160,000 Australians Eligible to Work Interstate Under New JobPass Scheme

The federal government has announced the expanded JobPass scheme, which will is expected to reduce regulations for licensed and registered workers who wish to apply for interstate jobs.

The scheme is designed to address impediments to labour mobility across the state. It would allow licensed tradies in one jurisdiction to be immediately considered ‘registered’ interstate in an equivalent occupation, without delays, additional fees or paperwork.

The Cabinet estimated that the plan would boost the economy by $2.4 billion over 10 years, helping over 168,000 people take up jobs in another jurisdiction each year, including occupations in construction, mining, real estate, automotive, security and manufacturing sectors. But tradies are recommended to contact the relevant regulator in the state or territory they intend to move to for more information.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in 2020 that the scheme will “create jobs, increase output, competition and innovation, and result in lower prices for consumers and businesses.”

From July 1, more businesses and workers will be featured in JobPass as more work licences and registrations become part of the scheme.

It is considered part of the Morrison government’s drive for red tape reduction for businesses as the nation enters the post-pandemic recovery phase and the border starts to open up.

New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory have signed up for the plan. Western Australia is on track to join by the middle of the year.

Ben Morton, the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, said in 2020 that deregulation is about “the ease of doing business” and “getting rid of unnecessary, disproportionate, and inefficiently implemented regulation.”

The West Australian MP said the Morrison government has adopted a practical approach to solving problems, where regulation “must be fit for purpose and lightest touch.”

The wider scheme also entail changes to Australian consumer law so that trusted overseas product safety standards are used alongside domestic laws, accelerating approvals and cutting costs.

The Deregulation Taskforce moved to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in 2020, so it is co-located with and tightly integrated to the rest of the whole-of-government deregulatory machinery.