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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1197 asked in the Legislative Council on 22 November 2018 by Hon Jacqui Boydell

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

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.