Released on: October 17, 2007, 12:15 am

Press Release Author: Amanda O\'Brien, The Australian

Industry: Internet & Online

Press Release Summary: SOUTH Africans are to be recruited to fill council jobs in
Western Australia as statewide skills shortages sparked by the booming mining sector
threaten to decimate local government services.

Press Release Body: SOUTH Africans are to be recruited to fill council jobs in
Western Australia as statewide skills shortages sparked by the booming mining sector
threaten to decimate local government services.

The move comes on the heels of a new survey showing that difficulties attracting and
retaining staff in the state are having a negative or very negative effect on a
record 71 per cent of businesses.

State Local Government Association president Bill Mitchell said the shortage was so
serious that the prospect of councils having to reduce services was \"a very real
possibility and probability\".

Long delays for planning approvals and engineering work were likely if skilled staff
could not be found.

Mr Mitchell said councils taking part in the South African recruitment drive would
pay success fees of about $4000 for every vacancy filled but considered it well
worth the money.

The association gave a shopping list of 80 jobs to recruiters, who will travel this
week to South Africa hunting for town planners, engineers, accountants and
environmental health officers.

Local government is Western Australia\'s third-biggest employer, with about 14,000
jobs, but Mr Mitchell said more than 10 per cent of jobs were unfilled as the sector
competed with the booming resources industry.

The latest Commonwealth Bank-Chamber of Commerce and Industry business expectations
survey found a record 76 per cent of businesses were worried about labour shortages,
and many reported having to pay higher wages and incentives to keep staff.

Mr Mitchell said many councils were helping to pay HECS debts for new employees as
one of a range of incentives.

In the September quarter, the index of non-wage labour costs surged to its highest
level since the survey began in December 1997, and 38 per cent of respondents said
they expected to raise prices in the next quarter as a result.

West Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist John Nicolaou said
overcoming labour shortages must now be a priority for the state and federal
governments.

\"While shortages are still most pronounced among skilled workers and professionals,
critical shortages have now also been observed among lower-skilled labouring jobs
and junior workers,\" Mr Nicolaou said.

With business expansion and growth set to continue at a rapid pace, he said, labour
shortages would remain a problem for some time. More than 40 per cent of respondents
reported they wanted to hire more staff in the coming quarter.

Western Australia\'s record low unemployment rate of 3.1 per cent is causing problems
for the state Government, which has more than 900 vacancies advertised. Last month
alone, more than 3300 new jobs were created in the state.

Police have been forced to recruit overseas to cope with a shortfall of about 120
officers. The force\'s recent recruitment drive in South Africa attracted about 300
applications, which are now being worked through.

Police Minister John Kobelke said that in the past 18 months more than 270 officers
had been recruited from countries including Britain, Ireland, South Africa,
Singapore, Denmark and The Netherlands.

Mr Mitchell said councils would spend about $200,000 this year promoting local
government as a career that offered a better quality of life for workers than the
resources industry.

\"You can get big money in the mining sector, but you need to weigh up lifestyle with
a job that is two weeks on and two weeks off against what we offer - like flexible
hours, childcare, job-sharing and the like.\"

---
Amanda O\'Brien, The Australian

Visa for Australia and Australia Visa Application made easy! Australian Working Visa
made possible to easily have one! Visit Australia Immigration at
http://www.nationalvisas.com.au

---
http://www.nationalvisas.com.au
http://australiaimmigration.blogspot.com

Web Site: http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/

Contact Details: ADDRESS:

3/118 Church Street Hawthorn, Victoria Australia 3122

PHONE:

+61(0) 3 9697 4922

FAX:

+61 (0) 3 9815 1544

E-MAIL:

seo@nationalvisas.com.au