Ripper push for skilled migrants

State-specific and regional migration to Western Australia has more than doubled since 2003-04, according to data released by DIMA last month.

During the 2005-06 period, 2401 visas under the category of state-specific and regional migration were allocated for migrants to WA, compared with 968 two years ago.

Despite the increase, WA continues to lag behind its eastern states counterparts, with South Australia’s allocation of visas reaching 8182, nearly four times that of WA’s, with Victoria and Queensland also ahead.

The state government believes the allocation system is unfairly biased and may account for some of the difference between states, as Perth is not classified as a regional area under the Skilled Independent Regional visa requirements.

Treasurer Eric Ripper flagged this issue recently with the Federal Government in a letter to Senator Amanda Vanstone, the Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Minister.

Among several points raised, Mr Ripper highlighted the historical bias towards the eastern states as preferred locations for migrants to settle, and the need to target skilled migrants at the trade and sub-trade level.

“Given that a large portion of Western Australia’s workforce is based in Perth and services the regions by fly-in fly-out operations, exempting Perth from regional employer sponsorship, while allowing cities such as Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin, puts Western Australia at an unfair disadvantage,” Mr Ripper wrote.

Senator Vanstone has downplayed the existence of any structural biases in the visa scheme, arguing that the state government has failed to co-operate with the federal government on this issue.

Last week, in an effort to improve interstate migration rates of skilled workers to WA, the state government launched a $1.2 million campaign, titled ‘Go West Now’.

The campaign, consisting of outdoor billboard and radio advertising in NSW and Victoria, as well as national print and online advertising, will promote the job opportunities and lifestyle benefits to be had in WA.  

Meanwhile, the WA skills shortage is forcing the hand of federal government policy in other areas, with mechanical and electrical engineers added recently to the national Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL).

The effect of the changes will be to assist individuals seeking General Skilled Migration in these fields, by providing 15 to 20 extra selection points for applicants.

Engineers Australia WA director Janice Lake welcomed the recent additions.

“For a long time, we have been saying there are not enough engineers and we aren’t training enough engineers” she said.

“More immigration in the short term is one solution.”

Occupations making the MODL, compiled using data from labour market research and analysis by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, are those in national demand, with relatively low unemployment rates and good employment growth.

From this year, the MODL will be reviewed every six months, to keep pace with increasing and changing demand.

There has been a 1.9 per cent increase in WA’s population over the past year (to March 31 2006), which is the largest percentage increase for 16 years, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Net overseas migration of 21,000 people was the major component of population growth, while Queensland recorded the greatest interstate migration (26,800), followed by WA (2,600).