Australia's population climbs over 22 million

25 Mar 2010, 2:47 pm   -   Source: SBS staff and agencies
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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed Australia's population is continuing to grow and climbed over 22 million last year. (AAP)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed Australia's population is continuing to grow and climbed over 22 million last year. (AAP)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed Australia's population is continuing to grow and climbed over 22 million last year.

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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed Australia's population is continuing to grow and climbed over 22-million last year.

The growth rate was 2.1 per cent, or a boost of 451,900 people.

According to the ABS, 66 per cent of the growth was due to overseas migrants to Australia.

The net overseas migration was 294,400 people, 9,000 higher than the previous year.

The statistics come after former NSW Premier Bob Carr said Australia needed to cap its population at 28 million to save the environment from further damage.

"Australia needs a population policy that says we ought to be stabilising our population at 28 million," he said.

Speaking at a forum in Brisbane, Mr Carr also questioned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's statement last year that Australia should aim for a "bigger Australia" of nearly 35 million in the next 40 years.

"I disagree with that, because the population numbers might be getting higher, but the rivers aren't getting more robust, the rainfall isn't getting more regular, our native species - plants and animals - aren't getting any more protected, our soils aren't getting any thicker and our rivers aren't getting any more volumes," Mr Carr said.

"At some point we can't go on increasing Australia's population," he said.

Executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Don Henry, said migration levels should return to levels seen in 1990.

"We're calling on the Federal Government to set a population policy in place that'll stabilise our population by mid-century," he said.
 

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