The ABS today released an impressive compendium of migration data, featuring this striking chart showing the surge in net overseas migration (NOM) – i.e., people coming here from overseas less those leaving for overseas:

The ABS observes:

Over the past three years, NOM has more than doubled from 146,800 persons in 2005–06 to a preliminary NOM estimate of 298,900 persons in 2008–09, the highest on record.

As the ABS notes in its report, this surge is largely driven by temporary migration of students and skilled workers on 457 (business long-stay) visas.  This is why any attempts to bring down the immigration numbers will be politically fraught, with the potential to upset education providers and businesses, particularly in the resources sector, which need skilled labour.