A COMPREHENSIVE plan to address issues being faced by migrants and visa holders is needed, according to Swan Hill Council.
The council made a written submission into the federal Review of Regional Migration Settings Supporting Strong and Sustainable Regions, which sought views on how to improve regional migration settings.
It proposes objectives for regional migration, suggests opportunities where regional migration could work better and outlines questions on which the Federal Government is seeking feedback from stakeholders.
“Council believes that it is extremely important that there is comprehensive plan in place to address the issues currently being faced by migrants and visa holders,” Mayor Stuart King and chief executive Scott Barber co-signed in the submission last month.
“Importantly it is imperative the Federal Government develops and implements strategies to overcome historical problems … to prosper as a result of in part our migration programs.
“There is a need to ensure that the right level of support is provided for migrants and visa holders when they immerse themselves within regional communities and that the local community also is supported with access to services to ensure that the outcomes for all are positive.”
The council said “complexities” around the various visa categories and the time taken to process applications needed to be addressed, as it now took an extended period of time, which added to the anxiety of people involved in the system.
“Council acknowledges that there are other pressures that the Federal Government must consider in the migration discussion, such as housing shortfalls, however there is a need for an ongoing migration system that ensures that the opportunities in regional locations are fully explored due to the availability of a workforce supplemented by migration.”
The council said the municipality was located in a pivotal area when accessing Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, but the distances from those capital cities made it a challenge when attracting migrants to resettle in the region.
“It is estimated that at the height of the seasonal work, there are as many 6000 temporary workers within the region, and this figure is likely to grow with the continued expansion of the traditional industries, value adding associated with agriculture and horticulture together with the emergence of new industries on both sides of the Murray River, in particular mining.
“It is likely that the region will require upwards of 25,000 temporary migrants or workers to meet the growing demand and this will occur quickly.”
The council said the municipality was also in desperate need of skilled and semi-skilled migrant workers in a variety of industries ranging through medical, manufacturing, building and hospitality, with the local economy and business being impacted by an inability to attract workers to the region on an ongoing basis.
“Council acts as a skilled migration certifying agent and works very closely with service providers who are supporting migrants and temporary workers arriving in our municipality, is actively involved in the PALM scheme and has been considering the establishment of a Designated Area Migration Agreement with neighbouring councils on both sides of the Murray River.
“Council has worked to support cultural diversity through events such as Harmony Day, placing migrant groups in need of meeting facilities in council-owned buildings and working to ensure that social inclusion is a high priority within its strategic documents and direction.”
The council said working in partnership together with service providers by developing relevant programs and processes should lead to a greater uptake of migration visas and the strengthening of the use of seasonal workers.
“There are obvious challenges in getting the right systems in place and there are issues confronting migrants and seasonal workers that need to be addressed prior to their arrival and the support needs to continue once people have been introduced to new communities,” the council said.
For a copy of the council’s high-level submission, email senior journalist Peter Bannan at pbannan@theguardian.com.au
