Canberra 17 July 2014. The Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has today issued a Legislative Instrument restoring certainty to the offshore oil and gas industry operating in Australian waters.


The oil and gas industry currently has $200 billion of major projects either under construction or in operation – furthermore, there is potentially a further $200 billion of investment in the pipeline.  At the behest of the Maritime Union of Australia, last night Labor Senators knowingly placed thousands of Australian jobs at risk.


The effect of the Legislative Instrument is as follows:


*       For offshore resources activities involving an Australian resources installation, fixed to the Australian sea bed – such as a traditional oil rig – a non-citizen will be required to hold an appropriate work visa, such a subclass 457 visa.  A Maritime Crew Visa is only valid for work as the crew of a ship.

*       For other offshore resources activity, it would not come within the migration zone and as such there will be no visa requirement.


The Legislative Instrument effectively restores the situation that existed prior to 29 June 2014 – which was in place for the entire duration of the former Labor Governments.


“The support of the Greens Disallowance Motion resulted in a situation where a person who is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident was in breach of their temporary visa conditions if they participated in or supported an offshore resources activity,” Minister Cash said.


“Labor Senators capitulated to the ideological demands of the most militant union in Australia in a move that plunged our domestic oil and gas industry into an avoidable state of uncertainty.”


“The Coalition Government understands the importance of this industry and the jobs it creates for Australians and therefore we have moved swiftly to rectify the state of uncertainty deliberately created by the Disallowance Motion.”
Source

Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash. Senator for Western Australia