Well that's where I digress. Rather than importing skilled labour or technical know-how, I'm for growing it at home. We can't all be cafe waiters.IQS.RLOW wrote: Allowing entry to those that have demonstrably proven they are a drain on society such as labors boat people are much much worse that any controlled immigration program where we can choose the skills needed to advance our society.
Immigration is raising the cost of living through unreasonable competition for housing, which is impacted by the mining boom. People who've rented houses for years are being turfed out so landlords can double the rent and fill their premises up with miners.
I can cite numerous instances, but here's a very recent one >
A mate from Sydney who's been a communications linesman for yonks ran out of work in northern NSW, so sold his acreage at Yamba. Lived in his oldies garage come granny flat while working in Sydney. Did well from the sale of his block, so went around OZ.
Decided he needed a new career, so was forking out to pay for training driving cement trucks (crash gear boxes take some getting used to) as he intended buying a cement truck in Brisbane with 4 years left out of a 10 year contract for $160K. Needed a place he could keep a dog, so wound up paying $350 a week for an old weatherboard flea ridden dump in north Brisbane, surrounded by Murris/Aboriginals. Tried sneaking his gun safe in, but his next door neighbor was rubber necking, and then announcing to one and all "He's got guns, he's got guns".
Paranoid he'd be burgled for his guns, he hired a storage unit and removed everything but a bed and fridge from the house. Now he's stuck with a 6 months lease on a place he doesn't want anymore and with no income, can't really afford either. Thinking he's over committed with the cement truck, as he has to invest all he's got and then rely on it for an income, he wants to pull out.
He's gone north to have a look at alternate options, and is talking of going to Gladstone. I said "Well there's plenty of industry and a port, so might be a good place to look, but rents are high 'coz miners haven't got enough housing near their work sites".
Couple of days ago he rang, said he's getting $140 a day for mowing lawns, has free accommodation with a mate and has been offered a caretakers position on a tree farm. I told him he's probably best to go with that just for the free rent. Turns out I'm probably spot on. Yesterday the local news said Bundy is being filled up with miners who can't find accommodation in Gladstone.
Probably the best thing he's got going for him is a unit he owns at Nelson Bay rented out to holiday stayers which he wants to sell to buy land on the coast about 100lm north of here (Bundy).
So if the cashed up are having trouble finding places to stay, what's it like for the battlers?
And who are they going to blame?
