MIGRATION — GOLDFIELDS AND PILBARA
1197. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to conflicting reports in
the Kalgoorlie Miner and the Pilbara News regarding the
designated area migration scheme.
(1) Why does the
government seemingly support the designated area migration scheme in the
goldfields but not in the Pilbara region, despite it being locally supported?
(2) What is the
government's actual position on the designated area migration scheme
considering there are varying public reports of Labor member support for the
scheme?
(3) Does the minister support local
jobs or the designated area migration scheme?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
(1)–(2) I
would certainly have appreciated some notice of that question so that I could
actually determine what the member is talking about. However, I can say that we
are actively pursuing encouraging refugees and migrants to move into regional
areas. No doubt the member is referring in part to the pilot project that,
along with my good friend Hon Kyle McGinn, we have set up in Kalgoorlie,
whereby safe haven visa holders and bridging visa holders are encouraged to
take up positions in Kalgoorlie. Just as recently as Sunday, at a forum in Swan
Hills, we were approached by a group of leaders from South Sudan who were
saying that they were extremely interested in their community becoming involved
in this program and, indeed, working with our agencies to ensure that many of
these migrants, many of whom are from rural areas, are resettled in regional Western
Australia.