The Opposition wants an independent specialist body like the Productivity Commission to inquire into future population policies.
Meanwhile the Urban Taskforce says the appointment of a federal population minister should not lead to a cap on immigration levels.
The lobby group has welcomed the appointment of Mr Burke and the development of a population strategy, but taskforce chief executive Aaron Gadiel says concerns about a lack of infrastructure to support a growing population are unfounded.
“One of the reasons that we don’t have the infrastructure that we all want and expect is that in many cases our population in our urban centres is just not large enough,” he said.
“The larger the population, the more the Government is getting the tax revenue in and has the labour force available to build up the infrastructure.”
NSW Planning Minister Tony Kelly says he will work with the new Population Minister to ensure the state is not overwhelmed by growth.
Mr Kelly says Sydney’s population is projected to grow to 6 million by 2036 and he anticipates a close partnership with Mr Burke.
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