More than half say rate of population growth is too high but majority still support multiculturalism • The Guardian Essential Report

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Australians are becoming progressively more concerned about population growth and immigration rates, although a majority remains in favour of multiculturalism, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.

The latest fortnightly survey of 1,026 voters finds that 54% of the sample believe Australia’s rate of population growth is too fast – which is up from 45% recorded five years ago.

A higher percentage, 64%, think the level of immigration in Australia over the past decade has been too high – up from 50% recorded in October 2016.

The Guardian Essential Report, 24 April results Read more

But while the trend underscores increasing community concern about immigration and population growth, 55% of the sample agree with the proposition that “multiculturalism and cultural diversity has enriched the social and economic lives of all Australians”.

The statement “multiculturalism has failed and caused social division and dangerous extremism in Australia” was endorsed by 32%, while 13% did not have a view.

The latest survey indicates the current concern is broadly based. A majority of all voting groups, apart from the Greens, believe that population growth is happening too fast, and more than 60% of Coalition and Labor voters think there has been too much immigration over the past decade.

Opposition to the current level of immigration was higher among people over 45 than people under 45, although majority opposition was recorded in both groups.

Supporters of multiculturalism were more likely to be under 35, Greens supporters and university educated, while detractors were more likely to be over 65 and proposing to support a political group other than the major parties.

Voters were asked this fortnight to express a view about temporary and permanent migration, as well as short-term entrants. Forty-seven per cent believed there should be fewer short-term working visas and 46% were in favour of fewer permanent refugees.

There was less concern about short-term student visas (39%), short-term working holiday visas (38%) and short-term business visas (36%). These categories are significant contributors to the higher number of foreigners currently in the country. There has been an influx of foreign students, with 200,000 more in the country than there were three years ago.

A majority (63%) believed that foreign workers on short-term visas undermined the capacity of Australians to get a job and also agreed with the proposition – advanced by politicians including the former prime minister Tony Abbott – that the big cities can’t cope with further population growth, and immigration should be wound back until the necessary infrastructure is put in place (62%).

A majority (61%) said they believed that “overall” immigration had made a positive contribution to Australian society but a majority (55%) also agreed with the statement immigration should be slowed as it causes too much change to our society.

Why a population of, say, 15 million makes sense for Australia Read more

While there is a wealth of expert evidence that immigration boosts economic growth, a majority (51%) rejected that proposition, and also rejected the proposition that “Australia has the space and resources to cope with a much larger population”.

Respondents were asked to rate the top-three problems facing Australia’s major cities and the list was housing affordability pushing people to the fringes, lack of government investment in infrastructure like roads and public transport and a lack of employment opportunities in the regions, driving people to the cities.

Voters were also asked to nominate the most pressing issues the Turnbull government needed to address over the next 12 months. The top rated concerns were cost of living (51%), improving the health system (36%), creating jobs and reducing unemployment (32%), and housing affordability (29%).

Labor voters were more preoccupied with improving the wages outlook and Coalition voters with reducing the deficit and boosting economic growth.

Greens voters were more likely to think tax avoidance by big companies (29%), promoting renewable energy (49%) and more funds for education (28%) were important, while “other” voters were more likely to nominate cost of living (57%), national security and terrorism (34%) and reducing the budget deficit (22%) as priorities.

The latest survey continues to point to a Labor victory in any federal election held today. Labor was ahead of the Coalition on the two-party preferred measure 53% to 47%, which is the same as the result recorded two weeks ago.

Immigration has loomed as something of a flashpoint and a fault line within Coalition ranks over recent weeks as possible successors to Malcolm Turnbull have publicly signalled their leadership ambitions over the longer term.

Housing report says migration may need to be cut to preserve quality of life Read more

Abbott has been campaigning for months to cut the immigration rate, presenting the idea an effective means of product differentiation with the Coalition’s political opponents.

On Monday, the former prime minister told 2GB: “I think people are worried about current record levels of immigration.

“We’re adding a city the size of Adelaide to our population every five years, and I think that we should significantly scale it back at least until infrastructure, housing stocks and integration have caught up, because just at the moment there is no doubt that high levels of immigration, record levels, are putting downward pressure on wages, upward pressure on housing prices, and they’re making our roads almost impassable.”

As well as Abbott’s relentless front running, in the week where Turnbull recorded his 30th consecutive negative Newspoll result, a story appeared in the Australian indicating that the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, had favoured a cut in the immigration rate.

Publication of the story triggered a public difference of opinion between Dutton and Turnbull, sparked by the prime minister denying emphatically that an internal discussion had taken place on the issue.

Turnbull and the treasurer, Scott Morrison – another conservative who has signalled a desire to lead the Liberal party in time – have been holding the line on immigration, arguing the permanent and skilled intake is currently running below the cap, and Australia needs the influx of people to boost economic growth.

Some government conservatives believe that telegraphing a cut to immigration would be politically popular and could help turn around the government’s political fortunes.

But Turnbull and Morrison have thus far rebuffed populist incursions, emphasising new investments in infrastructure as a way of easing congestion in the major cities and ensuring services keep up with population growth.

