As the 2010 electoral battle lines were drawn and the Federal parties mounted their standards declaring polices they would champion, it was unsurprising to see the contentious flag of population growth among them: a topic that was certain to help rally voter support and divide opinion.
The ensuing calls to arms saw Julia Gillard distancing herself from Kevin Rudd’s belief in a ‘big Australia’ of around 35.9 million by 2050, instead preferring an ambiguous ‘sustainable’ Australia, while Tony Abbot fired off that he would slash immigration by 130,000 and cap Australia’s long term population at 29 million.
Amid the mêlée waded other notables either waving cash solutions or campaigning to depopulate Australia. While opinions clashed and forecasts of a crumbling Australia were brandished, a common theme became apparent: the use of unsubstantiated and alarming population projections and statistics to frighten and encourage the general public into cementing beliefs and choosing allegiances.
What is curious about this approach is that its focus places emphasis on determining a population endgame with little attention paid to addressing current infrastructure needs and crucial short- and medium-term planning. Whether our population grows by one percent or 50 percent, the one guarantee we have is that it will increase.By how much will be determined by numerous factors, many of which are outside of the Government’s control, such as environmental influences and the natural birth rate.
The fear that is being impressed upon us is that without capping population we will lose control and consign ourselves to sustainability Armageddon. In actual fact, what is being ignored is that we already have enormous control at our disposal. We have the ability, through intelligence and foresight, to command our current infrastructure and resources and prepare them appropriately for many population outcomes.
While understanding optimum population densities for Australia and its various states and cities is undoubtedly necessary, it is only one part of the debate. The issue is not the population number but whether we are ready to respond to the challenges of growth. If we do not accept and reconcile this then the battle of population conjecture will distract us from the real job at hand to regain control of our physical environment.
Scott Winning
Committee for Melbourne
