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Look to our population problem - now

By Bert Dennis - posted Tuesday, 16 May 2000


In fact the CSIRO has estimated that the cost of restoring Australia's landscape could be more than the $37 billion annual value of farm production.

The magnitude of this must surely face us with the need to consider radical approaches. We are not going to generate that sort of wealth with an economy that remains at its present size. To grow that economy we must grow our population and at the same time adopt high-value industries.

But the growing of Australia is not going to happen overnight and it must be rigorously planned and planning requires a basic framework of predictability. Central to that is the knowledge that we will retain sovereignty and governorship of our country.

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APop contends that a relatively low population makes us vulnerable to external forces. This low population severely limits our capability to adequately fund the high technology defense forces of the future and to deliver sufficient defense personnel.

Protection of the vast Australian territory, its offshore resources and the rights of free movement in regional waters requires a substantial defense force. Yet defense spending has decreased by 50% per capita over the past 50 years. Our spending at 1.8 percent of GDP is a third less than 15 years ago.

Fertility rates in Australia have fallen to below replacement level. Factors ranging from rising child care costs and industrial agreements that discourage working mothers are producing a rapidly declining birthrate. Government support is needed to make it affordable for people to choose to have more children. Making childcare tax deductible would stimulate the childcare industry, create associated employment and possibly boost the fertility rate.

Boosting population through immigration and encouraging the national birthrate can create a society that will not resent the cost of aged care because it has the tax base to pay for it.

APop contends that our future lies with growing our wealth. So exactly how would increased immigration affect our economy?

Government studies show that there is a net economic benefit from immigration.

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Migrant-owned businesses have created 7700 jobs over a three-year period. Two thirds of businesses owned by migrants have developed into exporters and generated $348 million in exports in three years.

The development of a threshold population size of critical mass is necessary to provide the economic strength to not only undertake greater research and development, but also to have the capacity to implement the value added phase within Australia. This threshold population is predictable in the 30 to 50 million range in order to match the strengths demonstrated by other large global economies.

A Greater Australia could have an economy, of a size capable of withstanding global exploitation in currency, trade and foreign affairs.

We are lucky to live in a country where the people have the freedom and the power to change their destiny. Let us not be remembered as a people who had that power and freedom - but shirked the responsibility.

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About the Author

Bert Dennis is President of the Australian Population Institute.

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