Plan would force immigrants to live in country towns, smaller capitals such as Adelaide to boost population

IMMIGRANTS would be forced to stay long-term in country towns to ease the growing pains in overcrowded centres on the eastern seaboard, under a policy that could also make small capitals such as Adelaide a top destination.

IMMIGRANTS would be forced to stay long-term in country towns to ease the growing pains in overcrowded centres on the eastern seaboard, under a policy that could also make small capitals such as Adelaide a top destination.

The Advertiser can reveal the Home Affairs Department is developing new visa rules after concerns just a tiny fraction of the people moving to Australia were residing in regional areas.

But there are calls for any new scheme to include smaller capital cities such as Adelaide as a destination for migrants to help boost population growth.

Latest figures show of the about 190,000 migrants who moved here last year, only 7000 were on visas that made them live in the country.

There is nothing to stop these people — who are on “regional” specific visas — from immediately heading to a metropolitan area.

“We’re looking at what policies can help ... bind people in a positive way to a regional area for a duration of a visa so that they get a better chance to integrate into and become a part of the fabric of a community as opposed to it being a holding place,” Home Affairs immigration policy director David Wilden said.

“One of the complaints we often get from sponsors is that ... having signed a commitment, they’re not actually bound under law to stay in a regional area.”

Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge said the “many migrants” who don’t “stay long in the region once they have their permanent visa” had become a major issue.

“Many migrants are sponsored for permanent residence on the basis of an intent to live and work in regional Australia but don’t stay long in the region once they have their permanent visa,” he said.

Mr Tudge said he was working with his colleagues in Parliament on this issue, which also impacted labour shortages in regional areas.

Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick said immigration intake should be determined on regional basis using a three-tier scale.

He said places such as regional SA, where annual population growth was under 10,000 people, should have the highest immigration rates.

Adelaide, regional NSW and regional Queensland and other areas where the population growth was between 10,000 and 50,000 would be next.

Cities such as Sydney and Melbourne where annual growth exceeded 50,000 people should have the lowest intake.

“Such a system could provide crucial assistance to regional areas and at the same time help to relieve the congestion and crowding of bigger cities, like Melbourne and Sydney are experiencing,” Senator Patrick said.

SA Property Council executive director Daniel Gannon said South Australia should embrace population growth, even if that meant taking on the mantle of a “regional” area.

“Greater Melbourne grows by more people in a 28-day period than South Australia does in a whole year,” he said.

“We need to focus on growing our population.”