'There are more jobs than people': RDA says housing key to solving worker shortage

Megan Dixon, from Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana, said it's not only the healthcare and education sectors that have been impacted by worker shortages, but every industry is dealing with it.

"It's a really, really complex labour market situation that we're in at the moment. In the five years that I've been working on this issue for RDA Orana, I've seen every sector impacted by this and it hasn't changed. If anything it's got worse," she said.

"When we first started working on it we were in drought so the farm sector was supporting other sectors. At the moment every industry is turned on and that means every sector is feeling the pressure of the labour shortages that are right across Australia."

One of the biggest factors contributing to the issue here - Ms Dixon says - is a lack of suitable housing for young professionals.

"The main issue is there are more jobs than people. Our population growth hasn't been fast enough and that's been exacerbated by the issue of housing," she said.

In their 2018 Skills Report Position Paper, RDA Orana identified a shortage of housing as one of the key factors holding regional communities back in terms of economic growth. They recommended the government work with councils, the social sector and housing providers to "accelerate" the provision of affordable housing across the Orana region.

Speaking to the Daily Liberal, representatives of the teachers' paramedics' unions spoke of how an insufficient housing stock made it difficult to attract much-needed workers to the region.

Asked what some of the factors were making it hard to recruit teachers for schools in Dubbo, NSW Teachers' Federation Dubbo Organiser Tim Danaher said "housing is an issue": "there's a lack of available teacher housing and in some areas there is no private housing and the teacher housing is full."

Gilgandra Paramedic Scott Beaton agreed, saying a lack of housing for workers in regional and remote areas is a contributing factor to shortages in the healthcare sector.

"We have some serious issues with attracting paramedics, particularly to places like Collarenabri and Walgett, where there just isn't any accommodation. I think it's high time the government started thinking about building units as housing for nurses, paramedics and teachers," he said.

"In a lot of cases where they actually have that it's already full."

Ms Dixon said diversifying the types of housing available in the area - alongside more open-minded employment policies and more visas for workers destined for regional areas - would be one key to attracting more young professionals to Dubbo and the Central West.

"Housing mix has been an issue since I moved to Dubbo 15 years ago - there's been a very small shift but there's not nearly been enough in terms of catering to those different parts of the market," she said.

"When apartments do go on the market they're in very high demand. Not everyone wants a four-bedroom two-bathroom home with a garden to mow."

While finding suitable accommodation in Dubbo can pose a challenge for people moving in, Ms Dixon said there is a lot which does make the area attractive to workers.

"I moved to Dubbo from Coffs Harbour and people would ask me what is it I like about the place, and there's something that certainly appealed to me in terms of the way it's developed. The Western Plains Cultural Centre is just amazing and even venues like The Establishment, the product offerings are starting to change," she said.

"It's also in a great location and it's affordable. But more importantly the community is really friendly, in terms of how welcoming it is."

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