Town/Reg Planning

The Great Regionalisation Distraction:
Sending migrants to the regions no solution to population growth, says SPA

Sending new migrants to the regions, as the new Population Minister, Alan Tudge, suggests is just ‘tinkering around the edges’ in dealing with Australia’s population growth problems, according to Sustainable Population Australia (SPA).

SPA national president Sandra Kanck says current net overseas migration (NOM) is simply too large, no matter where migrants go.

On August 23 Michael Bayliss (President, VicTas Branch)  was invited to speak to the national Safe Cities conference on the topic: 'The Impact on Rapid Population Growth in Urban Centres'.  Michael used Melbourne and other Australian cities as case examples as to how rapidly growing cities affect public safety through bad building design, health sector infrastructure, psychology and well-being,  and long term environmental viability.

A UN Report[i] to be issued tomorrow (July 10), the day before World Population Day, will note that by 2050 about two-thirds of all humans will live in urban areas. Most of the anticipated urban growth by 2050 will occur in Asia and Africa. Already, more than half the global population lives in cities.

Greening cities, the theme of this year’s Earth Day, is a noble objective but not enough to ensure sustainable communities, according to Sustainable Population Australia (SPA).

Only by stabilising population numbers in cities can sustainability hope to be achieved, says SPA’s national president, Ms Jenny Goldie.

By agreeing to be keynote speaker at the National Conference of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) tomorrow, Kevin Rudd is playing into the hands of the development lobby, according to Sustainable Population Australia Inc (SPA).  Rudd will be speaking on 'Population Growth for a Stronger Economy' at the UDIA conference in Melbourne.
 
SPA National President Sandra Kanck says the development lobby has a vested interest in population growth since it reaps the profits without paying any of the costs.
 

Kelvin Thompson, Federal Member for Wills in Coburg, Melbourne, has again pointed out that "A bigger Melbourne is not a better Melbourne". Fimmaker and SPA member Fred Zervas has recorded his speech which you can see at: http://vimeo.com/36865208

A letter from the SPA Vic Branch to the Victorian Minister for Planning, Hon. Matthew Guy, MLC regarding visions for Melbourne's future.