WA

In September 2011, the Perth metropolitan area was reclassified as a ‘regional area’ for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), a scheme that allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.

This change potentially enables Western Australian employers to significantly increase staff retention, with the RSMS requiring employees to remain with their employer for a period of two years from the date the RSMS permanent residency visa is granted.

The start of a new year often means job seekers are at their most active – keen for fresh challenges and a potential new job.  As you embark on your job search, here are a few less obvious tips for you to think about.  It’s often the smaller details we overlook, yet can determine our job search success.

Australia’s gas production – for domestic and export markets – continues to increase every year.  But petroleum liquids production is still failing.  In 2000-01 Australia produced 272.4 million barrels (MMbbl) of petroleum liquids.  By 2010-11 this had fallen to 183.7MMbbl.  This ongoing decline is dramatically increasing the nation’s trade deficit.

A $260m contract to develop the breakwater and materials offloading facility (MOF) of Chevron’s Wheatstone Project has been awarded to a joint venture between Thiess and Belgian company BESIX SA (BEST JV). 

The contract is expected to generate 300 new jobs when work starts on site later this year.  The majority of the work will be based in Onslow with at least 80% of the work under the contract taking place in Australia.

Contrary to the norm, my journey started well before I actually worked for a miner. I left high school in 1989 not knowing what I wanted to do. Mining didn’t even rate a mention in those days as it wasn’t the media focus it is now. University wasn’t an option for me as I’d had enough of studying. Besides, I don’t think my TE score would have got me into any university! I eventually joined the Navy after nothing else took my fancy.

This scholarship allows the winner to spend a week of work experience with Atlas Copco in Australia, followed by two weeks with Atlas Copco in Sweden. It is open to all student members of The AusIMM who are in their penultimate or final year of a recognised minerals-related course. For one week with Atlas Copco in Australia, the winner of the scholarship will gain some practical experience using Atlas Copco's mining equipment and will also understand how Atlas Copco works with the Australian mining industry.

Jody Elliott, Director of The Resource Channel speaks to ABC Radio's Babs McHugh about the increasing challenge of securing new resource sector workers as other countries ramp up their own operations and projects, demanding some 250,000 new entrants.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rural/resource/201201/r882802_8761919.mp3

Named after the classical Greek word for fish, the Ichthys Project is expected to produce 12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas and 527 million barrels of high value condensate over its 40-year life.

INPEX and joint venture partner Total achieved the Final Investment Decision (FID) for this US$34 billion project on the 13th of January 2012. INPEX Chairman Naoki Kuroda made the announcement in Darwin.

Santos has approved the development of its $490 million Fletcher Finucane project off the northwest coast of Western Australia.

The Finucane South-1A discovery underpinning the project was made in May 2011 and is located approximately seven kilometres to the south of the Fletcher oil field and 16 kilometres east of the Mutineer-Exeter floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility. 

The approval comes only six months after the oil field was discovered.