Australia's migration policy can be considered a population policy as it is the only viable option to maintain the replacement rate above 2.1. The policy enables the government to control one aspect of population with the intake of immigrants that not only add to the working force but initially have higher fertility rates when settling in Australia. This policy also enables the government to be selective of migrants, such as choosing skilled migrants from other nations who have completed their tertiary education. This removes the costs involved in training and educating these skilled workers and is a contributing factor the strategies implemented to attract skilled migrants from overseas.
The government has few other options in terms of population policies as it will never implement nor be able to a policy such as the 'one child policy' in China. Other options for the government include the baby bonus scheme, which involves payments that total between $5000-$7000 for a family with a new born child. The policy may increase births for a period of time but is unlikely to alter the social trend ingrained in Australian society where families generally have two children and if anything is likely only to shift the timing of births. But the strategy acts as an incentive for families to have children earlier rather than delay and includes subsidized childcare and paid parental leave.
A sustainable population for Australia involves one that does not place greater strain or demand of natural resources and ensures that we are well within the limits of our carrying capacity as a nation. The predicted population of 36 million by 2050 does not represent a figure of a sustainable population as other factors impact this figure such as the distribution of people, our ability to facilitate an increasing population for example by increasing density and minimising urban sprawl in order to not only house more people but to ensure that the environment and our rural areas are not threatened. Population within Australia is already distributed unevenly with migrants also opting to live along the east cost either in Melbourne or Sydney, which places greater strain on urban infrastructure. Yet the government can create a solution by creating incentives for people to move in regional centres thus simultaneously stimulating the local economy while reducing the pressure on urban infrastructure.
A cap on population growth would likely be imposed through the restriction of migration as it is the most viable option the government possess. A cap on population growth would ensure that Australia's population is within its carrying capacity with issues over resources such as water and food causing concern while ensuring that Australians could continue to live in the same manner and therefore within our cultural capacity. The weaknesses of a cap would see a decrease in the skilled workers entering the work force, which in turn may threaten economic growth and sustainability while ensuring that our population will age in the years to come as current social trends are likely to continue. Ultimately a reduction in migrant intake would result in a rapid shift in our population structure resulting in an ageing population, which involves increasing costs for aged care that will not only threaten the economy but other areas within out nation such as infrastructure and education.
Australia should focus on maintaining our population growth above replacement rate and ensuring a sustainable population for the future. This focus will ensure that our workforce will not be depleted and our economy will still experience growth. Yet there should be some focus placed on population growth on a global scale on a long term scale to ensure that nations are working together to ensure that the Earth's carrying capacity or more importantly its cultural capacity is not exceeded. This global focus is not a current priority but as global populations increase it will be a defining issue in the future impacting other major issues such as climate change.
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