Pericles,
Population growth is the main factor in the demand for housing and with a low birthrate of 1.7 per woman we are not breeding the extras. we are importing the extra people. This in turn means more consumer goods sold, more cars choking the roads, less parking, more crammed public transport and longer queues everywhere. So our quality of life drops.

It is now at a stage where a simple car accident will create a queue 8k long, with hours of delay. Have you not heard of the costs quoted to build more roads and transport networks. The government does not have the money. Yeah they get private investors to build roads and rip the public off with high tolls. Have a look at what your local council has to pay for a new roundabout even, it is unbelievable.

People are still buying houses you say! Well property experts are saying that first home buyers have no hope and i can well believe that. How does a young couple save enough to get a deposit on their home.

The high immigration rate is contributing greatly to the ever increasing cost of everything and that includes housing. Make no mistake, big business and the immigrants themselves are the ones to gain from high immigration. Our citizenship are the losers.

Goodness gracious Ludwig, you aren't inferring that Gillard is trying to pull another swifty are you?

Do ever get the feeling that she hasn't got a clue what it is she is actually supposed to be doing as a pretend prime minister?

It seems there is no dispute with the principle, Ludwig... you are in total agreement with the PM as "Gillard said three years ago: “I believe in a sustainable Australia, not a big Australia.”"

and you've told us exactly the same thing as her, "amongst... copious posts on this subject", as in:

""I think what you've got to do is manage your migration program in line with your nation's needs”, she said."

Where you differ is merely in the arithmetic, surely?

I won't have any issues with the population at 40 million just as long as everyone is named Mahatmavishnapandrahamapuldinhra so that we don't have to remember lots of names.

We don't need 40 million people here, what we need are 50 % of the present 23 million to acquire some logic.

Ludwig, sorry but you stand in the rain complaining about those under cover.
It has ALWAYS been this country,s policy to grow its population.
Remember populate or perish?
Post ww2 migration grew us both in numbers and as a nation, we gained so much from that time.
Remember, as much as you dislike it, and as much as you try to blame Labor and Rudd, you even put an fast ageing Bob Carr up as leader!
Costello said have three kids, one extra for the country.
Blindly lashing out, at one side, for sharing the view most hold, is wasteful self deceit.
Now in time we may/should consider sustainability.
Ludwig, know, those who prosper from constant growth will be hard to roll.
To them, and most, prosperity calls for growth.