Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Good morning. Today I am happily representing the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia, which is currently conducting an inquiry into the use of fly-in fly-out—FIFO—and drive-in drive-out—DIDO—workforce practices in regional Australia. It has come at the behest of a number of communities throughout Australia and from members in this parliament. The member for Capricornia, for example, who is in the House at the moment, has been interested in this workforce practice for some time and was instrumental in having it referred to the regional Australia committee.

We are inviting—indeed welcoming—responses from throughout Australia about the various aspects of fly-in fly-out and drive-in drive out workforce practices. In the main, people normally associate it with mining, but it affects many other rural and regional areas of Australia as well. The committee has adopted the following terms of reference, which I would like to share with the House, in order to give a framework for people to respond:

The Standing Committee on Regional Australia will inquire into and report on the use of ‘fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and ‘drive-in, drive-out’ (DIDO) workforce practices in regional Australia, with specific reference to:

The concept of fly-in fly-out, drive-in drive-out—indeed, float-in float-out, literally, by those who arrive at work sites by boat—is a phenomenon which began in the late 1940s in the offshore oil sector in the Gulf of Mexico. As the offshore oil industry—the gas industry et cetera—developed, so FIFO expanded with it. Indeed, figures I have recently seen estimate that, for instance, in the late 1980s, with the developments in the North Sea, something like 60,000 workers were working in the North Sea as FIFOs. That of course has now developed throughout the world, particularly in the resources sector and more so in Australia. The idea of establishing a mine and then a town around the mine—and I use as an example the west coast of Tasmania, which is part of my electorate—and the town becoming a mining town meant there was a robust community of long-term economic development and a very close association between that community, the workforce and the mine. In many cases that is now breaking down.

So, we wish to discover, if this is a fact of life, what strategies exist, what strategies can exist to make that a better association and behaviour, and what are some of the detriments and strategies we can use to combat these. These are just some of the issues we will be looking at in the inquiry.

Barry Haase (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to make a statement about the inquiry of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia into the use of fly-in fly-out and drive-in drive-out workforce practices in regional Australia. The committee adopted this inquiry on 23 August 2011 after the matter was referred to the committee by the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government. There has been significant public and media interest in the inquiry. Many regional members in this chamber will be familiar with work practices commonly known as FIFO, where workers are flown to a work site—most commonly a mine—for a shift lasting up to several weeks and are then flown home for a break of some days or weeks. The practice has been in place in Western Australia for many years, it is rapidly expanding in Queensland, and it is being introduced as DIDO—drive-in drive-out—across New South Wales.

While this is not a new practice, it has expanded in recent years with such rapidity that it is time that the community, industry and government gained a better understanding of the impact of the practice. It is for this reason that the Standing Committee on Regional Australia sought to have this inquiry. The committee is hoping to gain a thorough understanding of the extent of FIFO/DIDO work practices and the impacts they have on both the towns that host these mobile workforces and the 'home base' towns that see many of their residents coming and going for long work shifts. We want to understand what the costs and benefits are for individuals, families and companies that choose a FIFO/DIDO work practice over developing a resident workforce as well as what impacts the practice has on communities.

The committee has a blank sheet of paper. It has no predetermined idea of what the outcomes of this inquiry will be; however, we do know that we are looking for ideas to strengthen regional Australia and for long-term strategies for economic diversification in those towns that host large FIFO/DIDO workforces. The committee also wants to find out more about skilling: what skills are targeted for FIFO/DIDO employment and how individuals access further training and development. Is there a skills drain being felt in some areas as people take up FIFO/DIDO employment, and what can be done about this? The deputy chair of the committee, the member for Braddon, reports that Tasmanian workers are being tempted by FIFO jobs in South Australia, leaving his electorate looking for skilled tradespeople. Clearly, this is an issue that needs a 'big picture' examination.

The terms of reference for this committee are wide ranging. Already we have heard concerns about air safety, health funding, taxation, family and relationship breakdown and the loneliness of the FIFO bachelor. The cost of housing, antisocial behaviour and how to optimise the FIFO/DIDO experience for families are also on the committee's agenda. In my electorate of Durack, 51 per cent of the mining workforce are already working on a fly-in fly-out or drive-in drive-out basis, and this is of great concern. It turns out to be almost a love-hate relationship. The practice suits some incredibly well and it does not suit others. The drain of skills out of rural communities to FIFO and DIDO workforces is causing major problems in some areas and yet, for those who are developing resources in Western Australia, often the only way is to deploy a FIFO workforce.

I would encourage members of this place to get involved in this inquiry. The committee can, of course, have supplementary members appointed; however, I would ask those members whose electorates are impacted in any way by FIFO or DIDO work practices to let their constituents know about this inquiry and encourage people to make a submission. The committee secretariat has some resources that members can distribute, post on their websites or distribute with newsletters. Submissions close on 7 October and after that the committee will be deciding on a public hearing schedule. We have already been invited to travel widely through Western Australia and Queensland and the committee will also focus its attention on other areas of the country where the practice is having an impact.

I sincerely hope that we hear from as many people as possible who are impacted by FIFO/DIDO work practices in order to inform the committee and also future governments about how this practice can be used to strengthen regional Australia.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time for statements has expired. I wish the committee well in its endeavours.