Two new Issues Papers have recently been dispatched to Corporate Members.
Decline and Rejuvenation: The Provincial Cities of South Australia
This paper considers the economic and social rejuvenation of the Provincial Cities of South Australia during the first decade of the 21st Century, and the challenges to maintaining sustainable growth and competitiveness. The analysis confirms that the economic decline which was observed across the Provincial Cities during the 1980s and 1990s had come to a halt by 2001, with rejuvenation strengthening through the middle part of the decade. The authors argue that while there has been investment and diversification of employment into new industries, this has not been matched by new vocational and post-secondary infrastructure to raise the skill level of regional populations. More broadly, there is a need for better planning and identification for regional priorities.
Migration Trends in South Australia
This Issues Paper analyses recent migration patterns to South Australia over the period 1998/99 to 2008/09. Net overseas migration was well above the long-term trend during this period. Permanent skilled migration experienced the strongest increase providing much of the growth in net overseas migration. The introduction of the Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa in 2004 can explain a portion of the rise in skilled migration, encouraging more migrants to settle in designated low population growth areas such as South Australia. The paper presents data showing recent growth in migration numbers, including by migration stream and visa type, and provides commentary on some of the causes.