Since the introduction of the WA Government’s WA Jobs Act in October 2018, about 2,700 local jobs and 134 local apprenticeships have been created across seven government projects.
A further 400 local construction jobs are expected to be created on the future Reid Highway duplication project, another one of the Government’s pilot projects.
WA Premier Mark McGowan and WA Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman visited the New Museum site, to meet some of the locally employed workers and apprentices.
Stage 2 of the New Museum, one of nine of the WA Government’s Industry Pilot Projects, currently employs 358 WA-based workers and 32 WA-based apprentices.
About 82 per cent of content being used on Stage 2 of the museum build is produced locally in Western Australia, including 1,600 tonnes of fabricated steel, meaning about $131 million worth of contracts have been awarded to local businesses.
The WA Jobs Act sets out the Government’s commitment to ensure the $27 billion spent annually on WA Government procurement, maximises opportunities for local businesses and creates more jobs for Western Australians.
Under the strategy, prospective suppliers of government contracts are now required to submit participation plans as part of their tender. The participation plans will require prospective suppliers to outline their commitments to engage local industry.
Once a contract has been awarded, the approved participation plan will then be incorporated into the contracts of successful suppliers to ensure they deliver on their commitments to local industry. Successful bidders will also be required to report on the fulfilment of their plans.
The participation plan requirement now applies to all State Government agencies, Government Trading Entities and all forms of procurement.
Eight pilot projects have been established with the tender for the ninth project, METRONET railcars procurement, still to be awarded.
Source: WA Government