Great to see an excellant article from a most respected demographer.

Bob Birrel has always spoken with truth and common sense.

Wish our politicians would take note, but while ever big business funds the major parties they will not listen.

He who pays the piper calls the tune!

Julia and Tony...Bob has done all the hardwork for you .

JJPLUG....your comments confirm the worst. You are just money driven. No understanding of how the country is being trashed. Australians are not anti-immigrant. We are against large scale programs for obvious reasons.

Small scale immigration ( emmigration = immgration, 80,000 gross or zero net )...allows a celebration of "new blood "/cultures and ideas, without the environmental and economic downsides of population growth.

Cheers,

Ralph

JJPLUG - ever heard of academic freedom?

I was so depressed to hear that Gillard's former hairdresser partner has been given a "property sales consultant job" with a major property developer:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-stands-by-partner-over-israel-job-link-20100629-zjcx.html

We can expect more of Gillard's meaningless platitudes on sustainable population while she does absolutely nothing about reducing immigration numbers.

I think that Bob Birrell only represents the Pauline Hanson type voters, some of whom are regular posters here.

His article follows that pattern of conflating a lack of investment in infrastructure with the general question of migration. He makes no mention of the problem of Australians heading overseas or how he plans to fund the further education of so many young Australians. Nor does he address the long term consequences of the lack of economic growth that cutting migration completely would cause.

He's not great just because he's telling you what you want to hear.

A quick look at Birrell on Google news and you'll see that the real object of Birrell's discontent is international students. He doesn't like 'em. Doesn't want them here. International students are also included in the immigration figures.

I like international students. They add vibrancy and diversity to our cities. They pay Prof Birrell's salary and about 30 percent of Monash's infrastructure and resource budget. Of course we could always tax the difference from the lower and middle wage earners.

This is one of the silliest articles I've read for a long time. Birrell hits the core problem (urban planning) and then runs away. It's not population (projected or other wise). It's planning.

Cheryl, you've been so continuously 'pro-growth' in you comments, it begs the question of vested interests. That aside, perhaps you might like to read this....

http://www.growthism.com/

Unfortunately, the site makes the mistake of accrediting a quote to two different people, otherwise it pretty much says it all.