SPA: Australia’s population growth rate of nearly half a million ‘too high’

Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) considers Australia’s population growth rate in 2022 too high and called on the federal government to put a brake on immigration.  The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the latest population figures today showing Australia’s population grew by nearly half a million (496,800 or 1.9%) in the year ending 31 December 2022. The two components of growth were net overseas migration (immigration minus emigration = NOM) at 387,000 and natural increase at 109,800.

SPA national president Ms Jenny Goldie says nearly half a million added to a population of 25.8 million from the year before was simply unsustainable. 

“As all recent and reliable surveys confirm, the Australian people are strongly opposed to what’s going on,” says Ms Goldie. “Prime Minister Albanese knows this.

“At 387,000, NOM is simply too high and must be cut, though Treasury is clearly planning to maintain these extremely high levels. Its rationale is to increase economic growth yet it takes no account of environmental and social factors. 

“And although immigration increases economic growth at the national level, at the per capita level, growth does not necessarily occur.

“Our environment continues to decline with important habitats threatened by urban expansion, not least the last remaining Chlamydia-free koala habitat in Sydney.

“And housing is simply not keeping up with the increased demand. Nor can other  infrastructure keep up with such unrelenting immigration-fed population pressures.

“Western Australia experienced the highest growth of 2.3% in the country and, as a consequence, Perth is predicted to record the biggest shortfall of 25,200 dwellings by 2027.”

Ms Goldie notes that, historically, new migrants have understandably gravitated to the major cities because that is where they are more likely to find people of their own nationality.

“Our cities, however, are under immense strain with inadequate public transport and massive road congestion, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, each with populations of over five million,” she says.

“Strategies to get people to move to the country have had limited success. The only solution is to slow population growth significantly by cutting immigration, given natural increase is declining naturally at last.

“I ask MPs to do the simple sums and answer this: Given the rate of population increase and the much lower rate of building housing, hospital and other infrastructure requirements, when if ever will all Australians have access to these essentials?”