You may already be aware that the Environment Minister Tony Bourke is conducting an Inquiry into a Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia.
Three “expert panels” were appointed who reported to the Minister in December. Currently public submissions are invited. The due date is 1 March (tomorrow) but submissions will be accepted until mid-March so it is not too late.
Please consider sending in a submission to the inquiry. It does not need to be either long or authoritative. Those of you who regularly write letters to newspapers (I know many of you do) simply write such a message and send it as a submission.
Choose one or two points to make that particularly concern you – such as impacts on the environment and wildlife cost of living increases to pay for the increased rate of construction of new utilities and transport infrastructure the lack of jobs and training places for our young people the growing income inequality in Australia with migrant labour keeping basic wages down your own personal experience at job seeking in relation to the supposed skills shortage why you don’t think increasing urban density would improve things or the great contributions of older Australians.
To make a submission go to the inquiry web site http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/population/consultation/index.html
There are links there to the Issues Paper which the Minister released in December and which summarises the positions presented by the expert panel reports (with rather greater emphasis on the growthist “Productivity and Prosperity” report) and to the three panel reports. You don’t have to read all these to make a submission. [b]But you do need to download the submission cover sheet.[/b]
The Issues Paper includes a list of questions for which public responses are sought. You don’t need to answer any or all of these questions. However responses to these questions will be collated in the synthesis of submissions so you may have more chance of making a point if it is presented as a response to one of the questions. I’ll paste the questions below – you will notice that they are carefully selected to focus on the management of population growth not the issues of whether or not it is desirable or beneficial or even a choice.
Q1: What issues do you think a Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia should address?
Population and the Environment:
Q2: What do you think are the key indicators of an environmentally sustainable community?
Q3: How have changes in the population impacted on your local environment?
Q4: How might technological or governance improvements mitigate the environmental impacts of population growth?
Q5: How do population driven changes in your local economy affect your environment?
Q6: What lessons have we learnt that will help us to better manage the impacts of population change on the environment?
Population and the economy:
Q7: What do you see as the defining characteristics of a flourishing and sustainable economy?
Q8: Is your community business or industry facing skills shortages or other immediate economic pressures and how are these best managed?
Q9: In the decades to come what challenges and opportunities will our economy face and how will they interact with changes in our population?
Q10: How should we measure the sustainability of our local regional and national economies?
Sustainable Communities:
Q11: What are the things that make your community a good place to live?
Q12: How have changes in the population changed the way you live your life?
Q13: What sustainability issues need to be addressed in order for your community to accommodate a changing Australian population?
Q14: What are some useful indicators to help measure the liveability and sustainability of our communities?
Best of luck
Jane O’Sullivan
President SPA-SEQ Branch
from the government web site www.environment.gov.au/sustainablepopulation
Final call for submissions
Issues paper: A Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia
The opportunity to comment on a sustainable population strategy for Australia is coming to a close. Submissions on the Issues Paper for a Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia formally close on Tuesday 1 March 2011. [b]Late submissions will be considered to mid-March 2011.[/b]
Submissions are helping to inform the government as it develops the Sustainable Population Strategy and they will continue to be assessed during March.
* Submissions now available online
The Issues Paper was released in December 2010. It identifies and explores issues around Australia’s changing population.
Subscribe to the Sustainable Population E-news to be notified of updates.
* Have your say – submissions formally close Tuesday 1 March 2011. [b]Late submissions will be considered to mid-March 2011. [/b]