Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) notes that Australian Bureau of Statistics' population report shows a fall in the population growth rate from 2.54 percent to 1.8 percent per annum over the year to 30 September 2024, but notes it is still well above the OECD average (0.523% in 2023).
SPA national president Peter Strachan says that additions to Australia's public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and utility services cannot not keep pace when 484,000 people are added to the Australian population annually.
"Such rapid pace of population expansion damages the natural environment and creates further hurdles for reduced greenhouse gas emissions," says Mr Strachan.
"Assuming an average occupancy of 2.5 people per household, an extra 193,600 dwellings are required to accommodate this population growth, never mind the current tent-city homeless. That's a lot more than the 158,690 new homes commenced in Australia last year.
"Net overseas migration (immigration minus emigration) for the period was 379,800, a decrease from 548,800 people in the previous year. This pace of population growth acts to raise accommodation costs, increases costs of living, damages Australia's environment, and is way beyond the economy's ability to supply the services that our modern society deserves," says Mr Strachan.
"We need to lower net immigration to its long-term average of 70,000 pa if Australia is to have any chance of stabilising its population below 30 million. Even though the total fertility rate is 1.5 and has been below 2 for two generations, natural increase (births minus deaths), while falling slowly, is still over 100,000 annually.
"This is largely due to the impact of immigration, which accounted for 78.5 percent of population growth in the latest statistics."
Mr Strachan says rapid population growth has a particularly damaging impact on the environment.
"The 2024 national environment scorecard, issued today by Australian National University scientists states that
'New developments to accommodate Australia's rapidly growing population pose a particular threat to local ecosystems and species, especially along the east coast.'
"In the face of the forthcoming election, SPA calls for candidates and parties to formulate policies that keep numbers in line with the provision of infrastructure, prevent the encroachment on habitats of other species, and support a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions such that our agreed targets are met."
