The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has endorsed the federal government’s decision to prioritise skilled resource workers under its updated migration framework, praising the policy shift as a vital step toward protecting the nation’s economic stability.
The industry peak body commended the refined strategy for matching migration intakes with Australia’s capacity for housing, infrastructure, and core public services.
The policy pivot directly addresses concerns raised by the resource sector in August, following earlier visa processing changes that demoted offshore applicants and threatened to worsen critical talent shortages.
While skilled migrants account for just 1.24 per cent of the total minerals workforce, specialist roles such as engineers, geologists, diesel fitters, and metallurgists remain difficult to recruit domestically in the required volumes and timeframes.
MCA CEO Tania Constable noted that the resource sector serves as Australia’s largest export industry, providing essential revenue for public infrastructure, regional communities, and local supply chains.
“Employing and training Australians will always be the minerals industry’s first priority, but there are critical skills we simply cannot always find here in the numbers or timeframes needed,” Constable said.
“The MCA raised serious concerns in August about changes introduced in July that pushed many skilled applicants outside Australia further down the visa processing queue.”
Constable added that the policy revision demonstrates the federal government has acknowledged industry feedback, though the true test will depend on processing speeds.
“Australia is competing with the rest of the world for these people. If it takes too long to bring them here, they will go somewhere else — and the projects, investment and jobs they support can go with them,” Constable said.
“Every critical vacancy filled sooner can help keep a mine operating, get a new project moving, support Australian businesses in the supply chain and strengthen the regional communities that depend on them.”
