The ABC brings word that the CFMEU has noticed there’s nowhere in Canberra for workers to live.
The construction union is calling for hostels to be re-established in Canberra, amid fears a lack of accommodation is making it hard to attract interstate workers.
Hostels were used during major construction booms in the 1950s and 1970s to provide cheap, individual accommodation for single workers and public servants moving to the national capital.
They offered short-term accommodation while workers found a suitable place to live.
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) secretary Dean Hall says the high cost and shortage of rental properties discourages workers from coming to Canberra.
“There’s a huge turnover of those workers because they come down and can’t get accommodation or live in poor accommodation,” he said.
“I really think the Government should be proactive.
It would be good for more than just construction workers.