Dick Smith urges Australia to slash permanent migration, warns population could top 100 million

Prominent Australian businessman Dick Smith has called on the federal government to cut the country's permanent migration intake by more than half, saying the present rate would propel the nation's population past 100 million by the end of the century and place unsustainable strains on housing, infrastructure and living standards.

The Albanese government in August confirmed the permanent migration program would remain at 185,000 places, the same total as the previous year. The announcement prompted public protests in several cities and renewed debate over national population policy.

Smith made his comments after a Resolve poll released Monday found 49 percent of respondents believed the current level of permanent migration was too high. The online survey of 1,800 voters showed 27 percent thought the intake was "about right" and 5 percent said it was too low. A majority, 55 percent, said the federal government was handling immigration in "an unplanned and unmanaged way," while 21 percent said it had been managed carefully.

Speaking to 2GB afternoon host Clinton Maynard, Smith said the poll sent a clear warning to the government and called out major political parties, including the Greens, for failing to publish population plans. "Not one political party has a population plan, not even the Greens," he said. "They're not game and I'll tell you why — it's the greed of the billionaires. Billionaire property owners just want more money, more immigration."

Smith said he supported immigration in principle but favoured a long-term annual permanent intake closer to the historical average of about 70,000, which he said would stabilise population growth and keep Australia's population around 30 million. "If we went to the long-term average of about 70,000, we'll round off our population to 30 million, which I think would be pretty sensible," he said.

He warned that unchecked growth would worsen congestion and infrastructure shortfalls and could erode per-capita wealth. "Double the number and in effect, most people are worth half as much, so it's just not sensible," Smith said. He also predicted housing would shift toward high-rise living in major cities and said younger Australians risked having little savings and smaller living spaces.

Smith recounted a conversation with former Greens leader Bob Brown in which Brown warned a formal population plan could be portrayed as racist. Smith rejected that characterisation and said discussion of migration levels should not be conflated with xenophobia.

The government's decision to retain a 185,000 permanent migration cap followed months of debate about labour shortages, skills needs and costs in housing and services. Proponents of higher migration have argued that skilled migration helps address workforce gaps, supports economic growth and offsets the long-term decline in birth rates. Critics, including Smith and some community groups, have said current levels outpace infrastructure and environmental capacity and place pressure on housing and public services.

The Resolve poll results add to public scrutiny of federal migration settings ahead of next year's budget and future election cycles. The government has said migration settings balance economic needs and community capacity, and it has pointed to temporary migration channels, regional pathways and settlement services as part of broader policy settings.

Smith's comments and the poll numbers are likely to intensify political discussion about whether Australia needs a formal population target or a comprehensive population plan that ties migration levels to infrastructure investment, housing supply and regional development. As the debate continues, successive governments have faced the challenge of aligning migration policy with labour-market needs while addressing community concerns about growth, liveability and service delivery.