The latest Resolve Strategic public opinion survey on views about the level of migrant intake proves yet again that a large majority of Australians think our immigration levels and population growth are too high.
Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) says it reinforces findings from previous surveys over several years and using a variety of sampling methods and questions:
- ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods January 2019 - 69.6% do not support further population growth
- Resolve Strategic survey November 2021 - 58% think immigration should be lower than pre-pandemic levels
- The Australian Population Research Institute survey October 2021 - 70% do not want a return to pre-pandemic immigration levels and 69% do not support more population growth
- The Australian Population Research Institute survey February 2023 - 70% do not want a return to pre-pandemic immigration levels and 65% do not support more population growth
- Essential Poll 29 May 2023 - 60% support capping of immigrant numbers until we have sufficient affordable housing
- Resolve Strategic survey July 2023 - 59% say the current level of migrant intake is too high
SPA national president Ms Jenny Goldie says the question that must be asked of our politicians is: why, in the face of such abundant evidence, do they continue to ignore the wishes of the vast majority of the Australian people?
"Why are they imposing these crushing levels of population growth - currently at an unprecedented 2% per annum - causing a housing crisis, infrastructure stress and environmental deterioration?" says Ms Goldie.
"According to Treasury projections, population growth will continue at these extraordinary levels during the rest of the decade. Net overseas migration (NOM) is projected at a record 260,000 or more for most of the remainder of this decade.
"That is substantially higher than the pre-covid 2007-2019 average of 226,000, and three times the twentieth century post-war average of 85,000.
"The Albanese government's crazy levels of population growth are three to four times those of most European countries, also the US, China, and Japan. Trudeau's Canada is the only substantial or rich nation with a more extreme immigration policy than ours.
"As was recommended by the Productivity Commission, genuine community consultation, ecological/environmental sustainability and human wellbeing must surely rate highly as decision-making criteria for such a fundamental issue as population size.
"We urge voters to contact their politicians to express their concerns."
