Transformation of Australia's population, 1970-2030.

In 2011 the world's population exceeded 7 billion. Each year we add nearly 80 million people and by mid-century we will require twice as much food and double the energy we use today. Australia will be deeply affected by these trends - we have the fastest growing population of any developed nation.These are the staggering facts that confronted Dick Smith. They set him on his crusade to alert us to the dangers of unsustainable growth. They are the facts that have convinced him that if we are to ensure the survival of our civilisation and the health of the planet then we must put a stop to population growth, now.As our cities continue their unrestrained growth, as we battle daily on crowded public transport and clogged freeways, and as we confront the reality of water and power shortages, Dick challenges the long-held myth that growth is good for us. But more importantly he offers ways for us to re-invent our economy, to reassess the way we live and to at least slow down that ticking clock. This is a provocative, powerful and urgent call to arms.

This title was first published in 19/11/2001: This text addresses important questions about Australia's population size and distribution which are likely to dominate the country's politics in the 21st century. The book's approach to the population question begins with a broad analysis of Australia's wellbeing. A decline in the quality of life for many Australians, growing inequality and conflict suggest that Australia is overpopulated. Population size, however, does not explain Australia's problems. These are considered in the following chapters in the context of the shortcomings of Australia's democracy; the costs of maldevelopment in the distribution of the population; the mismanagement of resources; and the level of foreign ownership. The book then focuses on the changing external milieux and Australia's engagement with Asia. This analysis provides an understanding of building pressures for Australia to accept more migrants as well as the desirability for migration to promote Australia's integration with its Asian neighbours. In the last two chapters, the book examines the main domestic forces at work for a bigger or smaller population. It argues that Australia should be more generous and accept many more people than it presently does. Australia has room for many more people. Population distribution, however, is a critical issue in Australia's quest for a better future and population growth needs to be diverted away from the eastern seaboard and the main cities of Melbourne and Sydney to regional Australia. The book makes a case for population growth in coastal cities as part of northern Australia's regional development.

Dick Smith takes on the hot topic of our times, arguing that Australian and global population growth carries enormous risks, dangers that none of our political parties is prepared to address. In 2011 the world's population exceeded 7 billion. Each year we add nearly 80 million people and by mid-century we will require twice as much food and double the energy we use today. Australia will be deeply affected by these trends - we have the fastest growing population of any developed nation. These are the staggering facts that confronted Dick Smith. They set him on his crusade to alert us to the dangers of unsustainable growth. They are the facts that have convinced him that if we are to ensure the survival of our civilisation and the health of the planet then we must put a stop to population growth, now. As our cities continue their unrestrained growth, as we battle daily on crowded public transport and clogged freeways, and as we confront the reality of water and power shortages, Dick challenges the long-held myth that growth is good for us. But more importantly he offers ways for us to re-invent our economy, to reassess the way we live and to at least slow down that ticking clock. This is a provocative, powerful and urgent call to arms.

Analyzing today's evolving demographic context in Australia, this book discusses such population issues as the "graying" of Australia, the scale and composition of current immigration, single parent families and changes in family composition, and school populations in towns and regions. The author brings forward important demographic changes and trends to highlight their social and economic implications for policymakers and planners in the private and public sectors.