Leader of The Nationals WA Shane Love MLA says while migration into Australia needs to be better managed, today’s changes to the Federal Labor Government’s skilled migration priorities risk making it harder for regional Western Australian businesses to fill critical workforce shortages, and will further cripple regional businesses.
Under the changes announced today, regional migration will no longer receive priority processing, with applicants already in Australia to be prioritised over skilled workers applying from overseas.
Mr Love said the Federal Government should not solve that challenge at the expense of regional communities already struggling to attract workers, and questioned the way in which it was done – the Home Affairs Minister ‘quietly’ issuing a ministerial direction late last month.
“There is no doubt migration levels need to be carefully managed, and Australians expect governments to have a system that is fair, sustainable and in the national interest,” Mr Love said.
“But regional Western Australia is not facing the same challenges as our major cities. Removing priority processing for regional migration ignores the reality that many regional employers continue to struggle to fill essential roles.”
Mr Love said employers across regional Western Australia already faced significant challenges recruiting mechanics, aged care workers, hospitality staff, health professionals, tradespeople and other skilled workers.
“For many regional businesses, overseas migration isn’t the first option – it’s the last option after they’ve exhausted every opportunity to recruit locally,” he said.
“These businesses already navigate a costly and complex migration process. Making it harder to bring skilled workers to regional Australia will leave more vacancies unfilled and place even greater pressure on businesses already doing it tough.
“For regional Western Australia, this comes on top of recent changes to the State’s DAMA framework, reducing the migration pathways specifically designed to address local workforce shortages.
“Combined with the Federal Government’s decision to scrap priority processing for regional visas, it’s a double blow for regional businesses already struggling to find workers and keep their doors open.”
Mr Love said the Federal Government could continue reducing overall migration while prioritising regional WA.
“Regional Western Australia drives our economy through agriculture, mining, tourism and regional industries and those industries need access to workers if they are to continue supporting jobs, exports and economic growth.
“I urge the Federal Government to reconsider the decision to remove regional migration as a priority and ensure regional businesses are not left behind in the pursuit of lower migration numbers.”