Australia's prime minister stressed the need to create jobs as a way to minimise government welfare spending, while the country's second-most populous state Victoria set out measures to resume tourism to regions ravaged by bushfires and virus-linked curbs.

Australia on Sunday announced a nearly US$100 million boost in funding to tackle domestic violence after support services reported a spike in coronavirus-related family abuse.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia will deny entry to all foreign nationals travelling from mainland China from Saturday due to the increasing threat from the coronavirus epimedic.

A controversial offshore migrant detention centre on Christmas Island is to reopen, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Wednesday, as he doubled down on hardline policies after a historic legislative defeat.

Australia's conservative government is facing a huge electoral defeat as it heads into the final sitting of parliament ahead of a national election expected in May, a widely watched poll found on Monday.

Australia's prime minister and top colleagues campaigned over the weekend to block a bid to allow asylum seekers in offshore camps to come to Australia for medical treatment, saying tough rules on migrants should not be eased.

The Fairfax-Ipsos poll published on Monday showed Scott Morrison well ahead of his centre-left Labor opponent Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister.

Julie Bishop announced she would move to the backbench and had not yet decided whether to contest the next election, which is due by May 2019.

The proposed sale of Australia's largest cattle operation to China was "contrary to the national interest," the government said on Friday.