Media release

Burston: It’s time to curb immigration and ease population pressure

UNITED Australia Party Senate Leader, Brian Burston, has declared immigration and Australian population numbers a key issue in the lead up to the next federal election.

With Australia’s population now north of 25 million people, infrastructure groaning under the strain and cities bursting at the seams, Senator Burston says it’s time to make some serious decisions on the nation’s forward population plan.

“In 2002 Peter Costello released the Intergenerational Report when our population was 19.7 million and forecast that we would reach 25 million people by 2042. Eight years later Wayne Swan revised the estimate saying we would get to 25 million by 2028,” Senator Burston said.

“And yet, here we are, in 2018, facing a population bubble unless we tackle the important issues now. Several factors have contributed to our population explosion, but immigration intake is certainly one of them.

“This is not about race or cultural background; it’s about numbers. Our infrastructure can’t cope, housing availability and affordability is out of control and too many people are flocking to our major cities in search of work and security.

“What we can do to ease the strain on our cities and distribute the population is to provide incentives to individuals, families and businesses to settle in regional Australia.

“Decentralising the country will have profound benefits for the future of this country. The United Australia Party will deliver policies such as zonal taxation where regional residents pay 20% less tax to encourage investment and resettlement.

“Eighty-five percent of Australia’s wealth is created outside the capital cities, so it makes perfect sense to invest in the fabric of our nation and at the same time ease the pressure on major centres.

“We must make sensible decisions that protect our way of life, our standard of living and the futures of all Australians. It’s time to unite the country on a common-sense ticket,” Senator Burston declared.