or country to another does little to solve the broader labour shortage impacting the nation as a whole.
“Even if the WA government did manage to entice workers with cash incentives, it would simply shift labour shortages from one state to another,” Mr Davies pointed out.
“Such incentives do not add any new skilled workers to the overall Australian economy and only exacerbate inflationary pressures within the industry.”
Davies suggested WA decision-makers would be better off focusing on improving industry productivity by investing in technologies such as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), which could create a long-term fix for an ongoing issue.
“This isn’t about doing more work with fewer workers—it’s about leveraging better processes, technologies, and training to maximise what we can accomplish with the workers we already have,” he said.
Meanwhile, tradies told Build-it they were also unconvinced by the scheme, which they believe overpromises and underdelivers.
Queensland-based electrician Dustin Parker expressed doubts about the financial benefits of moving interstate for $10,000 if that was the primary motivator.
“So you expect me to stop work, uproot my entire life, pay to move everything to WA, and struggle to find a place to live or rent, all for $10,000? I will lose money,” he told Build-it.
The bigger picture
The WA government has defended the scheme, with Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk stating the initiative complements more long-term solutions rather than replacing them.
“Training local workers will always be our priority – and we’re doing that in record numbers – but that takes time, and the work in the building and construction industry is available right now,” McGurk said.
“Our message to building and construction workers from across Australia and New Zealand thinking of moving west is to take the plunge – it’ll be the best move they’ll ever make, with an ongoing pipeline of work for decades to come.”
WA Housing Industry Association boss Michael McGowan echoed those sentiments, noting that expanding the skilled trade base would help meet targets, stabilise costs, and reduce project times.
“The greatest challenge to reaching this target is the volume of builders and our skilled trade base,” McGowan said.
“Dramatically boosting this workforce stabilises cost pressures, reduces construction times, and makes more medium and high-density projects viable to commence construction.”
Eligible building and construction occupations include critical trades such as bricklaying, cabinetmaking, carpentry, electrical, glazing, plumbing, and tiling. For more information or to apply, visit the Build a Life in WA website.
