One conversation that is hardly ever started is what do we think Australia's ideal population should be? Nothing to do with racism or what religion etc just a sensible debate as to what population Australia can support. They're talking about 20 million soon and 50 million in so many years. What do people think we should have as an ideal size or have we already passed it? Look forward to peoples thoughts
There will never be an official number, due to the fact (in my opinion), that very few pollies think beyond their next term in office (Hope that the above line, is not taken as a political statement)
We may as well all pick a number, we think that we will be happy with
As a side note about 40 years ago, the town planner in Perth WA, estimated that the city was good for about one million people, after that there would be problems of water/sewerage vehicle congestion etc
Perth now has over this number (I think), it is very congestive, and they have been trying to steal our water from the south, as they are fast depleting the water from the north of the city
I personally have no problem with immigration, providing that the immigrant tries to assimilate to our culture (I yam a pommie by birth, and I yam an aussie by pasteurisation)
Hope that the above two lines are not taken out of context, as a racial slur
Back in the 1970s, I vaguely remember that 25 million was touted then 40 million in the 1980s. The biggest limit was water, mainly for agriculture to feed the population. We are doing better these days. The Ord river scheme was started to make use of a lot of wasted water. It didn't work initially but I believe it's going gangbusters these days. Feeding the hordes to the North-West.
Of all the services you have to your house, what is the one that you cannot live without? Water!! Phone, radio, electricity, gas can all go but the first flush of the loo or needing a drink and it's water that you miss. Remember that the Arabs were looking for water when they discovered oil. Lots of African wars are being fought over water.
I just thought that with all the problems we've got with clogged roads, real estate prices going through the roof , some people never being able to afford a house and heaps of other problems.Wouldn't it be time to pause the immigration and decide what population is ideal. Or am I being naive. Dave
I reckon there has to be a limit on the big capital cities sprawl. Australian cities are going outwards, not upwards. There are some urban planners say we need some more high rise in major cities. I did a few business trips to Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul & Taipei. Surprisingly I didn't feel as claustrophobic with all the big high rises and I do in the urban sprawl East of Melbourne.
If you can imagine about 30 acres divided up into 3x3 squares (like side of a rubic cube). There was a high rise on the 8 outer squares and a brilliant park in the middle. At street level in some the high rises were shops. Within walking distance was either a bus stop or a subway. Some high rises were built over train / bus stations. Never needed a car. There was never anywhere to park one in any case.
I suspect that at least Melbourne & Sydney will have to go that way. We associate high rises with either very rich people or public housing. We need to change that mentality as Joe Average needs to live there too. Reduces road network, need to travel less & hence the may have a positive effect our carbon issue.
My personaI opinion is that if there's no work here to support imagration then it's only a burden on the tax payer,and when we do need to bring people into to our overly generous and great country ,bring people in that want ta assimulate and be one of us..
-- Edited by Ron-D on Friday 21st of July 2017 08:21:56 AM
I am not going to comment on the rights and wrongs of Australia's current immigration policy but to put the argument on size into some perspective. I am currently on an island that in area is half the size of Flinders Island, there is a population of around 1.5 million people with the vast majority living at one end. It only rains a few days a year and their natural spring water got to a point where it could no longer support the population so they built 4 desalination plants. They import almost all of their food as nothing much grows here other than date palms and probably some camels but I'm still able to buy exactly the same products as I can buy in any supermarket back home. There is more development happening here than any city in Oz and it's citizens get to retire after only 20 years of work regardless of their age. So how many people can Australia support - probably lots providing the federal government provided the funds to the States that enabled them to build the infrastructure that is needed to support the extra population. The issue today is that successive federal governments increase the immigration numbers and don't then provide the adequate funding, places like Sydney and Melbourne end up struggling trying to cope with them. Does Australia need more people to come there that's a completely different argument ?
By the way Bahrain is a Muslim country and to my surprise people have been open, friendly and have made me feel completely welcome regardless of my obvious western appearance. I'm going to try and drive the 20 odd kms across the causeway into Saudi Arabia today but I don't like my chances of getting in (apparently they can be a little less welcoming) They tell me that there is a McDonalds on an island half way over so I'm going to check it out ? Sorry Rocket in order to get this thread back on line with the General topic - I haven't seen too many caravans or CPs around the place but as it's 40+deg every day with the odd sandstorm it's probably keeping the 40 year old retirees at home .
It took me a few hrs and I think I made no mistakes
In 2016 we had 24.13 million people
And there are 1300 ant species known in Australia ( I tough I put this in as well, and as Doug would say I tell you that for free )
Consider that there are more than 24.13 million people in one city, Sao Paulo in Brazil, with probably a greater ethnic diversity than we have in Australia, then consider the internet is free and reconsider the original question! Sao Paulo is actually a frightening city to visit, I hope Australia never gets that full!
".... Sorry. Just My thorts on it. Right or wrong.".
Fair enough Macka, we are all entitled to have our own opinions.
Although with all the political correctness and anti discrimination that's going around it's getting harder to express them without being shouted down.
I'm not saying I agree or disagree with your thoughts, just that I respect that fact that you are entitled to have them.
Cheers,
Jewel
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"Two people looked out from behind closed bars. One saw the mud, the other the stars."
(I yam a pommie by birth, and I yam an aussie by pasteurisation) 
