The Minerals Council of Australia has urged the Federal Government to suspend changes that deprioritise offshore skilled migration applicants and to consult industry first.

Council chief executive Tania Constable said the changes would make it harder for mining and other sectors to innovate, lift productivity and support the wider economy.

“Australian mining was built on migration during the Western Australian and Victorian gold rushes, and skilled migrants play crucial roles in today’s mining success by filling urgent workforce gaps and supporting long-term growth,” Ms Constable said.

Skilled migrants make up just 1.24 per cent of the Australian minerals workforce.

The industry provides more than 290,000 direct jobs and supports about 1.25 million direct and indirect jobs nationally.

Projections indicate up to 35,400 more jobs by 2028.

Local employment

Ms Constable said employing Australians would always be the industry’s first priority, but faster access to skilled migrants was essential.

“Employing Australians will always be the first priority of the minerals industry,” she said.

She said the pressure was sharpest in critical, hard-to-fill specialised roles.

It extended beyond mining to construction, clean energy, defence, advanced manufacturing, AI and cybersecurity, she said.

“Australian mining cannot find enough people to fill critical roles including mining, geotechnical and processing engineers, metallurgists, geologists, electricians, mine surveyors, diesel fitters and drillers,” Ms Constable said.

Demand for specialised skills was already growing faster than migration pathways could adapt, Ms Constable said.

Industry was frustrated by slow updates, credential barriers and settlement constraints, she said.

She said the crunch threatened the industry’s ability to meet global demand for critical minerals and bulk commodities such as iron ore and coal.

Ms Constable said the Government should put the changes on hold and adopt practical measures instead.

These included restoring responsiveness by aligning migration intake with verified industry needs and cutting processing delays to remove structural barriers, she said.

She also called for ‘frictionless, accelerated permanent residency routes for skills tied to national priorities, including critical minerals, clean energy and net zero targets’.

“Without faster access to skilled migrants, labour shortages especially in critical and hard to fill specialised roles would put project timelines, export earnings, and the broader national economy at risk,” Ms Constable said.