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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-04-30 Daily Xml
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Skilled Migration Program

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:47): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I had a good day on Saturday afternoon, too, along with the Murphys. My question is to the Deputy Premier. What is the government doing to stop much-needed skilled migrants from moving interstate so they can obtain permanent residency? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: My office has been contacted by a local builder in Naracoorte, who has employed two young Indian men who are qualified carpenters. These men are now being told that, due to the state's reduction in visa nomination allocations, they have to move to Western Australia to seek permanent status. This will negatively impact the builder, who is struggling to find skilled workers during a housing shortage.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy) (14:47): I thank the member for his question and note that that's at least the second in perhaps more questions that have been asked recently about migration for the regions, very accurately representing the concerns that people have across South Australia, in the city as well, but across the regions in getting enough skilled labour to get the work done that's available if only we can get the people.

In this particular case, though, having listened carefully to what the member has represented, I am concerned that the two gentlemen may have been given wrong advice. We understand that there has been some poor advice given by migration agents in at least the last year that has been guiding people in the wrong direction. So while I will give some detailed answer, I suggest that they urgently get in touch with the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science, which is responsible for South Australia's part of migration to see exactly what their circumstances are.

If I can just explain a little bit, of course there was a big cut in the number of skilled visas that were allocated to each of the states recently but, unlike Western Australia, South Australia still has some capacity in its allocation. Western Australia is closed, it's exhausted, so that advice on the face of it must be inaccurate and unhelpful for them.

The skilled migration visas that are currently open for South Australia are prioritising people who are in urgent circumstances. Skilled migrants who might be getting close to the age cut-off or whose visas may be coming to an end will get priority. If that fits the circumstances of those two gentlemen, then they would be encouraged to apply quickly in order to become considered through the South Australian program. There is of course also the Regional Workforce DAMA, which has just had in the last month carpenters added to it as an occupation, which means that the employer might choose to seek a visa to keep those two gentlemen employed with him.

So there are opportunities that appear to be available to the two gentlemen and to the employer. I am concerned, as I say, that they may have been given inaccurate, misleading advice. Perhaps it wasn't even advice from a migration agent; perhaps it was casual advice that they heard it's better there than here. The important thing is for them to get to the people who are running the migration program so they can get the appropriate advice.

For the purposes of answering the question for this chamber, I would seek to reassure people that, despite the cut in the amount of skilled migration visas available, we are doing everything we can to target them towards the highest and best use of those, including being able to keep people who are already here, already working in areas that have a serious shortage, which, as the member points out, is not only problematic for the individual business and for the people working there but how do we get the houses built if we don't have enough people working to build them?

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