With Australia’s international borders likely to remain closed for some time, a leading demographer says it gives south-east Queensland a chance to catch-up on major infrastructure projects.

Demographer Bernard Salt said it gives major cities a “breather”.

“I would say people of south-east Queensland, Brisbane, and other big cities as well, would say that things are too congested, we have not been able to keep up to pace with road infrastructure,” he told Scott Emerson.

“So yes having a year or two at most, a breather, in terms of the rate of growth would certainly offer a great opportunity to catch our breath and catch up.

“Then I wonder whether Australians wouldn’t say, is there a better way? A better normal on the other side of this, maybe not go back to 100 per cent of the migration we were having, but 75 per cent, or 66 per cent and then scale it up from there.”

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