An Australian parliamentary committee reviewing the value of skilled migration has been advised that the current arrangements support the auction and valuation sectors in addition to the wider business ecosystem that sector relies upon.  The advice was tendered to the Joint Standing Committee’s inquiry by the Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia (AVAA).

While most auction and valuation businesses are not major direct users of skilled migration pathways, AVAA’s submission outlines that the operational success of firms across the sector is increasingly dependent on access to skilled labour in “enabling” professions. These include information technology, software development, cybersecurity, data management, digital marketing, accounting, audit, taxation, and specialist business advisory services.

As set out in the submission, modern auction and valuation business models are now built around online auctions, digital cataloguing, secure payments, remote inspections, data analytics, and increasingly complex compliance systems. AVAA notes that shortages in these enabling skills directly affect productivity, regulatory compliance, innovation capacity, and the ability of small and medium firms to compete and grow, especially in regional and outer-metropolitan markets.

The AVAA submission further highlights that the value of skilled migration is not limited to filling vacancies. AVAA argues that skilled migrants contribute to productivity improvements by introducing new techniques, global best practice, and diverse expertise, while also strengthening capability transfer within firms and across industries over time.

AVAA also points to current system challenges affecting small businesses, including complexity, processing delays, and rigid occupation lists that may not reflect modern hybrid skill sets. AVAA recommends a more responsive, evidence-led system that better targets genuine shortages, including those affecting regional Australia where competition for specialist skills is particularly intense.

AVAA’s submission ultimately supports the view that skilled migration should remain a centrepiece of Australia’s migration intake, calibrated to lift national productivity and strengthen economic resilience, outcomes that directly benefit auction and valuation firms by improving access to the specialist capabilities that underpin sustainable growth.