Shock at state of Queensland population growth
QUEENSLAND’S population is projected to more than double within 50 years, soaring to 11.5 million people, shock figures reveal.
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QUEENSLAND’S population is projected to more than double within 50 years, soaring to 11.5 million people, shock figures reveal.
Great stress will also be put on the health and aged care systems as the number of older Queenslanders, 65 years and above, triples.
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Queensland Government Statistician’s Office figures, released today, show the capital city’s population will swell by almost 400,000 people over the next 25 years, making the Brisbane City Council area home to 1.5 million. The Gold Coast population will hit almost one million people by 2041, while the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Logan are expected to reach 500,000 people, about the size of the Gold Coast now.
Townsville will be home to another 90,000 people in that time, while Cairns will grow by another 74,000 residents.
The Courier-Mail’s Future SEQ campaign highlighted the potential growing pains faced by the region as it struggles to meet its infrastructure needs.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has written to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk seeking input within three weeks on whether Queensland wants its immigration levels cut or increased, and where the people should go. The figures predict the state’s population could grow to 11.5 million people by 2066, on high projections, or to 9.5 million people on more moderate data.
Even in the next 25 years, the number of people living in the Sunshine State is predicted to grow by 2.3 million to 7.1 million. The Queenslanders aged 65 years and over category is projected to rise from 714,000 in 2016 to 2.36 million in 2066, making up a quarter of the population.
Queensland’s population is currently being bolstered by a net increase of 31,000 new migrants a year, outpacing population increase through births.
EARLIER: Premier’s pressure on immigration cuts
PRIME Minister Scott Morrison will write to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk seeking input on whether Queensland wants its immigration levels cut, increased and where the people should go – and he wants an answer in three weeks.
It follows Mr Morrison revealing he wants to see the country’s overseas immigration intake cut by up to 30,000 people, because “roads were clogged” and schools were full in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Prime Minister is writing to state premiers, telling them to come to him with details on how many migrants they want by the next Council of Australian Governments on December 12.
Queensland population is currently being bolstered by a net increase of 31,000 new migrants each year, an almost 40 per cent increase since 2015.
Net overseas migration outpaces natural birth in terms of population growth in the state, while 90 per cent of the total population increase takes place in the south-east corner.
Ms Palaszczuk yesterday would not buy into the immigration debate.
“The Premier has received no correspondence from the Prime Minister in regard to changing Australia’s immigration intake,” a spokesman said.
“Immigration is fundamentally a matter for the Federal Government.”
Mr Morrison on Monday night said migration accounted for 54 per cent of Australia’s population growth in the two decades leading to 2016, with 75 per cent of migrants settling in Sydney, Melbourne and south-east Queensland.
But in February, he dismissed the idea of dropping migration levels, saying an intake of 80,000 people would cost the budget up to $5 billion over five years.
Cities and Population Minister Alan Tudge said the 30,000 person cut would not have the same impact on the budget.
“It’s very important we maintain a strong migration intake. But that’s got to be balanced out with the population pressures, which particularly Sydney and Melbourne are feeling,” he said.
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said it was “a bit rich” for Mr Morrison to propose changes to immigration intake “five minutes before the election while the Liberal Party had been in government for five years.
“Some months ago Labor offered bipartisanship to Scott Morrison when it came to setting levels of migration,” she said.
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