Summary

Program, 'Australia in 2050, The Population Summit 2002' issued by the Government of Victoria in February 2002. Held in Melbourne in February 2002, hosted by the Victorian Government and chaired by Steve Vizard, the 2002 Population Summit (Australia in 2050) was attended by politicians, prominent Australians, school students and population policy experts.

During the Summit the Premiers of all States, except South Australia, and the Chief Ministers of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory signed an historic communique which recommends acknowledgement of the need for a National Population Policy, the establishment of an intergovernmental Population Council to develop, communicate and co-ordinate matters, to educate, to commission research, maintain a national database and report annually.

Despite this agreement the Summit saw a wide range of views about Australia's population needs: Philip Ruddock (then Minister for Immigration) argued "Australia does not need a population policy", Simon Crean (then Opposition Leader) pushed for Australia to set population targets as part of a comprehensive population policy, Former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser wanted a target of 40 million, largely from increased immigration, others pushed for a target population of 50 million by 2050 also from increased immigration, and Ross Garnaut, Professor of Economics at the Australian National University, stated "that without population growth through increased fertility and immigration, Australia would become a declining, ageing place and questions would be asked about its viability as a national sovereign entity". Conversely Peter Mc Donald, Professor of Social Sciences at ANU argued that to achieve a population of 50 million by 2050 was far above any realistic past or future achievement.

Physical Description

Booklet with cover printed on matt finished paper. Blue background with stylised image of Australia with faces in olive green. Text on right hand edge of cover and logo and text in top left hand corner.

More Information