NO change of federal immigration policy will decrease Queensland's role as the new honey pot for overseas migrants, especially New Zealanders, a high level report into the state's population says.
The report, from an inquiry chaired by the nation's foremost population expert, Professor Peter McDonald, says 70 per cent of overseas migrants into Queensland are from three categories that would be difficult to reduce: New Zealanders, students and business migrants.
Any move to cut these numbers would harm the state's economy, the report says.
"It will be very difficult to slow the rate of overseas migration into Queensland over the next five years regardless of changes to federal policies," it states. The report says the free travel agreement between Australia and New Zealand has helped make Kiwis "the largest group of new additions to the Queensland population".
"In Queensland, with New Zealand accounting for 40 per cent of new overseas settlers, a large proportion of overseas migration is effectively uncontrolled and can be regarded as similar to interstate migration."
Net annual New Zealand immigration to Queensland has nearly doubled in the past five years. In the 2007-8 year, more than 16,500 New Zealanders settled in the state. Queensland is also increasingly popular with foreign students, with total overseas student enrolments up about 25 per cent to more than 72,000 in the year to June 2009.
The McDonald report also insists the state's resources boom will drive higher levels of international migration to Queensland.
It says federal Treasury estimates put the rate of annual migration into Queensland needed just to keep up with job demand, at more than 90,000.
This is about 15,000 higher than the net migration into Queensland during past financial year.
Source:http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-attracts-new-zealanders-students-and-business-migrants/story-e6freoof-1225873220685
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