Let’s Stop The Brain Drain, Grow Jobs In South Australia And Create A Vibrant Economy

The South Australian Business Chamber Is This Morning Launching Its First Ever State Election Advertising Campaign, Focusing On South Australia’s Desperate Need To Grow Its Population To Ensure Our Young People Can Have A Vibrant Future On Home Soil.

South Australia Has Had The Slowest Population Growth Of The Mainland States Over The Past 15 Years. We Also Have The Highest Median Age On The Mainland – 40 – Which Begs The Question, Why Can’t We Keep Our Young People Here?

Chief Executive Nigel McBride said the South Australian Business Chamber chose to undertake an advertising campaign to send the message to the Labor Government, Liberal Opposition, SA Best and the independents that population growth and stopping the brain drain was critical to ensuring South Australia would have a prosperous future.

​“Our young people are leaving the state by the truckload because we don’t have the jobs and corporate opportunities to keep them here,” Mr McBride said.

​“South Australia could attract more international companies to establish their Australian headquarters here, where we know our city will have the fastest download speeds, real estate is affordable and travelling times minimal. If we could provide job opportunities as well, we’d have a fighting chance of keeping our graduates and lifting the state’s IQ.”

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, South Australia has failed to record one quarter of positive interstate migration over the past 15 years – which means more people are leaving than arriving. Between September 2012 and June 2017 alone, South Australia’s net interstate migration was ‑23,043.

In 2016, there was a net interstate departure of 6,900 South Australians. Of those, close to half were aged between 20 and 34.

The South Australian Business Chamber is calling for an annual 1.5 per cent growth target, support for South Australia’s status as a regional area for employer-sponsored visas and to lobby the Federal Government to improve skilled occupation lists, particularly for regional areas.

The South Australian Business Chamber also wants to see a new business start-up visa to retain entrepreneurial international students, and payroll tax incentives for businesses to hire science, technology, engineering and maths graduates.

Mr McBride said the ad campaign, which will air from this morning on television, radio and in print, was timed to coincide with the release of the South Australian Business Chamber’s four-year charter, which sets out the issues affecting more than 140,000 businesses and their staff.

The 2018 Charter for a More Prosperous South Australia sets out 10 policy priorities, including population growth.

To view the ad or to speak to Nigel McBride, please contact Verity Edwards on 0412 678 942.