Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has acknowledged the need to better balance Australia’s housing supply with migration levels amid growing public concern and political pressure. Ahead of the release of the nation’s net overseas migration figures, due on Thursday, Burke announced a planned 4 percent reduction in migration from the peak recorded in 2023, while emphasizing the importance of aligning migration policy with housing availability.

Burke noted that addressing the housing shortage requires a coordinated effort that involves increasing the supply of homes and ensuring migration numbers reflect the country’s capacity to accommodate newcomers. He cautioned against blunt reductions in migration, warning that such measures could unintentionally exacerbate housing challenges if not carefully managed.

“We need to target the people who we need most in Australia, but also make sure we don’t inadvertently stop us getting the people we need to be able to build the houses,” Burke told Sky News. He stressed that abrupt cuts to migration could harm the labor force and public services, including health care and aged care.

Recent government budget projections raised net overseas migration forecasts for the current and following financial years, exceeding the target of 225,000 migrants annually until 2027-28. These updated estimates suggest that almost one million additional people will join Australia’s population over the next four years. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data analyzed independently, the population has grown by an estimated 1,375 residents daily since the election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022, a rate more than double that seen under previous governments led by Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, and John Howard.

Burke dismissed proposals by opposition parties and One Nation to impose more severe migration cuts, arguing such policies could undermine essential services and economic growth. “If you just do random numbers and random cuts, I want them to explain which regional towns won’t have a GP anymore. I want them to explain whether they’re willing—because we’re not—to cut the aged-care workforce,” he said.

Opposition figures have called for tighter migration controls linked to housing capacity. Shadow minister Angus Taylor has proposed tying net migration levels to new home construction, while One Nation advocates for a hard cap of 130,000 migrants annually. Liberal frontbencher Phil Thompson expressed skepticism that the government would meet its stated migration targets, accusing Labor of failing to manage immigration effectively. “You can’t keep bringing people in if you don’t have places to put them,” Thompson said.

The debate highlights mounting challenges for the government in balancing economic needs, population growth, and infrastructure capacity as public support shifts toward tougher migration policies amid concerns over housing affordability and availability.