Over the last few months and particularly in the lead up to the election we have listened to much heated debate about population growth and immigration policy.
I have been keenly watching this controversial discussion and was particularly interested to hear demographer Graeme Hugo’s comment that the debate had been “hijacked by extremes”.
I personally believe that this issue has been used as a political football – the debate has been unsophisticated and has really just played to a popular view that Australia’s population shouldn’t get any bigger.
My view is that this thinking really isn’t practical when ‘the cat has already been let out of the bag’ so to speak, and by that I mean that so many resource projects in WA have already been given the green light.
It’s my view that if approval has been granted for so many resource projects, then our governments really have to support them because the reality is that they’re here and they need workers.
In Western Australia, I think we would all agree that the WA economy has not been that busy or buoyant over the last couple of years. Despite this however, we haven’t witnessed masses of excess labour and, at the same time, unemployment hasn’t gone through the roof.
This indicates that when the economy rebounds, which it is poised to do, we’re going to go straight back to the position we were in before the global financial crisis – that is we’re going to have a lack of workers and a lack of labour in many industries across the state.
Let’s face it, the ramp-up in the resources sector will undoubtedly fuel demand for more housing and renovation activity, and slowing migration will only lead to workers being poached by high-paying mining companies – and both of these factors will stall the housing and building sector in Perth. At the same time, house prices and construction times may soar yet again as workers head to the mines.
So my view is that, before West Australians agree with the call for reducing more migration, they may want to think about the cost of living and the increases associated with services and – to put it bluntly – getting things done.
In my opinion, population growth is necessary and need not conflict with economic, social and environmental sustainability.
I believe that we need to have the ability to meet the demands prevalent in the economy, which are most visible in Western Australia. I think this comes right down to getting good service when you go out for dinner because there are adequate numbers of chefs and wait staff available to work, and ensuring that there are enough nurses in our hospitals and teachers in our schools.
And finally, I think that growth and sustainability can be achieved in tandem. It may be challenging and complex, but I think it is achievable.
That’s what I think – how about you? What are your thoughts?
Footnote: Professor Hugo was appointed last month alongside former NSW premier Bob Carr and Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout to head expert panels assisting Sustainable Population Minister Tony Burke develop policy in the wake of a Treasury projection that put Australia’s population at 36 million by 2050.
