What our politicians need to do is to:

1) Slash our immigration intake further and establish a policy of zero net population growth.

2) Establish an enquiry to determine the population level on this continent that is sustainable long term. This should be based on science and not just economics and should take into consideration climate change.

3)Prepare Australians, our culture and our economy for the post growth era where economic stability is the goal rather than endless unsustainable growth.

...I'll vote for you Boylesy! But since politics gets in the way of sense, what is the alternative "way", other than to rely on Politicians to achieve the logical aims (you mentioned), so necessary for future sustainability of Australian society, as we now know it, outside of the short-term thinking of our current Political establishment?

A curious article which seems to confuse net population with interstate flows or migration of people within the nation. Probably fair to say that there has been some pull to the mining regions but overall, not much.

The big growth area is providing healthcare in our cities. Population is part of the equation but is only one factor in a range of factors important in determining how people-friendly our major cities will be.

In Australia, the main problem isn't inter-state population flows (although try telling that to people on the Gold Coast), it's urban design.

32 million in 2050 sounds about right. Of course considering that's about 40 years away, it gives fodder to the nutters who want to destroy the Australian economy, slash immigration, embark on mass sterilisation programs and Pol Pot style, force people to work in the field.

Isn't it amazing that the only people who ever talk about mass sterilisation are Cheryl and her cronies who want to have endless growth.

David

Well, actually, no VK3, even though your moniker has a nasty Big Brother room 101 ring about it. I'm pretty much in favour of the status quo.

I'm not too happy about the ZPG policies of the Unsustainable Unpeople Lobby and their various degrees of doom and gloom factions/fictions.

Although Australia is almost at ZPG now - but that's another story. The anti-pops under Kanck want to drop Oz's pop to about 7 million people. It's silliness of course and something one thinks up spending a Sunday alone in Adelaide.

What I am against is the bearded gnomes from engineering, IT and crazed ex-Democrats from Adelaide wanting to meddle with women's health and fertility. I'm against people who know bugger all about economic theory telling me we'd be better off with seven million people. But I will fight to the death for your right to keep me amused for an hour or so a day.

"I'm against people who know bugger all about economic theory "

I am against scientific illiterates like you Cheryl who believe, hand on heart, that economic considerations are the only imperative that should determine population levels.

I am also dumb founded how you can possibly believe that the economy is not a subordinate component of the global ecosystem.

If allow dumb $%&*C like to you trash the global ecosystem with growth and large populations your precious economy and our civilisation will eventually be trashed along with it.

Cheryl, you and those like you are a clear and present danger to our global civilisation and our global economy.