Regional support for new visa rules forcing migrants to live in NSW bush towns
NSW country towns have given a cautious welcome to plans to force new migrants to stay long-term in the bush to ease Sydney’s growing population pains but warn: ‘You just can’t plonk people anywhere’.
NSW
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NSW country towns have given a cautious welcome to plans to force new migrants to stay long-term in the bush to ease Sydney’s growing population pains.
But some remain concerned the plan could simply be moving infrastructure, employment and social problems from the city to the bush.
The Daily Telegraph has revealed the federal Home Affairs office is developing new visa rules to stop migrants who promise to live in the bush on arrival to Australia from immediately heading straight to the big cities.
Under current laws, there is no obligation for new arrivals, even on regional visas, to stay in rural areas, and only 7000 of the 190,000 who moved here last year lived outside the capital cities.
According to NSW Government projections, the NSW population will boom by more than 100,000 people a year for the next 20 years, putting pressure on housing supply, congestion and infrastructure
In an online Daily Telegraph poll today, an overwhelmingly majority of readers (84%) agreed new migrants should be forced to live in regional areas.
We also had similar results from polls on Twitter and Facebook.
Should new migrants be forced to live in country towns?
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) May 14, 2018
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.
Narrabri Shire Mayor Catherine Redding agreed decentralization would be a benefit to all of rural NSW but “you need them to want to come here”.
“A lot of our longtime migrant residents are professionals who came here and have ended up making their lives and careers here.
“If you send people to places they don’t want to go you’re causing more problems,” she said.
“All of rural NSW is going through a very dry time and we would prefer to be able to retain our youth than import workers.
“The majority of our youth leave to further their education or career path. It comes down to developing a strategy to retain our youth”.
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Hilltops Council mayor Brian Ingram said the issue “wasn’t as simple as saying we want to disperse these people to relieve the city”.
“All very well and good for next level of government to disperse these people into the community but they need to disperse the funds for infrastructure to take care of those people. We’ve got a diverse community here and we’re open to newcomers.
“In our region there is seasonal work and backpackers take advantage of that.
“The main thing is housing. If we’re to have a number of people move here we need more public housing available.
“It’s a big move for people but we have got a multicultural community to help these people integrate
“We welcome all nationalities and we are a growing area. The thing is finding work, infrastructure and social services.”
Orange city council mayor Reg Kidd described the plan as a “win-win for Sydney and regional NSW”.
“It is a genuine option for the government because if you look at Sydney the congestion, the price of housing and infrastructure of getting around is becoming a tight pinch.
“Any regional town would welcome it but needs substantial input from state and federal governments in helping regional centres generate employment opportunities,” he said.
“With any regional community it is about sustainable development. I think it’s a great lifestyle in rural areas and a great place to raise a family if there is employment.”
But he cautioned:” Someone might come from a country where they’re traumatised and a lot of work with people with a deep understanding of social needs before putting restrictions on people.
“You can’t just plonk people anywhere.
“Take me from a busy city in India and take me out to western NSW, it may not work.”
Broken Hill City Council Mayor Darrlea Turley said: “I think the government has projected it is a bad thing coming to the country.
“If there is any opportunity for people to experience living in regional and rural outback NSW I would be supportive.
“I want to remind the government that living in the country isn’t something you need to force on someone it’s actually a positive experience and maybe some of the politicians in Canberra should try it”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today Australia’s immigration intake is constantly under review and his government alone will determine who comes to the country.
The federal budget has maintained Australia’s permanent immigration intake at 190,000 skilled and family visas a year, despite growing calls to dramatically slash the annual cap.
“What we want to have is not one more person coming to Australia - not one - that we do not want or need,” Mr Turnbull told 3AW Radio on Tuesday.
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