Thank you FrankU (hey that rhymes). This paper by Cameron Murray and Leith van Onselen is very comprehensive. I especially love the comment at the end of Appendix A about the members of the 'growth lobby.'

"The common thread behind Australia’s ‘growth lobby’ is that its members privatise the gains that arise from mass immigration via the expansion of the domestic market and the reduction in wages, while the costs are socialised among the broader Australian community."

I would go even one step further based on the April BCA report "A plan for a Stronger Australia." The BCA wants high immigration and high population growth and they want poor infrastructure planning and construction, so that congestion increases. They are then hoping (and it is all included in this paper) that government will allow Big Business to take over infrastructure planning and construction. Of course, this would be accompanied by massive 'User Pays' fees and charges, as well as a free hand in which projects are approved.

It is very frustrating that the 'growth lobby' doesn't need to defend themselves against reports and papers like the one you've recommended. They just go on saying that the economy will be bad if immigration is reduced and they are rarely questioned.

Dick Smith had a justifiable hissy fit last year when the ABC had a 'panel' full of pro-growth spruikers and implied that it was balanced. When he complained and got a bit of publicity, the ABC defended themselves by totally missing the point and saying they give a lot of coverage to the population issue. Yeah, the coverage is one-sided towards high population growth.

At the SBS I don't think you are allowed in the door if you oppose high immigration.

The growth lobby also doesn't have to even comment on the environmental impacts of high population growth. I guess it's a little too complicated scientifically for the average voter / consumer and they know that voters won't change their votes based on impacts to the environment. I generally agree that voters are more attuned to economic issues.

The growth lobby is plain & simply nothing more than a club of self-serving greed mongers with no regard whatsoever for a better society.

Judith Sloan in the Australian this week:

"At this year’s federal election, there were clear differences in the positions of the two major parties on every significant policy area save immigration on which, except for a few details, they effectively ran a joint ticket.

The Coalition spoke of sending migrants to regional areas; Labor wanted to reduce the number of temporary skilled workers while providing open-slather entry for grandparents. But the parties were in heated agreement in their support for high migrant intakes, both permanent and temporary, and the associated high population growth.

But political support for large-scale immigration does not tally with voters’ views. Support for large migrant intakes has fallen significantly during the past decade. People want immigration cut and slower population growth.

The evidence is in figures collected by Newspoll, Essential Research, the Lowy Poll, the Scanlon Survey and the Australian Population Research Institute. The politicians know what we think. They just act like they don’t.

The lobbying behind immigration is so strong that both parties have concluded the views of ordinary folk can be ignored. These forces include the bureaucracy — check out the Treasury’s reports — big business, property developers, the universities and various interest groups, some ethnically based."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/politicians-ignoring-voters-by-supporting-population-growth/news-story/75507098c2885c8307b30f7e476f0f99

Infuriating, isn't it? Our country's immigration program has been hijacked by special interests and ideologues. And ordinary Australians are paying the costs.

I'm happy to see the Australian run with this kind of article. I don't subscribe to the Aus so I could not read the article.

This ABC article says voters are split on immigration. Not sure about the methodology. Voting is still the real test.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-24/vote-compass-election-immigration-asylum-seekers/11038070

Yes it is infuriating but it is up to us to do something about it and we don't. We still vote for the big parties in the house of reps and they know we will so they don't bother to change the policy.

Michelle Rowland is my state Member. She had a little coffee get together near my house. About 5 of the 15 people asked her about limiting immigration and she dodged and danced defending labor's policies even in the face of complaints about congestion and flat wages. Nobody there defended high immigration but she acted like it was a 50-50 debate. Very frustrating