Government’s tradie bonus scheme lures hundreds from eastern states and dozens from New Zealand

Hundreds of eastern states tradies and dozens of Kiwis have seized on $10,000 sweeteners to move to WA, it can be revealed. The State Government opened applications for qualified building and construction workers on the first day of the new year in a bid to ramp up housing supply. Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk — who is locked in a fierce battle with an independent to hold onto her seat of Fremantle — revealed there were 268 applications in the first 49 days of the scheme. Of these, 205 are from other states or territories, largely New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and 63 are from New Zealand. Fifty-five have been approved, 180 are still being assessed and 33 were knocked back for being ineligible. There are 58 eligible occupations, with foreign applicants required to meet visa conditions. “It’s encouraging to see such a positive response to our Build a Life in WA incentive, which will help to get more boots on the ground so we can get homes built sooner for West Australians,” Ms McGurk said. “Since the scheme opened in January, we’ve seen the most interest from carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, and construction project managers.” The program provides a $5,000 payment for when a skilled worker gets a job with a WA employer and then another $5000 when they complete six months employment in the State’s building industry. As housing shaped up as a major election issue, WA Labor released a series of programs to boost housing and rental stock. In addition to the tradie incentive, the Government also offered grants to turn vacant homes and short stay rentals, such as Airbnbs, onto the long-term rental market. There have been 473 properties added to the long-term market from the short-term scheme and another 199 added under the vacant property scheme. Perth’s rental vacancy rate hit 2 per cent at the start of 2025 after dropping to a suffocating 0.7 per cent a year earlier. A balanced market typically has a vacancy rate between 2.5 and 3.5 per cent.