New migrants could be shunned from the nation’s biggest cities under a radical plan to tackle congestion.

The government is considering a special visa which would force new migrants to live in regional towns and smaller cities.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told Ray Hadley on Wednesday she wants to halve her state’s migrant intake, but the federal government says it’s more complex than simply ordering people to regional areas.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton tells Ray it’s a balancing act because different states have different needs.

The former deputy leader says while you can’t chain people down, “there are incentives you can put in place”.

“You can work with people to try and match up skills.

“We’ve got some regional communities where there is very low vacancy rates and there’s probably not an opportunity… but there are other regional communities that are crying out for workers.

“I think there is some real opportunity here.”

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