The number of temporary migrants, which include overseas students, temporary workers, working backpackers, and tourists, has grown in recent years. In 2011-12, there were 32,000 student arrivals reported, and the number has almost tripled in the year 2016-17.
Former immigration deputy secretary Abul Rizvi told SBS News that the real pressure on Australia's highly populated cities was driven by a surge in international students while the permanent intake has been static for many years.
“Overseas students are the big factor that has grown as a portion of the net migration intake, and the vast majority of them do indeed settle in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane,” he said.
Australia's migrant intake skyrocketed to more than 100,000 in 2016-17. Source: Getty Images
International students, for instance, become members of "long-term temporary residents," who have been in Australia for some time on various temporary visas and many of whom are seeking permanent residency.
In response to the government's plan to cut Australia's migrant intake by about 30,000, Mr Rizvi said this will have a "minimal" impact on congestion.
Labor’s Tanya Plibersek said the government had allowed in “huge numbers” on temporary visas.
“Five years into a Liberal Government that has been in charge of migration for five years, that has seen huge numbers in particular on temporary visas, when we should really should have been training Australians to do jobs that have been on the skills shortage list for years at a time,” Ms Plibersek said.
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