The Orana region: A place to call home

Over the past decade, NSW's Orana region has become a hub for skilled migration, with local communities providing as many reasons to make the move as potential job opportunities.

Dubbo resident Jose Sunny (pictured) received a warm welcome from the locals when he first arrived in the regional city in 2008.

In 2007, Mr Sunny relocated from India to Wollongong to further his studies in psychogenic and secondary education. He was soon offered a job at St John's College, Dubbo, and found a home and community of which he is proud to call home.

“The reception which you get from the local people is amazing. I have never had a bad experience, it's been about ten years we have been living here and I think I'm part of the furniture now.”

Mr Sunny credits the warmth of the community as to why people nominate Dubbo and the surrounding areas when choosing to move to Australia. In 2017, RDA Orana received 217 visa applications for the Orana region. Seventy three applications have already been received in 2018.

Mr Sunny said multicultural community groups assist with integration into the community.

“In all respects, moving from one country to another country takes a while for people to get acclimated so there should be a way to actually make it easier for them. The organisations that we have got in Dubbo now are actually delivering.”

These community groups provide a base for the migrants and run various multicultural festivals to celebrate the different cultures, and locals become involved.

RDA Orana executive officer Megan Dixon said the region has become a vibrant community and a large part of this stems from the individuals that now call the region home and the passion they have for sharing their culture with local people. With no sign of slowing down, multiculturalism is expected to continue to grow in the Orana region.

“Our region is experiencing positive expansion across a number of sectors. Combined with a large injection of public and private investments in the pipeline, increased migration is an important component of our growth, adding a skilled labour force, cultural diversity and a strengthened economy.”