On 24 January, Australia’s population reached 27 million. We’ve passed that milestone many years earlier than had been predicted. Why so soon? The main reason is mass immigration: one person arrives (to live here) every 45 seconds. Is it any wonder that we’re experiencing a housing crisis and infrastructure bottlenecks in every major population centre?
As the ABC points out, ‘The 624,100 population increase over the past 12 months is equivalent to adding the population of Tasmania (572,800) in just one year. This annual growth is 41 per cent larger than the previous record when the population increased by 442,500 in 2009. It also exceeds the Howard government’s first inter-generational report forecast in 2002, which said the national population would not reach 25.3 million people until 2042.‘
In 2015, we reported that Australia had overshot the United Nations’ 1987 Population Card projections by more than 2 million. Mission creep is dangerously easy when parliamentarians provide bipartisan support for high immigration.
An example of bipartisan support was on display last November when Peter Dutton, Leader of the Opposition, visited New Delhi and declared: ‘there is a strong bipartisan support between the two major political parties in Australia when it comes to nurturing migration with India’. His lecture outlined how ‘Indian migration to Australia blossomed and our [sic] diaspora grew’, and how this is anticipated to continue apace. (The lecture can be viewed in full here, while the short section giving statistics about Indian migration is here.)
Repeated studies confirm that around 70% of Australians are concerned about increased immigration into Australia and our high rate of population growth; they feel that Australia does not need more people. (Sources: 2013; 2019; 2021; 2022; 2023.) They know that high immigration adversely affects our environmental and economic sustainability, social cohesion and cultural integrity. But public opinion here is ignored by the political decision-makers! – and that’s why we advocate for the Reduce Immigration write-on campaign.
We are not alone in recommending a reduction to immigration. Demographer Mark McCrindle told the ABC that it’s ‘crucial for Australia to get back to “sustainable” growth [by] trying to get the balance between a natural increase as well as migration’.
For a grim reality check, spend some time on Australia Day watching the ABS population clock ticking.
Then, as an antidote, review and reflect on some of the messages we’ve shared on these important topics, including statements from Gularrwuy Yunupingu and Tony Abbott as well as our posts on previous Australia Days:
2021 Jacinta Price speaks up for all Australians about #AustraliaDay
2019 No surprise: Polls show majority support for 26 January as #AustraliaDay, and for #ReduceImmigration
2018 #AustraliaDay2018: Making good our historical amnesia
2017 Ritualised xenophilia takes over #AustraliaDay
2016 This #AustraliaDay, support @RealBobKatter call for cut to mass migration
2015 #AustraliaDay: A time to reflect on ‘benign cultural genocide’
2014 The Australian ballot: A great tradition, thanks to #AustraliaDay 1788
Also, please explore the latest additions to our Select Bibliography about immigration issues.
Above all, enjoy this Australia Day in your own way.
Reduce Immigration 