23 March 2010
Moves by the Australian Conservation Foundation, widely reported today, to declare population growth as a “key threatening process” under federal environmental law illustrate how the laws can be misused by those with a political agenda, according to the Urban Taskforce.
The Taskforces chief executive, Aaron Gadiel, said the Australian Conservation Foundation was effectively trying to declare human beings a noxious species.
This means a taxpayer funded scientific committee will now have to gravely debate whether or not human beings should be added to a list currently occupied by rabbits, unmanaged goats, feral pigs and the European red fox, Mr Gadiel said.
Treasury forecasts say the population will rise from 22 million to 36 million by the middle of the century, although this represents a decline in the current level of population growth – from 2.1 per cent in 2008-09 to 0.9 per cent in 2049-50.
Our population will grow because Australian women, on average, give birth to 1.9 children each.
It will grow because men aged 60 in 2050 are projected to live an average of 5.8 years longer than those aged 60 in 2010 and women are likely to live an average of 4.8 years longer.
It will also grow because Australia attracts talented and skilled workers from all over the globe.
These are all fundamentally good things.
The growth of a human society should never be equated with the problems caused by feral cats, cane toads and gamba grass.
Mr Gadiel said that population growth is inevitable and essential to Australias future.
A low or declining population would mean extreme ageing problems, greater demands for publicly funded social services and a reduced ability to meet these challenges, Mr Gadiel said.
Immigrants help deal with the challenges of an ageing population because the average immigrant is younger than those already here.
In any event, key components of population growth are the birth of children and Australians living longer. Who seriously wants to stop either of these things from happening?
Mr Gadiel said the nomination by the Australian Conservation Foundation reflected how the nations environmental processes were open to abuse and manipulation.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
For every $1 million in construction expenditure, 27 jobs are created throughout the broader economy.
The construction activity made possible by property developers contributes $78 billion to the national economy each year and creates 849,000 direct jobs.
