Coalition's population plan for Australia

IMMIGRATION

* Restrict annual permanent migration to 160,000 annually for at least the next four years - down from 190,000 and roughly in line with actual intake last year.

* 23,000 regional visa spots where skilled workers would have to live and work in regional Australia for three years before applying for permanent residency - split between 9000 places in the employer-nominated stream and 14,000 for the state and territory-nominated stream (up from 8500 and a two-year requirement).

* "Regional" areas are anywhere outside of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

* Almost two-thirds of Australians live in cities of more than a million people (all capital cities bar Hobart, Canberra and Darwin).

* Analysis shows 80 per cent of people who had visas requiring them to live in the regions for two years were still there after five.

* No change to numbers in the family visa stream.

MORE FUNDING

* $7 million for compliance to make sure regional visa holders stick to the rules.

* $15,000 annual scholarships over the next four years for 4720 Australian and international students to study in regional areas. International students who go to a regional university will be allowed to work in Australia for an extra year after graduating.

* $75 billion for road, rail and air projects around the country - details to come in the April 2 budget.

* $1 billion for specific "congestion busting" road projects.

* $71 million in grants for social cohesion programs, $10 million in funding for community language schools, and $3 million for a second round of fostering innovation grants.

POPULATION PLANNING

* Investigate fast train links for Melbourne-Shepparton, Sydney-Newcastle and Brisbane-Sunshine Coast.

* Continue to work on city and regional deals to drive economic development in specific areas.

* Set up a Centre of Population to deliver a central, consistent and expert perspective on population growth, and improve data collection and research.

* The plan has been in development since Scott Morrison took over as prime minister in late August.