Local govt calls on state (QLD) to adopt population inquiry findings

With community polling confirming the findings of the McDonald Inquiry Report on the need for a state population policy LGAQ president Cr Paul Bell has called on the state government to incorporate the report’s 18 recommendations in its Growth Management Study.

“The final report of the Inquiry has been accepted and adopted by the LGAQ executive” Cr Bell said today.

“The LGAQ executive is calling on the government to develop a State Population Policy before the next state election” he said.

“The final report and community polling show there are major concerns throughout the state with labour market stresses housing affordability growth management regional development infrastructure Investment and sustainability of development.”

“All these issues need to be addressed in a state Population Policy” Cr Bell said.

After Inquiry chairman Professor Peter McDonald handed down his interim report a month ago the LGAQ commissioned Graham Young of the independent National Forum group to undertake state-wide opinion polling on the Inquiry’s recommendations.

“Respondents to the polling overwhelmingly expect population growth to stay strong in Queensland there is little that can be done to stop population growing and that the growth can be handled with appropriate policies” Cr Bell said.

“But more than 80 per cent of respondents believe that significant investment in infrastructure needs to be made upfront” he said.

“In financing the infrastructure needed respondents pin-pointed the development and resources industries as possible sources of funds. Developers should pay more particularly in the area of transport infrastructure they said.

“And although respondents were in favour of encouraging Queensland’s resources industries they believed resource companies were not contributing enough to social and economic infrastructure” Cr Bell said.

The McDonald Inquiry Report’s key issues centred on effective growth management and accommodating growth without compromising liveability affordability and long-term ecological sustainability.

The report maintained that rapid population growth required significant upfront investment in new public infrastructure to meet the needs of all Queenslanders including new residents.

Media release July 2 2010