High population growth is now driving Australia’s major economic, environmental and social problems.
Increasing carbon emissions; Increasing costs of living, including housing, water and energy; Overloaded infrastructure, including roads, hospitals and schools; Destruction of our environment, including our native wildlife habitat; Increasing foreign debt are prime examples.
We can’t resolve any of these major problems, until we resolve ‘the everything issue’: population.
Stabilisation is doubly important because the future, including climate change, is likely to be more turbulent than now; and our finite resources, including energy, minerals, and fertile soil, less abundant.
According to the United Nations, true sustainability is “development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Growing a bigger population funded by the rapid depletion of Australia's finite mineral and energy resources is a recipe for economic disaster and inherently unsustainable.
According to Federal Government body Geoscience Australia, at current rates of extraction many of Australia’s major energy sources and minerals will be fully depleted this century.
What will future generations export to stay in the first world?
In 1994 the Australian Academy of Science published its findings on population. In considering the resource needs of our cities, and Australia's supply of water, minerals and arable land it concluded:
“In our view, the quality of all aspects of our children's lives will be maximised if the population of Australia by the mid-21st Century is kept to the low, stable end of the achievable range, i.e. to approximately 23 million." But this advice was ignored by successive federal governments.”
Australians now see their quality of life deteriorating due to population growth pressures, and significant threats to the wellbeing of future generations.
The Stable Population Party aims to stabilise Australia's population as soon as practicably possible, with a population of around 23-26 million through to 2050. We propose a balanced migration program, with immigration equivalent to emigration. We also support the phasing out of the baby bonus. Governments should not deliberately increase our population, or interfere in choice over family size through cash handouts that encourage people to have children for the wrong reason.
In a finite world, a stable population is Australia’s sustainable choice.
William Bourke is the founder and national convenor of the Stable Population Party of Australia. He has experience in banking, accounting and government corporate communications. For the last five years he has run a small business in the marketing field. The Stable Population Party was registered by the Australian Electoral Commission on 23 September 2010. We are a group of committed people from backgrounds in business, science, the environment, health, academia, demography, politics and many other ordinary citizens; from recent migrants to World War 2 Diggers. Our community party exists because Australia’s population growth is unsustainable, unaffordable, undemocratic and eroding quality of life.
foggy
September 8, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Specific goal
First time I learnt about political parties having specific goals ideology.These address not only infrastructure issues concerning Australia but of global importance.For instance "Green" party and of course The Stable population party. The population directly influences environmental degradation in a big way!!
cymacs
September 30, 2011 at 3:37 am
Big Business Drives Population Growth
I can’t help but agree with this article. In my neck of the woods we have experienced a huge increase in population with many blocks sub divided. All sounds great in theory, but with families unable to access childcare within 10km of home, and kids being knocked back from sporting clubs due to a lack of available ovals and greenspace, I can’t help but think that the only people who think a Big Australia is a good idea is Big Businesses. Congested roads, soaring energy costs, and limited infrastructure to cope with the growth is certainly going to impact on everyones quality of life. You have my vote!
jimmiles
August 8, 2013 at 4:26 am
Big Business Drives Population Growth
This is rock solid observation, research & policy.
Great stuff William!
Finally a Party that has mustered the courage to raise this most crucial issue facing Australia & the world.