The AADA supported the continuance and growth of immigration opportunities in regional Australia. In relation to the Stronger and Sustainable Discussion paper the AADA makes the following recommendations:
- Migration to regional Australia should be encouraged and expanded to support communities and employers in industries with high levels of skills shortages.
- The complexity of migration arrangements should be simplified to encourage employers to participate.
- Migration arrangements should be made more accessible and easily understood by employers who otherwise may be reticent and conservative in their employment practices.
- The number of skilled immigrants should not be restrained or capped.
- Automotive industry work and employment classifications should be retained in the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and recognised as skills in acute shortage in regional Australia.
- The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme should be retained, expanded, and encouraged to be readily accessible to automotive industry employers in regional Australia.
