What Makes a Welcome - strengthening Queensland's regional and rural communities through skilled migration
In 2006-2007 almost 100,000 skilled stream visas have been granted to migrants wanting to enter Australia to work. Given the importance to the economies of many Western nations, Australia is in competition with countries such as Canada for skilled workers to fill widening skill gaps. Queensland is also in competition with other States to attract workers. Becoming skilled at attracting workers as well as providing a welcome and adequate settlement supports improve our competitiveness and the retention of workers already here.
While the economic benefits of skilled migration have been documented through a range of reports by the Productivity Commission, Access Economics and EconTech the social implications for communities, particularly rural and regional communities, have had little attention.
Through the first research of its kind in Australia, this project looked at how host communities are responding and in particular how Councils are providing leadership as the demographics of communities change, sometimes very quickly. The research also looked at the experience for skilled migrants, including permanent and temporary, and their families.
The research found that communities clearly see the benefits of skilled migration and the migrants themselves report high levels of satisfaction with life in rural and regional areas. Whilst this study found employers to be engaged in providing support to their workers it also found that Councils, State Government departments and communities were called upon to provide a wide range of services and engagement opportunities to newly arrived individuals and families. Communities were struggling to provide support including suitable English language tuition; employment for spouses; addressing isolation; assisting with understanding of national, state and local laws; providing housing and household support (including provision of familiar food); and in some instances addressing racism and misunderstandings.
The research was commissioned by LGAQ in early 2007 with funding from the Queensland State Government through Multicultural Affairs Queensland. It was carried out by the Centre for Multicultural & Community Development at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
The study was conducted across five sites – Longreach, Kilcoy, Gladstone, Toowoomba and Charleville – ranging from small to large towns, coastal to remote and with contrasting industrial bases and experience with settling migrants.
The report also documents examples of positive community initiatives, including by Councils.
There was widespread support for better coordination across all spheres of government and those industries bringing in increasing numbers of skilled migrants. Whilst there was not an expectation that Local Government would become a settlement agency the responsibilities of attracting skilled migrants, educating new arrivals on local laws, developing cross-cultural competency in customer service provision and providing leadership on community relations are new to most and creating challenges outside traditional areas of Local Government business.
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