Australia to increase migration to rural areas

Australia will increase immigration and introduce other reforms to help relieve skilled labour shortages in country areas partly caused by the mining boom, the government said yesterday.

The government will increase permanent migration visas from 180,000 in 2010 to 185,000 in 2011-12 after several years of cutting back on numbers, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said.

A scheme announced in the national budget also aims to deliver some 16,000 skilled foreigners to regional areas in 2011-12, filling vacancies which employers cannot fill from the local labour force.

“For the first time, the federal government will specifically allocate permanent visas for regional areas,” Mr Bowen said.

“The patchwork nature of the Australian labour market means it’s important to recognise unique local circumstances and tailor migration solutions accordingly.”

Under the reforms, the government will also develop a new model for selecting skilled migrants to come into effect on July 1, 2012.

“It is critical that Australia’s skilled migration program is driven by Australia’s skills needs, rather than the desires of the prospective migrants,” Mr Bowen said.

Australian industry has warned it faces a massive skills shortage as the country’s resource boom expands, driven by strong Asian, and particularly Chinese, demand.

A report by Skills Australia, which advises the government on workforce requirements, last week estimated the country will need 2.4 million more skilled workers within four years.