Recent figures from the building and construction survey, carried out by Master Builders Australia, have confirmed that the construction industry is on the rise. The survey revealed some very favourable results for builders, stating that the hiring intentions of contractors has risen to the highest it has been since the global recession.

It’s not surprising that Australia is one of the most popular destinations for expats to relocate to, with glorious weather, breath-taking scenery and a fantastically rich culture. As the population continues to grow at quite a speed, the need for more housing and commercial properties will also rise. There are only so many builders to go around in Australia, so it’s inevitable that help from qualified non-Australian nations will be required at some stage.

What does this mean for expats?

Overall, things certainly look encouraging for expat construction workers seeking a new opportunity in Australia. The government has set about issuing reforms to the 457 visa regulations in order to lessen the impact of skills shortages and the growing requirements for trained construction workers.

The process of hiring eligible 457 visa applicants should become much simpler for builders and contractors in regional and remote areas, creating a mutually-beneficial relationship for both employers and expats alike. The reforms are also designed to open up new opportunities for young Australians in a developing industry.

The government has also called for greater funding towards the training of younger Australian construction workers and the upskilling of regional workers, which will enable businesses in regional areas to gain a more experienced workforce in the long term.

Wilhelm Harnisch, the CEO of Master Builders Australia, recently said: “Based on analysis of the Independent Review of the Integrity of the 457 Subclass Program, the proposed reforms of the 457 visa system will greatly assist regional builders and boost economic growth and jobs in regional Australia.”

Growing Projects

Australia has an array of exciting construction projects set to take place over the next few years, spanning across all areas of the building industry and the country.

One of the biggest projects in the pipeline is the Melbourne Metro network, which will involve building a nine kilometre railway tunnel within Melbourne, and connecting the Sunbury and Dandenong railway route. The new network has been proposed to compensate for the ever-growing population, as it is expected that trains will become too overcrowded in the next few years.

Construction of the new network will create hundreds of construction jobs, as the project involves laying twin tracks, which will run from the Sunbury corridor to South Kensington, according to RailwayTechnology.com. There will also be the construction of twin-tube bored tunnels up to Domain and new underground stations will need to be created at North Melbourne, Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domani stations.

Fiona Mayers is with True Blue Migration in Australia.