Melbourne's rapid population growth is spurring the Victorian and federal Liberals to call for people to move to the regions, but Premier Daniel Andrews is not on board.
During a major speech in Melbourne on Tuesday, federal Population Minister Alan Tudge renewed a proposal to see new migrants move to regional Australia rather than big cities.
While acknowledging migration policies are a matter for the federal government, Mr Andrews said people should be able to choose where they reside.
"I'm not about telling people where they should live, I'm about connecting people no matter where they live and building the infrastructure that is absolutely critical," Mr Andrews told reporters.
Overseas migration accounts for 60 per cent of Australia's population growth, with nearly 90 per cent of skilled workers gravitating to Melbourne and Sydney, as well as almost all of the humanitarian intake.
Mr Tudge wants to correct the "imbalance" by expanding the mix of geographical visa conditions and incentives imposed on new arrivals.
Decentralisation is becoming a major part of the Victorian Liberal-Nationals election campaign and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy on Tuesday said Melbourne's growth of 2700 people a week is "unsustainably fast".
If he becomes premier after the state's November 24 poll, he would take on a population ministry.
"Population growth is central to everything government does so it makes sense that the person in charge would oversee this portfolio," he told a business lunch.
Mr Guy also announced a review of the state tax system to assess incentives for people moving and working across regional Victoria.
