South Australian regions wanting to grow their populations, and fill local workplace shortages through migration, will now have access to a step-by-step toolkit on regional settlement.
Speaking at Regional Australia Institute’s Regions Rising event today, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone officially launched the migrant toolkit – Steps to Settlement Success.
“Steps to Settlement Success will help regions to work through the intricacies of welcoming a migrant population, and has the potential to underpin regional settlement success,” said Minister Whetstone.
“This toolkit directly complements the work that the Marshall Liberal Government has undertaken to support migration and remove some of the barriers that will enable migrants to make regional South Australia home.”
The South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement is designed to meet the skill and labour needs in regional South Australia’s most significant industries, including agriculture and horticulture, tourism and hospitality, healthcare and social services, mining and construction.
“Combined, these industries are the most valuable and fastest growing, with the strongest labour demands of all industries operating in our regions,” said Minister Whetstone.
“Migration is essential to South Australia reaching its population growth ambitions – our state has the greatest share of its population growth coming from net overseas migration compared to other states and territories.
“We have already secured an increase in our skilled migration places from the Commonwealth Government for 2019-2020. The Australian experience shows that, eventually, the decision of migrants to remain in regional areas ultimately depends on whether communities are welcoming and ready to embrace newcomers.
“The toolkit will be invaluable in helping our regional communities not only to attract, but to retain migrants who will not only become a part of our skilled workforce, but also valuable, productive and integrated members of our regional communities.
“Our regions are willing and ready to embrace migrants as part of their population growth ambition. South Australia’s Regional Workforce Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) offers regions a new pathway to address current labour market shortages. The DAMA are a tool to unlock investment, grow productivity and sustainably build South Australia’s population.”
The seven-point toolkit launched today was developed by Regional Australia Institute and Emmanuel Musoni, a Rwandan refugee raised in a refugee camp in Uganda.
The Steps to Settlement Success Migrant Toolkit is now available on the Regional Australia Institute website, www.regionalaustralia.org.au
