Australia's population could be a million more than estimated, according to Sustainable Population Australia (SPA), taking Australia's current population to over 29 million.
By failing to recognise temporary visitors in total population figures, government agencies may be systematically under-provisioning for the number of actual residents in Australia.
The Usual Residence definition that underpins the 12/16-month rule was appropriate when migration was primarily long-term but is no longer appropriate given the significant numbers of temporary residents now occupying Australia.
SPA Experts are available for further comment:
Erin Rolandsen: SPA Spokesperson
Ph: 1300 717 441 Email: [email protected]
Further reading: Australia’s official population measures are unfit for purpose, published by MacroBusiness.
Quotes attributable to Ms. Rolandsen:
“Australia’s population statistics were designed for a low-churn world, where most migrants arrived permanently and most residents stayed put. That is no longer the economy we are running.”
“The Estimated Resident Population (ERP) figure produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) only includes usual residents who have stayed at least 12 out of the last 16 months. As a result, a significant proportion of students, backpackers and skilled workers are not included Australia's population numbers.”
“Housing shortages, infrastructure bottlenecks and hospital congestion are not simply due to a failure to forecast demand. They are the result of measurement problems that have failed to consider the impact of those who are already here.”
“After accounting for visa duration and residency definitions, there are over one million people who are physically present, but who are not captured in the ABS’s ERP estimate, most often used for housing and infrastructure planning.”
Peter Strachan: SPA National President
Ph: 0412 400 952 Email: [email protected]
Further Reading: ABS data demonstrates that Federal Government does not have a population plan, SPA media release.
Quotes Attributable to Mr Strachan:
“People who work or stay in Australia for less than 12 months in any 16-month period are not classified as residents but still create demand for infrastructure and services.”
“Australia has a measurement problem when it comes to population. Imagine if city planners in Las Vagas, which has a permanent population of 642,000, ignored the food and infrastructure demands arising from its 42 million annual visitor population that can almost double its population in peak periods.
“Many of the 2. 9 million people in Australia on temporary visas are not counted in Australia’s ERP. As many as 30% of the >350,000 tourists to Australia annually, will rent accommodation during their stay, but if they leave before 364 days, they don’t show up in the usual residence numbers.”
“In an era in which we are seeing an increased casualisation of our work force, we are also experiencing a casualisation of our immigration system. Our political leaders need to stop feeding us mixed messages and admit that they’ve lost control.”
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.
