I heard a sad story today. It shows the global economic crisis is really beginning to have an impact on Australian life.
There has been a lot of bad news lately. BHP Billiton’s decision to close the Ravensthorpe nickel mine, a few months after opening the $2 billion project which employed 1800 people, was one of many such announcements.
Just over a year ago we drove through Ravensthorpe … a sleepy farming town that grew thanks to the mine.
We hear news like that, but don’t really think of the human impact, apart from the immediate job losses.
The Australian today reported on a small business operator at Hopetoun, on the coast near Ravensthorpe, who borrowed money to buy machinery for a landscape gardening business.
He was establishing gardens for the 120 homes that BHP Billiton was building for its workers. He’s had to lay off staff and he may need to close down.
That’s not my sad story though.
Twelve months ago the buzz phrase was “skills shortage”, especially in Western Australia. In fact, there was a general labor shortage.
Of course, now that some 5000 jobs have been lost in WA alone over the past few weeks, there is neither a skills shortage or labor shortage.
When skills were in demand, employers increasingly looked overseas, especially to South Africa for mining jobs.
I recruited a South African journalist to the Kalgoorlie Miner on a 457 visa and I work with one now at The Border Watch.
She told me today about a South African family who were migrating to Australia on a 457 visa.
The breadwinner was told this week that his new job no longer exists and the employer can no longer sponsor him.
That family had sold their house and their car. They have one-way airline tickets for Australia, departing next week.
Their furniture is already in a container on its way to Australia.
Under the terms of their visa they have 28 days to find a new sponsor, or they must return to South Africa.
I imagine they will ask for an extension to find employment, given their circumstances, and I hope the Immigration Department agrees.
It must be shattering to them. A new life was planned. Significant, irreversible decisions were made. And now their lives have been turned upside down.
Michael thanks for your article. There are a large number of 457 visa holders affected by the Ravensthorpe nickel mine closure, all with similar stories to your South African family, they come from the Philippines, Indonesia and many other south-east Asian countries.
Some were employed for only months or even weeks before the mine shut down. They have their families with them and desperately want another chance to make a go of it in this country.
The experience has cost them dearly financially and emotionally. Now, 11 days after the closure, NOTHING has been done by ANYONE (BHP, government etc) to offer them advise on what to do. They are depressed and hurt and very frightened.
Surely the federal department of immigration that governs this scheme must have a strategy in place for people in this appalling situation. I have been trying to find out but have met with blank ‘no comments’.
This is heartbreaking for the 457′s and the older Hopetoun population that has taken them to our hearts and now must see them suffer confusion and dismay at BHP’s betrayal.
If this type of behaviour is possible with 457′s then maybe the wholwe system needs to be urgently reviewed.
On their behalf I am writing to government agencies, immigration agents and support groups, but i am just one man (a retired social worker/journalist). Thank you for telling their story. If we cannot help them then at least we must stop this ever happening again.
Regards Peter O’Brien, Hopetoun (08) 9838 3271.
Twitter: mgorey
says:
Peter, thanks for your comment.
The more I think about this the more I believe we need to help these people.
A 457 visa is effectively a ticket to Australian citizenship. I don’t imagine that many holders return to their home countries.
The government should help find jobs and grant citizenship, in my opinion.
And the 457 program should be suspended pending a review.