"I think that Australia can be bigger, but that we will do well by having a broader distribution [of the population]," he said. "We’re going to be working on population policy … but my view has always been that Australia can be a bigger country. But ideally you have a broader distribution rather than very rapid growth in some areas." Mr Tudge has flagged plans to shuttle migrants away from Sydney and Melbourne into the regions, and a focus on building infrastructure ahead of population growth, to combat the congestion crisis in major capitals. But the minister - who was sworn in on Monday - said he was not yet able to offer specific plans for achieving those goals. He would not comment on housing density or whether the states should keep unlocking residential land on the city fringes. Neither would he give a view on whether councils and neighbourhood groups needed to be more open to development. "They’re local council or state government decisions," Mr Tudge said. "I do know that some local residents get concerned when their communities change very rapidly."

Liz Allen, a demographer at the Australian National University's Centre for Social Research and Methods, said Australia had not had a formal population policy since the period following World War II. There were attempts in the 1990s, as well as Mr Rudd's enthusiasm for a "Big Australia" - abandoned in the face of concerted opposition and binned by his successor Julia Gillard. The Morrison government will not necessarily develop a freestanding population policy either. Mr Tudge said he was committed to tackling congestion, and that would involve "a stronger focus on population policy". He said he would seek advice from a broad range of academics including Peter McDonald, a supporter of high population growth, and Bob Birrell, a population-sceptic. Mr Tudge said he would also welcome a conversation with businessman Dick Smith, one of the most prominent voices against "overpopulation". Mr Smith complained his previous attempts to contact ministers had been ignored. "I’m amazed," he told Fairfax Media. "I’m available to do anything for the government. They write back saying 'if ever we need you we’ll contact you'."

Mr Tudge would not comment on a News Corp report this week that the Morrison government will consider a plan requiring some new migrants to settle outside Sydney and Melbourne for five years. But he said: "We need to work on getting a better distribution of migrants. If you’ve got regions that can’t find workers and smaller states that want more people, then the immigration program is something that should be looked at." Mr Tudge named the forthcoming airport in western Sydney, where a large number of new migrants settle, as an exemplar of decentralised planning which would lessen the need to commute. "The ambition there is to have the infrastructure, the jobs and the housing all within the western Sydney corridor so that people can live and work and easily get around in western Sydney," he said. Mr Tudge also dismissed a major rail line announcement by the Victorian Labor government this week as "just a sketch". He disputed Premier Daniel Andrews' estimate of a $50 billion price tag for the 90 kilometre underground loop, saying he believed it would be closer to $100-$150 billion.