@nins45 In my experience, yes, many agents and employers are looking for people with local experience. So you just need a jump start job and then once you gained enough local experience, you can apply for better roles.
If you don't have a local experience, I think it helps to have solid references who can attest your skills and performance. When the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency asked for a reference, I gave them three. My Oracle Senior Development Manager based in Canberra, Project Manager and Software Quality Lead of IBM Philippines and a former colleague from AIG who's now based in Sydney. They all called the three and checked on my skills and level of expertise I've mentioned in my CV and in the interview.