Australia’s current visa regime is starving the design and construction industries of engineering talent, severely impeding future infrastructure development and adding to the high costs of business in Australia, reports the engineering journal Sourceable.

A leading industry body, Consult Australia, has warned that the country’s current visa regime could hamper infrastructure development by depriving employers of much needed engineering talent.

Consult Australia says changes to outdated visa regulations are urgently needed given the critical role that skilled migration plays in supplying the country with qualified engineers.

“Robust skilled migration programs are essential to the health of engineering-based companies and the Australian economy as a whole,” said Megan Motto, CEO Consult Australia.

Speaking to the industry journal, Sourceable, Ms Motto noted that in addition to “the high cost of doing business” in Australia, there is a “chronic workforce supply issues” arising from the cyclical nature of employment demand as one of the most besetting  problems affecting the country’s infrastructure design sector.

Consult Australia is the peak industry body for consulting firms operating in the built and natural environment, with member companies including AECOM, Opus International Consultants, Parsons Brinckerhoff, and WorleyParsons.

The journal reports that Motto has called in particular for the government to make amendments to the 457 visa program, which she says singles out the employers of engineers for unfair treatment.

“Recently introduced Labour Market Testing (LMT) requirements that specifically target employers of engineers – but no other professionals – add administrative burdens to an industry that is already struggling” Motto said. “The 457 visa was intended as a means for filling positions that are in high demand and hard to fill – yet recent reforms have made doing that exponentially harder.”