❓ Mr. Catania raises concerns about worker accommodation shortages in regional WA. The Premier acknowledges the issue, highlights tourism success, and points to existing training and housing initiatives, suggesting private sector and local government involvement for short-term solutions.
AnsweredQoN 534Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WORKER ACCOMMODATION —
REGIONS
534. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
I refer to the critical shortage of
skilled and unskilled workers in regional WA, which has been further
exacerbated by the shortage of regional
accommodation for workers. Will the state government commit to developing a short-term solution to provide worker accommodation in regional locations of high demand,
including Exmouth, Coral Bay, Denham, being Shark Bay, and Kalbarri?
REGIONS
534. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
I refer to the critical shortage of
skilled and unskilled workers in regional WA, which has been further
exacerbated by the shortage of regional
accommodation for workers. Will the state government commit to developing a short-term solution to provide worker accommodation in regional locations of high demand,
including Exmouth, Coral Bay, Denham, being Shark Bay, and Kalbarri?
AnswerView source ↗
As Mr Speaker knows, we have gone to
enormous efforts to keep businesses prosperous and going well through regional Western
Australia over the COVID periods. We have gone through enormous efforts.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The shadow
Treasurer—I mean, honestly, he is so irrelevant.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the third time. I have given you a lot of
latitude. That is it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : If I try to
say anything, he interrupts. No wonder he has been demoted.
Mr Speaker, we have gone to enormous
efforts to ensure that our tourism industry is strong. I must say, all the
reports I have got back over the recent months from the locations the member is
referring to are that tourism has been going extraordinarily well, in Exmouth,
Kalbarri, Denham, Shark Bay—all those locations. Indeed, I was in
Broome the other day; it is going extraordinarily well. I think that a lot of Western
Australians are holidaying at home who perhaps have not holidayed at home,
potentially, in decades. A strange and unusual reaction to COVID has been many Western Australians holidaying at
home. At one level, it is great for regional tourism businesses that this has occurred. I understand that they have had difficulties securing
labour, and that is why we have instituted huge training initiatives, and we
have instituted or we are instituting a major campaign to get Western Australians
to holiday in regional WA. I cannot magic out of thin air new houses—I
do not think anyone in government can—but, what we have done, of
course, is the major program to get more housing built. That has been a huge
success—a massive take-up of new house building, and I expect, over
time, that will help to resolve the issue. But, overnight, creating a new house
is not easy.
I would encourage the private sector, if there are
opportunities for moving transportable accommodation or using caravan park
sites or using those sorts of locations, including local government, which
actually controls those areas, to do so, and that may well assist in dealing
with the issues of accommodation.
enormous efforts to keep businesses prosperous and going well through regional Western
Australia over the COVID periods. We have gone through enormous efforts.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The shadow
Treasurer—I mean, honestly, he is so irrelevant.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the third time. I have given you a lot of
latitude. That is it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : If I try to
say anything, he interrupts. No wonder he has been demoted.
Mr Speaker, we have gone to enormous
efforts to ensure that our tourism industry is strong. I must say, all the
reports I have got back over the recent months from the locations the member is
referring to are that tourism has been going extraordinarily well, in Exmouth,
Kalbarri, Denham, Shark Bay—all those locations. Indeed, I was in
Broome the other day; it is going extraordinarily well. I think that a lot of Western
Australians are holidaying at home who perhaps have not holidayed at home,
potentially, in decades. A strange and unusual reaction to COVID has been many Western Australians holidaying at
home. At one level, it is great for regional tourism businesses that this has occurred. I understand that they have had difficulties securing
labour, and that is why we have instituted huge training initiatives, and we
have instituted or we are instituting a major campaign to get Western Australians
to holiday in regional WA. I cannot magic out of thin air new houses—I
do not think anyone in government can—but, what we have done, of
course, is the major program to get more housing built. That has been a huge
success—a massive take-up of new house building, and I expect, over
time, that will help to resolve the issue. But, overnight, creating a new house
is not easy.
I would encourage the private sector, if there are
opportunities for moving transportable accommodation or using caravan park
sites or using those sorts of locations, including local government, which
actually controls those areas, to do so, and that may well assist in dealing
with the issues of accommodation.
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