Police and Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia will lead a delegation of key industry figures aiming to recruit British and Irish professionals to help fill almost 31,000 vacancies across multiple professions throughout the State.

Central to their efforts will be selling what they say are the "the huge lifestyle advantages on offer in Western Australia compared to Britain and Ireland – higher wages, lower cost of living, an array of housing choices and around 3,200 hours of sunshine per year".

Once the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries comes into force this year, it will provide a simplified pathway for UK citizens to work in Australia, with mutual recognition of qualifications for skilled workers and much greater benefits for the working holiday maker visa.

The delegation will hold skills events and attend job fairs in four major cities – London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Dublin – in an attempt to spread their message across the UK and Ireland.

Minister Papalia said: “We are here to steal your workers by offering them a better life in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Western Australia is a fantastic place to live and work.

“Our wages are higher and our cost of living is lower. Our health system is world class. You will be taken care of.

“Most of Perth’s population lives a short drive from the beach, where parking is free. There are no tolls on our roads. We don’t have anything close to what would be considered a traffic jam by UK standards.

“Many of our ancestors were sent from the UK to Australia as convicts. Now, it would be a crime not to make the move.”

More information about the campaign can be found here.