Ag worker budget action stark contrast to clean energy workforce assembly

Firstly, the government opened a myriad of funding envelopes under its $22.7 billion centrepiece Future Made in Australia policy.

But to meet the policy's lofty ambitions and Labor's green transition targets, it needs more houses, with the migration door being opened for tradies needed to help build those homes, and more workers. Lots of them.

So the budget came with new settings to assemble a skilled industrial workforce basically from scratch.

There will be increased skills training and skilled migration and hundreds of millions will be spent to accelerate the development of the clean energy workforce, including $10,000 incentive payments to help hit a target of 10,000 new energy apprentices.

It also included $55 million to expand support for women training in clean energy, $64m to attract and retain skilled defence workers and $209m for the Net Zero Economy Authority which will be an employment transition and skills authority among a range of other responsibilities.

There was also $178m released for additional employment and skills supports for "regions in transition", including the Energy Industry Jobs Plan and place-based Regional Workforce Transition Plans.

In his Budget night speech, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the world is committed to net-zero by 2050 and "Australian workers can thrive in it".

Conversely, an agriculture industry labouring under a worker shortage for several years, all the while lobbying government to pull policy levers to help, was given just $1.9m in its battle for more feet on the ground.

This includes a two-year agriculture work liaison pilot to attract skilled urban and regional university graduates to work in agriculture, along with a spend on targeted grants to industry-led projects and an extension of funding for existing National Farm Safety Week activities.

National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the axing of the Harvest Trail Services and Harvest Trail Information Service programs, that connect workers with employers in harvesting areas across Australia, was a bitter blow.

The move will save the government $47.3m.

He was also critical that the gap-year program AgCAREERSTART was given a "pitiful" $500,000 over two years, falling short of the $4.4m that conveners wanted to "keep the program's momentum going".

"This program has revolutionised bringing fresh feet into the industry, connecting young people with jobs on farms, as well as helping solve farm workforce shortages," he said.

"It's been one of the few positive improvements amid a slashing of visa programs and degrading of workplace laws that has characterised this Government, and now its future remains uncertain."

Meanwhile, RSM Australia Agribusiness national leader Ross Paterson said it was "disappointing" that the Budget did not include incentives to encourage people to relocate to regional Australia for employment opportunities.

"Labour shortages remain a critical issue for many farmers and regional areas," he said.

"The Treasurer said this Budget would bring jobs of the future to every corner of the country but I question the impact within the regions. Especially when net migration is halving, exacerbating already high labour shortfalls within the agri sector.

"We need to encourage people out of the capital cities and into the regions where the work is."

The workforce crunch could also somewhat be eased with an increase in the permanent Migration Program, including 33,000 places for permanent regional visas.