We need more immigration – Perrottet is right to seek a big Australia

As some of our states continue to live in a “zero COVID” fantasy and insist on keeping borders shut,there’s a growing belief among those in the federal government that immigration is going to be the key to driving Australia’s economy forward. And they’re right.

I’m seeing firsthand the impact a lack of skilled tradespeople is having on the manufacturing,construction and broader urban infrastructure industries – industries that are vital to getting our economy firing on all cylinders again. In fact,we should be ramping up activity in these sectors to ready our critical infrastructure to better accommodate those that live here now and that have ambitions to live here once these iron walls come down.

A skills shortage is affecting the construction industry.

A skills shortage is affecting the construction industry.Rhett Wyman

We need productive hours to be put into the economy to produce goods and services,and more importantly,to underpin our tax base. There are simply not enough people in the essential 20-60 age group in Australia to create additional productivity and maintain our exceptional standards of living.

As a professor of practice at UNSW Sydney,I’ve also seen firsthand how the lack of international students is really hurting us as a nation. It’s not just the positive financial contributions they make,but rather the fact that many graduates fall in love with the country and choose to live and work here thereafter. These well-educated,enthusiastic and committed migrants are exactly the type of people we should be welcoming in our country or at the very least,holding on to once they’re already here.

Some argue that the pandemic has applied the brakes to unsustainable population growth. But in a country as massive and sparse as Australia,the argument that we are “too full” is quite ludicrous. Even the two biggest cities of Sydney and Melbourne pale in comparison to London,New York and Tokyo. It’s a simple economic equation – our population needs to increase for us to continue to prosper,and as stated by The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry,the time for consideration is over. It’s time to act.

One important aspect that many have been quick to forget among the scaremongering is the role skilled and temporary migrants living in Australia has on the broader fortunes of the nation. I would start with these expats who are already here,who speak English well and are already paying taxes. They are already deemed highly suitable so how hard is it to simply convert 200,000 of them into citizens of this great country?

We need to do more to keep international students in the country.

We need to do more to keep international students in the country.Wayne Taylor

We’ve all seen the statistics – not only are migration levels down but we are haemorrhaging skilled migrants,many of whom have completely lost faith in the Australian system when it comes to securing permanent visas and our approach to COVID-19. Many highly skilled,exceptional temporary migrants feel abandoned by our government and I can’t blame them. They have been denied the chance to see family overseas for the best part of two years,have had very little government support throughout the pandemic and many of them still have no route they can take to make Australia their permanent home,due to onerous visa restrictions.

This cohort plays a huge role helping to drive our economy and it is unfortunate that the lure of family,friends and greater freedoms in their home countries or alternative destinations are driving them away from Australia in their droves.

People remain our greatest resource and I support NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet in his call for a renewed push to increase migration back to pre-pandemic levels and higher. Australia’s attitude and actions towards COVID-19 has been on the whole hyperbolic. It really is time for us to lift our head out of the sand,recognise the value of skilled migrants and look to move forward with a vibrant,inclusive and prosperous economy and country. Here’s to a better and bigger Australia.

Shane Geha is the founding director ofEG property group.

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