AUSTRALIA'S immigration intake should be reviewed and an independent board, similar to the Reserve Bank, should be established to set immigration policy, says a former Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery.

''Immigration has always been a tool of economic policy, economic development, or else it has been set as a result of scare campaigns by people who don't like foreigners,'' he said.

Tim Flannery... justify intake. Credit:Carl Court

There had been no estimation of the rate of immigration that allows for the protection of the environment, he said, but immigration was ''far too important to be left to government''.

''Government will always want more taxpayers, and business will always want more customers - so put them together and you'll get a recipe for endless population growth.''