NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley has defended using the term “white flight” when describing the deserting of suburbs in western Sydney.

Mr Foley says many ‘Anglo families’ are moving away from suburbs like Fairfield because local resources are struggling to cope with a huge influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq.

Andrew Bolt tells Chris Smith the state’s labor leader is “onto something”.

“Are people, so-called white… are they actually leaving these suburbs as immigration from more third world countries and Muslim countries are coming in?

“In this case, I think it is true.

“We have been seeing absolutely astonishing demographic changes.”

Andrew says when his family migrated to Australia from Holland, not learning the local language wasn’t an option.

Now, he says, that isn’t the case and you can get by “without having to speak English for generations”.

Listeners flooded the open line with their perspective, with one caller saying he’s lived in Strathfield for 50 years and has seen the suburb change completely.

Click PLAY below to hear from Andrew and our listeners