The ACT government has welcomed a proposal from the federal government for states and territories to set their own immigration intakes, but said more information is needed on how the plan would work.
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On Monday it was reported the government was exploring a plan where states and territories would submit their requirements regarding numbers of migrants and skills required in their jurisdictions, as well as show they were providing sufficient infrastructure for their growing populations.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he wanted more information before giving the plan the green light.
"The Commonwealth has not provided formal advice to the ACT government about this proposal or how it would work. However, the ACT welcomes recognition that states and territories need to be a part of the discussion about a plan for Australia’s population," Mr Barr said.
While migrants can come to the ACT through a range of visas, including for study, family reunion, humanitarian and backpacker visas, the only visa with a "state allocation" is the 190 subclass visa, of which around 800 places are allocated to the ACT.
Skilled migrants also come to the territory through the regional sponsored migration scheme 187 subclass, and the new skill shortage 482 visa, which replaced the 457 visa.
In 2017-18 the main professions supported by the 482 or 457 visas in the ACT were university lecturers, cooks, registered nurses, doctors and chefs, an ACT government spokeswoman said.
Under the subclass 190 visa, the key skills supported in the ACT currently are accountants, registered nurses, pharmacists, public relations professionals and a range of engineering roles, including mechanical, electrical and civil engineers.
Under the regional visa scheme, the main roles brought into the territory were childcare workers, cooks, chefs, cafe or restaurant managers, retail managers, university lecturers, hairdressers, pastry cooks, disabilities services officers and hotel service managers.
The spokeswoman didn't say if the ACT government would ask for more than its current allocation if given the chance.
"Visa subclasses that support skilled migration operate as a system, where a change in one program could affect the need and demand in another. The ACT Government requires more information from the Commonwealth about the functioning of this proposal before determining the most appropriate allocation," the spokeswoman said.
The NSW and South Australian governments had signalled their support for the idea.
