In 2019, the Australian government introduced a policy that requires some skilled migrants to live and work in regional areas for at least five years as a condition of their visa.

This aims to keep pressure off capital cities and regenerate country areas with new residents. 

In the decade between 2011 and 2021, the populations of all Western Plains LGA's fell from between 4.7 per cent at Narromine and up to 20 per cent in Brewarrina and Bourke. Like many other regional Australian areas, new, skilled migrants would be welcomed to our area. 

While it makes sense to encourage migrants, the policy has been controversial, with some critics arguing that it is unfair to force migrants to live in areas where they may not have access to the same opportunities or social support as they would in major cities. Others have pointed out that some regional areas may not have enough job opportunities or infrastructure to support a growing population. 

Lachlan Shire Council Mayor, John Metcalfe recently told radio 2GB reporter, Sophie Clarke, that there were genuine issues around making things work. 

"It is an issue right across Australia. (There is) plenty of work here but (they) need to look at housing and the education system," Mr Metcalfe said. "(We have to) get people through TAFE and universities to get skills to get out here in the first place." 

Lachlan Shire hopes to be welcoming for new residents.

Mr Metcalfe said that Lachlan Shire were doing their best to make the local environment as welcoming as possible for migrants and that providing services like banking, parks and gardens, hospitals and police was very important. 

"We need to keep people informed," he said. "Once people get out here, life is a lot more pleasant away from the rush and burley of the city." 

Mr Metcalfe said that while some people had moved to the Western Plains area during Covid, the flexibility of working from home had changed things. 

"At one stage we had 25 positions vacant (at council) and looked at the work from home (concept)," he said. 

Mr Metcalfe said Lachlan Shire Council has one employee who currently works remotely for three weeks and within the Shire for one week every month. All up though, it was tough to get people to come beyond the "sandstone curtain", he said. 

While the new visa scheme opens doors to a wider range of occupations such as real estate agents, actors, historians and call centre managers, some analysts say a historic precedent has already been set. 

James Raymer from Australian National University (ANU) has analysed 40 years of immigration data and said that migrants have a "very low chance" of remaining in a regional or remote area beyond the required years. 

"Most migrants will leave within a five-year period - over half, if not 70 percent - and if they're going to stay in Australia they're going to go to one of the big cities, probably Sydney or Melbourne," Mr Raymer said.

"What we actually see in the data, the chances of them leaving remote and regional areas has been increasing for a lot of the newer migrant groups." 

According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in March, 79 percent of Australia's population growth in 2017-18 occurred in capital cities. 

Mr Metcalfe said there was flexibility for people willing to put their hand up to move. 

"It's tough to keep on the front foot," he said. "We need to advocate and let people know what we do out here, as well as advocate to the new government."