21 July 2010
On Sunday, Prime Minister Gillard, in a prepared speech, declared that “one of the things Australians love the most about our country is the feeling of space, freedom and opportunity.”
“We reject the idea that we should all live on top of each other as is commonplace in so many countries across the world,” Mr Gillard said.
“The fact [is] you can take a drive just an hour from most of our cities and enjoy untold natural beauty in our parks, coastline or the bush – often without another person in sight.
“So let’s not put at risk those things that make this the greatest country in the world.”
The full speech containing her comments and explaining her commitment to decentralisation and “sustainable” population is available here.
On 5 July the Sustainable Population Minister Tony Burke said that new cities and bigger, better regional capitals will be part of the solution to “urban sprawl” and stressed infrastructure. But he ruled out a national population target for Australia if a Gillard government is re-elected, arguing such targets only make sense on a regional basis.
“There is a massive frustration, because up until now people have said our infrastructure is stretched to the limit and all we can see is more people arriving, and all I can see for my kids is they’re never going to be able to afford to live in this suburb because of what’s happening with housing prices,” Mr Burke said.
Mr Burke said a new cities strategy would be a likely part of the policy mix.
“I think new cities will be part of it. I also believe that broadband is going to offer a very different dynamic in the difference between where people work and where people live,” he said.
“I think places like Townsville and the vision that the Queensland government has of effectively establishing a second capital in the north, the work that Anthony Albanese is doing and looking at the second tier of cities beyond the major capitals, will all bear fruit.”
But the opposition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, said the Gillard government was being disingenuous by not allowing voters to know what their target for population growth was.
The Urban Taskforce’s perspective on these issues is here.
