In a bid for decentralisation, the Morrison Government is set to consider a policy that would force migrants to settle in regional areas for 5 years.

With 90% of migrants flocking to Sydney and Melbourne, the yet-to-be-released policy looks to generate better population distribution for Australia. In breaking up the concentration of people in the major cities, it’s thought the burdens bore by infrastructure, stagnating wage growth and traffic congestion would be eased.    

But Dick Smith says the plan exposes the government’s underlying aversion to reducing the immigration intake. They aren’t interested in curtailing or restricting the numbers, as many of their constituents want them to do. They’re more interested in treating the symptoms of the problem, not the cause, according to Smith.  

“What the politicians are trying to do is keep this incredible 200,000 per year immigration," says Smith.

“But the problem with this, sending people to the bush, is there is not a lot of jobs there. We can send them out, but certainly not all 200,000 a year. Even if you wanted to send 25%, you couldn’t get that.”

“And this is at a time when farmers are automating everything, like automatic picking machines, weeding machines. They’re doing everything they can to get labour costs down. So for the first time, there is even less jobs.”

It was thought  the new revitalised Morrison Government might make moves to cut the immigration rate, to win back its conservative base and distinguish itself from Turnbull’s policy absence on the subject.

“But there is nothing at all (so far.) It’s amazing, because 8 out of the 10 typical voters want a population plan.”

In a bid for decentralisation, the Morrison Government is set to consider a policy that would force migrants to settle in regional areas for 5 years.
With 90% of migrants flocking to Sydney and Melbourne, the yet-to-be-released policy looks to generate better population distribution for Australia. In breaking up the concentration of people in the major cities, it&rsquo;s thought the burdens bore by infrastructure, stagnating wage growth and traffic congestion would be eased.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
But Dick Smith says the plan exposes the government&rsquo;s underlying aversion to reducing the immigration intake. They aren&rsquo;t interested in curtailing or restricting the numbers, as many of their constituents want them to do. They&rsquo;re more interested in treating the symptoms of the problem, not the cause, according to Smith.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;What the politicians are trying to do is keep this incredible 200,000 per year immigration," says Smith.
&ldquo;But the problem with this, sending people to the bush, is there is not a lot of jobs there. We can send them out, but certainly not all 200,000 a year. Even if you wanted to send 25%, you couldn&rsquo;t get that.&rdquo;
&ldquo;And this is at a time when farmers are automating everything, like automatic picking machines, weeding machines. They&rsquo;re doing everything they can to get labour costs down. So for the first time, there is even less jobs.&rdquo;
It was thought&nbsp;&nbsp;the new revitalised Morrison Government might make moves to cut the immigration rate, to win back its conservative base and distinguish itself from Turnbull&rsquo;s policy absence on the subject.
&ldquo;But there is nothing at all (so far.) It&rsquo;s amazing, because 8 out of the 10 typical voters want a population plan.&rdquo;

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