According to the Regional Australia Institute’s 2022 Population Statement, a boost in overseas immigration is necessary to expand regional Australia’s population, after the government released its statement last Friday. In addition, a renewed recommendation to establish a national population plan was included in the government’s recently submitted migrant review.
An RAI analysis of 2021 Census data found that overseas born migrants are not opposed to living outside of metropolitan areas if they have the information and support to do so.
According to Census data, 70% of the 254 local government areas that saw an increase in both Australian and overseas born residents between 2016 and 2021 Census periods, were in regional areas.
The data also reveals that migrants are helping to buffer the population decline in some regional communities.
In a submission to the Department of Home Affairs’ review of migration systems, RAI emphasised the importance of providing greater support to migrants to settle in regional Australia to attract and keep overseas populations.
Between 2016 and 2021, 103 LGAs experienced a decline in their Australian population and an increase in their overseas population.
The Regionalisation 2032 Ambition, developed over ten years of research, was to set a set of 20 targets across five domains – Population, Jobs & Skills, Liveability, Productivity & Innovation, and Sustainability & Resilience.
Regional Australia aims to boost the percentage of overseas migrants living here to 40 percent.
