Minns urges tighter migration management amid housing and service pressures
NSW Premier Chris Minns has urged the federal government to manage immigration more carefully, saying the rapid post-Covid arrival of people put pressure on housing and public services. His comments differ from the position of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government and reflect wider policy disagreements between NSW Labor and federal Labor.
Minns said more than 500,000 people arrived within 12 months after the pandemic as the government sought to revive the economy. Net overseas migration was 306,000 in 2024–25, down from 429,000 the previous year and a peak of 538,000 in 2022–23; the federal government is under pressure to bring it towards a target of 225,000. Minns has also criticised tobacco excise and clashed with federal colleagues on other issues, as some NSW Labor figures consider distancing the state party from Albanese ahead of the 2027 election.
- Minns says immigration needs tighter management.
- Net migration fell to 306,000 in 2024–25.
- His comments add to NSW Labor’s differences with Albanese.
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After the Covid pandemic, Australia experienced a major surge in overseas migration as the economy recovered. More than 500,000 people arrived within a year, straining housing and public services. The federal government has been trying to reduce migration levels from this peak.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has called for tighter management of immigration, a position that differs from the federal Labor government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This creates disagreement between the state and federal levels of government, despite both being led by Labor. Migration figures have already started falling, from a peak of 538,000 in 2022–23 to 306,000 in 2024–25, with the federal government targeting 225,000.
This disagreement reflects broader policy differences between NSW and federal Labor beyond immigration alone, including positions on tobacco excise. These various disputes between state and federal levels provide context for their different approaches to migration management.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Chris Minns breaks Labor ranks to deliver an urgent migration warning to Anthony Albanese”.