Tradies Shortage Solved After Government Discovers Mob In Wadeye Been Building Without Funding For Forty Years

WADEYE – The federal government has announced a national emergency over a shortage of 115,000 tradies sparking confusion in Aboriginal communities where mob have been building plumbing and electrical-ing without qualifications materials or funding for decades.

According to Master Builders Australia the housing shortfall is now projected at 380,000 dwellings by 2030 prompting calls for “urgent action” – a phrase remote communities have heard at every Closing the Gap announcement since 2008.

“Every dollar spent on construction generates $2.50 across the economy,” said one industry executive while neglecting to mention every dollar promised to remote Indigenous housing generates approximately 30 cents worth of bathroom that was already there.

The government has launched several initiatives including free TAFE $10,000 apprentice incentives and an “Advanced Entry Trades Training” program designed to give experienced workers without qualifications “the recognition they deserve.”

“Deadly” said one Wadeye resident currently re-roofing his cousin’s house with corrugated iron salvaged from the previous re-roofing. “Where do we sign up? We been Advanced Entry Trades Training each other since the housing list opened in 1973.”

Industry analysts have suggested Australia look to Sweden’s prefab model where 85 per cent of homes are factory-built. Aboriginal community housing officers said this was nice and all but they’d settle for a single screw delivered to a remote community within the same financial year.

The Minister has announced a working group will examine the issue. The working group will report back after a study tour to Sweden a discovery phase a stakeholder consultation and another working group.