Labor shortages, infrastructure and climate change are three key topics the state business lobby group is urging the Premier Colin Barnett to raise at tomorrow's Council of Australian Governments meeting.
Labor shortages, infrastructure and climate change are three key topics the state business lobby group is urging the Premier Colin Barnett to raise at tomorrow's Council of Australian Governments meeting.
Below is the full announcement:
The State's peak business organisation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, is calling on the Premier Colin Barnett to advocate strongly for WA's interests at his first meeting with Commonwealth and State leaders in Perth tomorrow.
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting provides Mr Barnett his first opportunity to raise the issues of importance to Western Australia on the national stage.
CCI looks to Mr Barnett to show leadership to address a number of challenges which are putting business investment and economic growth at risk, and which could prevent the State realising its full potential.
Western Australia's powerhouse economy is driving investment, growth and prosperity across the nation. CCI believes it is in the national interest for the challenges faced by the State to be given priority at a national level.
CCI has identified three key issues that need to be addressed as part of COAG's national reform agenda. They are:
- Labour shortages - This is the most significant challenge facing WA business today. It is important that the federal government appreciates the magnitude of the problem, and works with the WA government and business to increase WA's population, and employment participation, to meet labour demands. CCI has forecast that the WA economy will need an extra 400,000 workers in the next 10 years, but there will be a shortfall of 150,000 workers based on current population growth rates.
- Infrastructure - WA's economic expansion has strained the State's infrastructure. The COAG meeting being held in Perth provides an opportunity to ensure policy makers from across the nation are aware of the need for greater infrastructure investment in Western Australia. Major projects benefit not just WA, but create wealth for Australia as a whole.
- Climate Change - The federal government's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is one of the most significant challenges faced by Western Australian business and industry for decades. The highly trade exposed and emissions intensive nature of WA's economy must be respected, and the international competitiveness of our world class industries must not be compromised.
Premier Barnett has an early opportunity to convince his state and federal counterparts that supporting greater investment in Western Australia is in the national interest.
