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WA, Queensland scramble in battle for tradies

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) •
October 30, 2026 • 09:00 AM
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Australia’s shortage of skilled workers hasn’t gone away, but weakness in NSW and Victoria over the next 12 months could give the two resource-rich states a boost.

WA, Queensland scramble in battle for tradies

Cameron Lade heard on a Monday that tradies for collapsed developer Bathla were looking for work. On the Tuesday, the boss of Perth-based Summit Homes put a couple of construction managers on a plane to Sydney. On the Wednesday, they interviewed bricklayers, carpenters and painters, and on Friday gave them contracts.

“It was within a week” that they hired the 12 tradies, said Lade, whose company already employs 100 Filipino skilled workers .

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