Gladys Berejiklian defends plans to halve migration intake
PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has strongly defended her plans to halve NSW’s migration intake after earlier this year saying the current level of migration was “about right”.
NSW
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PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has strongly defended her plans to halve NSW’s migration intake after earlier this year saying the current level of migration was “about right”.
She also championed her government’s infrastructure record — saying NSW is “definitely doing the heavy lifting” — after a thinly-veiled swipe by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Speaking at a doorstop in western Sydney, Ms Berejiklian said she was “speaking about the national figure” when she previously indicated migration levels were fine.
“What I’m commenting on about today is specifically NSW — I’m the Premier of the largest state in the nation and until this point in time we had been snubbed,” she said.
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She also claimed the timing hadn’t been right to discuss migration levels in NSW until now.
“I was very careful not to enter the debate at times when it’s been based on other things apart from numbers,” she said.
“My comment today is about numbers and I want to make that very clear because other times we’ve had this debate it hasn’t gone in a healthy direction.”
Asked why she had passed on an invitation to make a submission to the federal government on migration, Ms Berejiklian said: “I’m sorry, those submissions are a dime a dozen.
“It was on a small part of one program,” she added.
“What I’m saying is let’s have a conversation with elected representatives, with the Prime Minister, with the leaders of all the states.”
The Premier also defended her government’s infrastructure record after Mr Morrison said it was the responsibility of Premiers to adequately plan for migration and build infrastructure to ensure their state could cope with the migrant population.
“We want to work closely with the state and territory governments on their population plans and make sure our migration programs work in with those migration plans but that doesn’t give any state government a leave pass on dealing with the pressures of population,” Mr Morrison said today.
“The infrastructure has to get built and it has to be done efficiently and it has to be done in a very timely way and to ensure there is as little disruption as possible to business, small business, don’t get impacted by the management of those projects.”
Ms Berejiklian said she didn’t take offence to the remark, describing her government’s infrastructure record as “unparalleled”.
“What I say is I’m proud of the fact that since we’ve been in government we’ve completed over 400 infrastructure projects,” she said.
“Our infrastructure record and what we’re doing in the next four years and beyond is unparalleled — it’s never happened before anywhere in Australia.
“Of course you have challenges with major projects but that’s part of the opportunity that brings.
“What is the option — sit on our hands and do nothing? That’s not the kind of Premier I am and that’s not the kind of future I want for NSW.”
However, she dodged questions in relation to whether she was committed to cutting the migration intake by 50 per cent and from what parts of the state.
“I’ve certainly made the point that the current rate is about double what it was a decade ago when you talk about averages, I’ve simply made that point and I think we do need a breather,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I think we need to consider how fast we’re growing and what that means for the future and taking a breath doesn’t mean you don’t resume that program into the future but it means you take stock.”
Opposition leader Luke Foley has backed the Premier’s calls for migration in NSW to be slashed saying it would be ideal for Sydney’s population to not hit 6 million for another 20 years — which would require migration to be halved.
“Essentially it’s halving. It would essentially be saying rather than adding 100,000 people to Sydney’s population each year you add 50,000,” he said.
In February, Mr Foley raised the idea of reducing the state’s migrant intake.