Media release 24 April 2026
- Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) says that high levels of immigration experienced since 2005 increases rental costs and lowers vacancy rates.
- Government’s housing crisis fixes make the housing crisis worse by increasing demand through high levels of overseas migration and home buying support, that increases demand without increasing supply.
- Recent data showing national housing vacancy rates at critically low levels — around 0.7 per cent of total rental properties, underscores a deepening crisis that cannot be solved by supply measures alone while demand continues to surge unchecked.
- More information available from the SPA report “The Housing Crisis is a Population Crisis.”
SPA experts are available for further comment
Peter Strachan – Sustainable Population Australia, National President
0412 400 952 [email protected]
Available for further comment from 06:30am AWST
A short video of Peter Strachan is available to watch HERE.
Quotes attributable to Mr Strachan:
“The core issue is not a failure of supply, but explosive demand driven by net overseas migration, which accounts for approximately 74 per cent of Australia's total population growth in recent periods.”
"The data is clear — Australia's housing industry has a strong track record of supplying homes at a high rate per capita compared to most OECD nations, often ranking among the top performers in housing completions per person, yet the housing crisis worsens because immigration fed demand exceeds the pace at which homes can be delivered.”
“Continuing high immigration levels is not compassionate; it exacerbates unaffordability, rental stress, and social division for existing residents and new arrivals alike, as well as being environmentally unsustainable.”
“At a time of extreme housing shortage, it is reckless to continue adding approximately 311,000 people to Australia's population annually through net overseas migration. The Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that net immigration currently boosts the nation's population by around 907 people daily."
“The situation is compounded by severe energy vulnerability amid global conflicts, with risks of food insecurity emerging later this year. “
“Pushing Australia's population beyond 28 million in 2026 risks further unimagined social stress, ongoing environmental damage through land clearing for housing and infrastructure, and higher emissions."
“SPA calls on the Federal Government to immediately reduce net overseas migration to sustainable levels that align with Australia's capacity to provide housing, infrastructure, energy security, and environmental protection."
“Prioritising the wellbeing of existing residents — including young Australians struggling to enter the housing market — must take precedence over rapid population expansion.”
Michael Seebeck – SPA Spokesperson
[email protected] 0439 736 001
Quotes attributable to Dr Seebeck:
“It is unacceptable that this government has chosen to continue to rapidly increase our population through migration, knowing full well that it will perpetuate and amplify housing shortages, and unsustainable environmental destruction.”
“Adding 900 extra people per day, who all need somewhere to live, undoubtedly exacerbates rental & housing shortages, and degrades the quality of life for almost all of us; more traffic, more queues, longer waits for GP & specialist appointments, and all our nice places, our beaches & national parks are even more crowded, leaving wildlife with even less habitat, and with more suffering and mortality from road trauma.”
“Population increase degrades the environment especially in the areas around cities & regional centres, pushing wildlife into even less remaining habitat, marginalising them further, often unsustainably, contributing to local extinctions of many species.”
About us:
SPA is an independent not-for-profit organisation seeking to protect the environment and our quality of life by ending population growth in Australia and globally, while rejecting racism and involuntary population control. SPA is an environmental advocacy organisation, not a political party.
