Page 8 - Climate Control News June 2021
P. 8

                  News
 Expansion of water treatment services
 HYDROCHEM HAS ACQUIRED Cairns-based water treatment company, Maxwells H20 Services. The Queensland business specialises in com- mercial and industrial water treatment through- out far North Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Company co-owners, Chris Harris and Keith Robinson, are well known in the region for their wealth of experience in the resources and heavy
industrial sectors.
The acquisition is a strategic investment on the part of HydroChem as they continue to ex- pand their regional footprint.
The Maxwells H20 Services deal follows the purchase of leading Tasmanian service provider DM Chemicals in 2018.
HydroChem strategic director, Nick Duncan, said the company has had a reasonable foothold in far North Queensland for a number of years.
LEFT: Maxwells H20 Services brand is set to stay.
“We are a fiercely independent, Australian fami- ly-owned business. We understand the value of long-standing relationships and place great empha- sis on delivering exceptional service,” Duncan said.
“It is safe to say when we entered into our ini- tial discussion with Keith and Chris, what set HydroChem apart from other suitors was that water treatment is our business, not our sideline.
“In joining HydroChem, Maxwells customers will benefit greatly from a widely respected and nationally established Australian owned water treatment company.”
Maxwell H20 Services retiring owner Keith Robinson said Maxwells customers can look for- ward to a wider range of services, more advanced in-house technical support, higher levels of qual- ity assurance, greater back up support and long term certainty.
Chris Harris has signalled his intention to stay on and assist HydroChem’s expansion in far North Queensland.
The Maxwells H20 Services brand is set to stay. HydroChem has already announced its in- tention to retain the much respected and recog- nisable company name and livery in the region.
"Queenslanders identify with and trust the Maxwells name in water treatment circles, we see no reason to change that,” Duncan said.
  Calls to overhaul skilled migration program
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT must over- haul the skilled migration program to prevent Australia from losing its engineering capability.
In its submission to the Joint Standing Com- mittee on Migration Inquiry, Engineers Austral- ia warned the current system is not working.
Engineers Australia CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans said Australia is desperate for skilled migra- tion to fill the gap between the demand for en- gineers and what universities and the local market can supply.
She said overseas-born engineers experi- ence higher unemployment (7.6 per cent) than their Australian-born peers (3.7 per cent), and only 40.9 per cent end up working in an engi- neering role.
The submission said attempts to use the skilled migration program to boost employ- ment and productivity in regional Australia are also failing.
“Certain visa classes require the holder to re- main in a regional location for two to four
years, yet most engineering roles are situated in metropolitan areas,” she said.
Submission recommendations include refin- ing the program to make it more specific to at- tract the right people.
Also, to examine the barriers to full and meaningful employment of skilled migrants including more research commissioned by the government.
Evans said the migration skills list needs to be revised including a review of the points based system.
The recommendations are supported by a
RIGHT: CEDA CEO, Melinda Cilento said nearly a quarter of permanent migrants in Australia are working in a job beneath their skill level.
FAR RIGHT: Engineers Australia CEO, Dr Bronwyn Evans, said the current system is not working.
recent report from the Committee for Econom- ic Development in Australia (CEDA) which found Australia is underutilising the skills of permanent migrants.
The report found nearly a quarter of perma- nent migrants in Australia are working in a job beneath their skill level.
CEDA CEO, Melinda Cilento, said recalibrat- ing the system to improve skilled migration outcomes is all the more important coming out of the COVID-19 recession, as employers can- not find workers with the skills they need due to closed international borders. ✺
  CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
 8
 
































































   6   7   8   9   10