The Hindu Business Line : S. Australia woos skilled professionals

THE South Australian Premier, Mr Mike Rann, has invited Indians to migrate to his State to meet the shortage of skilled professionals — software engineers, doctors, electricians and nurses — there.

"We are under-populated while Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are chock-a-block," he said.

South Australia, which has Adelaide as its major city, has a population of just one-and-half million. However, the size of the State is three times more than Germany, one-and-half more than Texas and twice the size of Spain. There is enough opportunity for Indian professionals to look at South Australia as a destination of choice, he told newspersons.

South Australia is the Detroit of Australia, as Chennai is Detroit of India. There is an industrial fit between Tamil Nadu and South Australia, and the relationship between the two States can be strengthened in automobile, information technology and film industry, he said.

Mr Rann is on a tour of India to strengthen economic and business relations between his State and Indian States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

He has brought a delegation comprising business representatives from information, communication and technology, film industry, wine, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Mr Rann had met the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, for developing closer ties between the State and South Australia.

When asked whether there was any resistance from local labour unions on immigration of Indian talent to South Australia, he said, "I am a leader of the Labour Party. Unions and the Government are supporting us. Everybody realise that immigration will benefit the State. We need skilled professionals," he said.

Some of the large IT firms present in South Australia include BEA Systems, SAAB, Motorola and EDS, he said.

A recent survey by KPMG, an accounting and business advisory firm, placed South Australia to be the most competitive place to do business in Australia; number one in Asia Pacific and third best in the world, he said.