The country town that wants more migrants
Candidates in the Farrer by-election are calling for cuts to migration. But local employers say they need more foreign workers to help grow the economy.
There’s a sign on the roadside as drivers enter the NSW country town of Leeton, about 550 kilometres west of Sydney. Its message: “Leeton welcomes refugees, migrants and new settlers”.
Leeton mayor George Weston says there is a simple reason for that. “We need more workers here. We try to grow our own workers, but they often leave to go to the city. All the businesses around want more overseas workers”.
It’s a pattern being repeated in rural communities across the nation.
Australia is suffering from a genuine shortage of workers. Jobs and Skills Australia, the federal agency that tracks labour shortages, identifies health, education, trades and infrastructure as key areas of need. Infrastructure Australia has warned that, with the Olympic Games due to be held in six years, the country faces a shortage of 141,000 construction workers — a deficit it expects to grow to 300,000 by 2027.
Yet, to listen to Australia’s conservative politicians, the country is being flooded by overseas workers who are stealing jobs and driving up housing prices.
