Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has released a suite of changes to the country’s migration laws. The changes include tighter rules on visa holders, outlined in a speech titled ‘The Work of Managing the Migration Program: Who Arrives, Who Stays, Who Leaves’.
The speech outlines a ban on international students bringing their families to Australia. It also sets out crackdowns on visa holders who overstay or move from visa to visa. The measures aim to reduce net overseas migration to 245,000 this financial year, and to 225,000 by 2027–2028.
The plan prioritises workers coming to Australia for key sectors.
Commenting on the speech, Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) CEO Tania Constable says that the council welcomes the government’s decision to prioritise skilled resource workers. She notes the workforce plays a critical role in Australia’s economy.
Migration needs to be managed, the MCA notes, and set at a level that each country can absorb in terms of housing, infrastructure, and essential services.
“At a time when Australia needs more investment, more jobs, and stronger growth, mining continues to do much of the heavy lifting,” Constable writes.
“Mining is Australia’s largest export industry. It supports hundreds of thousands of Australian workers, tens of thousands of businesses, and regional communities across the country. The taxes and royalties generated by mining help governments pay for the schools, hospitals, roads, defence, and other services Australians rely on every day.
“But none of that happens without people.”
While the MCA stresses that employing and training Australians needs to be a top priority. However, it notes that some critical skills cannot always be found locally, and that highly skilled international specialists can help drive growth in Australia’s resource industry.
Constable notes that the industry is competitive, and if Australia is seeking skilled workers, they need to be able to do so in a timely manner. Otherwise, those people will go elsewhere, and “the projects, investment, and jobs they support can go with them”.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Main image: Minerals Council of Australia
