Peel gets special treatment under Liberal's local jobs promise

Western Australia's opposition leader Liza Harvey has pledged that within 100 days of coming to office, she will rewrite the McGowan government's WA Jobs Act, which preferences local suppliers but stretches the definition to include those from the eastern states and even New Zealand.

Under the proposed $50 million local jobs guarantee, suppliers will only be defined as local if they are within 125 kilometres of a project.

But in the Peel, contracts would be awarded within the Peel region, and then within the state only if no suitable tenderer is found.

Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup said the policy would be "quite a game changer for Mandurah and the Peel region."

"...especially given our historic unemployment rate and litany of government contracts that have gone to Perth-based and international suppliers instead of Mandurah and Peel companies," he said.

He referred to the Peel Business Park irrigation and landscape works, which were awarded to internationally owned company, Total Eden and to Mandurah school maintenance contracts awarded to Bunbury and Perth businesses.

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The Mandurah Train Station contract was also awarded to a Perth company but no Peel company tendered for it.

Mandurah MP David Templeman referred the Mandurah Mail to a McGowan government spokesperson who said the Liberal announcement "would not make a shred of difference".

"It does not create a local jobs guarantee as claimed. It only gives a preference," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said under the announcement, businesses in regional WA would not be considered for work on projects in Perth as "it effectively locks regional businesses out of winning contracts for big infrastructure projects planned for the city".

Under the Liberal's plan, businesses will be given preferential treatment on all state government contracts through a local benefits test, and contracts will only be awarded interstate or internationally when specific services are unavailable.

It is Ms Harvey's first major promise ahead of the election next March.

"The COVID crisis has hurt struggling households and small businesses," Ms Harvey said on Monday.

"The world has changed and our economy has been impacted and only the Liberals will put local jobs first."

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Government agencies will also be forced to reveal in their annual reports why they chose interstate or overseas suppliers for any contracts.

The plan will be overseen by a local jobs commissioner who will report directly to the Premier.

Ms Harvey outlined almost $9 million worth of contracts had recently gone to eastern states companies, describing the existing local jobs act as a "terrible policy".

But the Labor government hit back saying it had done more than any other government in history when it comes to creating jobs for locals on state government contracts.

"In 2018, we passed the Jobs Act, which ensures local companies and local workers are prioritised on state government infrastructure projects and services," the Labor spokesperson said.

"We established the WA Industry Link online portal to help WA businesses to tender for government contracts. Local content advisors are now employed throughout regional WA to help local businesses to take advantage of government contracts in their region."

The Labor spokesperson also said the WA Jobs Act had ensured thousands of jobs went to local WA businesses that would have otherwise gone east.

"The WA Jobs Act has supported more than 22,300 local WA jobs including more than 1,400 apprenticeships and traineeships," the Labor spokesperson said.

"More than 220 participation plans have been submitted with the overwhelming majority of projects having 100 per centWest Australian content."

The McGowan government estimated local workers had filled almost 13,000 jobs in the first year of the legislation.

Recent opinion polls have shown high levels of approval for Premier Mark McGowan and his government, who came to power in 2017 with a landslide victory.

The premier on Monday visited the state's far north, announcing the selection of lead contractor Georgiou Group for Broome's Chinatown stage two revitalisation project.

The contractor is targeting 70 per cent local content with work expected to commence in November.

"This is all about jobs for the Kimberley...making it even more attractive for West Australian tourists to holiday here and spend their money in Western Australia," Mr McGowan said.