The Turnbull government is considering a combination of new visa conditions and new ‘incentives’ to encourage migrants to settle in regional and rural areas, according to citizenship minister Alan Tudge.
There are already several visa streams designed to bring skilled foreign workers to the regions – but Home Affairs data unearthed in a recent Senate hearing revealed 10 per cent of those migrants were moving to cities within 18 months.
"That's why we are seriously looking at this question, to see whether or not we can provide further incentives for new arrivals to want to go to some of the smaller states, such as South Australia,” Mr Tudge told the ABC on Sunday night.
“And then perhaps further conditions upon visas to at least require that person to stay there for a few years where they hopefully will make it their home, and before they become a citizen.”
The government says it wants to encourage population growth in regional areas with struggling economies while taking the pressure off Sydney and Melbourne.
"In other parts of the country we have mayors, or indeed state premiers crying out for more people, and they want their populations to grow and they have the jobs to support it,” Mr Tudge said.
The Australian reports the reforms to regional visas could be part of a broader population policy that will soon to cabinet.
SBS News contacted Mr Tudge’s office for comment, but the office would not confirm a broader population policy was in the works.
Earlier in the month, Nationals leader Michael McCormack told ABC News “discussions” about population policy were taking place.
“Particularly in line with the fact that we ticked over 25 million just the other night,” he said.
Business groups like the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have complained that the drop in permanent migration under the Turnbull government will hurt regional employers.
