457 visa skills shortage. On 25 September 2017 ADIA wrote, on behalf of its members, to the Honourable Peter Dutton at the Department of Immigration asking for drillers to be reinstated to the 457 visa skills shortage list.
We have also lent our support to the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) and Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) who are campaigning for the same outcome.
Committee representation on CE-015, Standards Australia working group to review AS 1726 – geotechnical site investigations. The revised document was published in 2017. CE-015 is also the mirror committee for ISO/TC 182 geotechnics and is actively involved as Australia’s representative on this international committee.
Lobbied the federal minister responsible for education and training to protect the R11 industry training package. In December 2016, the minister responsible awarded the Skills Service Organisation role to PwC’s Skills for Australia. This was not ADIA’s preferred candidate as we already had a strong working relationship with the previous incumbent. Nevertheless, we will work closely with PwC to ensure the training package remains relevant and is in the best interests of the drilling industry in terms of content and cost.
Helped stop an increase in the WA gold royalty tax rate
Lobbied for the federal government’s Exploration Development Incentive scheme (EDI)