Regional migration: a new paradigm of international migration

The spatial distribution of Australia's population is partly shaped by differences between the settlement patterns of immigrants and those of Australian born residents. This note summarises settlement patterns of the Australian population and describes recent efforts to encourage immigrants to settle in regional and rural areas. Immigrants have settled disproportionately in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Western Australia (WA), with recent increases in Queensland, while population outflows exceed international migration gains in South Australia (SA) and Tasmania. A range of State Specific and Regional Migration (SSRM) sponsorship schemes and other incentives have yet to have a significant impact, as immigrants tend to favour metropolitan areas where job opportunities, communities of fellow countrymen and immigrant support networks are concentrated.