Politicians, not "we" , are fixated on population growth. Mass immigration is just one of the ways they are trashing Australia.

Nobody seems to care though. Australia is rooted.

Conservative parties like both the LNP and ALP in Australia think population growth is a good thing. It makes absolute GDP bigger although per capita GDP seems to now be on a permanent decline. Right now with La Nina there is water in the rivers like the Darling but we can be sure that won't last.

Social engineers point to refugees doing well for example as sports stars or restaurant owners but omit to mention the majority cohort that is struggling. The metrics we should be using to justify any more immigration include home ownership. elective surgery waiting times, underemployment, clean energy self sufficiency and perhaps now the affordability of electric cars. Until all these metrics show an upward trend hold off on immigration. A future recession would be bad with the current 26m but much worse with say 36m.

Populate AND Perish.

Population Growth is not required for economic growth! Nor is our current migration numbers! WE need to train those we have ere already and make sure they are of compatible cultures that more easily assimilate! AS for economic growth per see. We but need to attack and remove poverty via cooperative capitalism that leaves nobody behind, nor unexplored economic opportunities!

Time to use social credit to build for the future and as each project is completed its value offsets the internal credit used to create it. As demonstrated by the banking fraternity and the real estate market and money plucked by them from thin air!

The same money plucked from thin air by the government could build any income-generating infrastructure, rapid rail, social housing, power plants an inland shipping canal etc.

And only limited by the ideas we don't have and skilled workers. Which by the way can come in as guest workers who return once the contract is completed. This is helped if a full two-thirds of their salaries are withheld until they do! Get it all and tax-free, when they go home!

Populate at peril is a nonsense in today's world! Whereas, automate or perish isn't! And that needs fit for purpose energy provision not carrying profit demanding, price gouging, profit repatriating, tax-avoiding passengers! And that means the government getting into the power generating business and ensuring that only locally created co-ops are tasked with their operations.

And the money needed is in the same place the banking fraternity get theirs! So, no excuses or can't dos! Just get on and get it done or we the taxpayers will elect those that can! We're done with eternally prevaricating, no can do, politicians
Alan B.

Overruling LibLab, COVID unexpectedly offered voters a glimpse of life without crushing mass migration. They like what they see, but LibLab couldn't care less, they are going straight back to mass migration. As required by the corporates that own them.

Much of the infrastructure that a higher population would require us to have would be desirable to have anyway. Rather than seeing a higher population's requirements as a problem to be solved, I see then as an opportunity to solve problems.

Despite using Uber as a metaphor, this article seems to ignore it as a service! It has the potential to greatly reduce the need for cars, and new technologies (electric and self driving cars) will only accelerate this trend). And where did you get the idea that "locations that work for public transport" mostly means city centres? That's never been true, and the increasing density that increasing population brings means our conurbations are likely to be better suited to public transport in the future.

Urban conditions don't suit everyone, so it's important to ensure alternatives exist. There's long been a trend of rural decline, and a high number of people moving out of the big cities can reverse this.

_________________________________________________________________________

Steve S,
We've had a glimpse of life without the mass migration, and it's just as crushing. House prices are still skyrocketing, and road congestion is still worsening.
Let's address the problems instead of scapegoating immigration.