Business blaming government, not immigration, for urban woes

Business groups are blaming poor government planning, rather than immigration, for failing to deal with Australia's growing population.

The Brisbane skyline is seen at sunset Source: AAP

Congested roads. Public-transport pains. A shortage of schools and hospitals. High housing prices.

They have combined to make Australia's major cities less livable than they once were.

But asked whether slashing migration is the solution, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive James Pearson says migration is "part of Australia's DNA."

Two separate reports released this week, one by the Chamber and the other by Infrastructure Australia, have pinned the failures to deal with population growth on poor government planning rather than immigration.