demographic statistics

Melbourne Public Lecture - "How fast are we growing?" - low-down on stats by independent expert

How fast is Australia’s population really growing? How much of this growth is due to immigration? Have trends really changed dramatically? Did we need a baby bonus?

Do government and the media give the true picture in a state where the impacts of growth are becoming overwhelming— traffic-choked roads, water restrictions, anxiety about future water supply, pressure on land for housing, unaffordability, constant massive infrastructure projects and increasing need to protect wildlife from rapid growth and development....... ?

Speaker: 3pm – 4pm, Sat 10 May, Melbourne:

Dr Katharine Betts, Australian Population Sociologist, Associate Professor in Sociology at Swinburne University, Editor of Monash University demographic quarterly, People and Place, and Author of Immigration Ideology and The Great Divide.

This session will look at Statistics and Politics:
Statistics: Changes in collection and definition of Australian immigration statistics over the past 10 years.
Reliable estimates of the numbers from 1998-2008 (Migration and total population change)
Politics: Interpreting recent trends in Australian Political population policy and how policy intersects with real immigration numbers.

Dr Katharine Betts is Australia’s leading expert in different ways of measuring and presenting immigration statistics. An experienced teacher, she will explain Australian population statistics and show trends over the long and short term.

Discussion: 4PM – 5PM

Venue and Date

After the SPA Victorian branch AGM (AGM: 2pm-3pm, talk and discussion: 3pm-5pm)
North Melbourne Library (upstairs)
66 Errol St. North Melbourne (Melway ref: 2A J10)

Contact: Jill Quirk, President, SPA Victoria (03) 95097429
jillq[AT]optusnet.com.au

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