Cities need new plan for future migration

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Created on Friday, 13 April 2012 17:35

Written by Editorial staff

As migration agents know, one of the first ports of call for any new arrivals to Australia are the major city centres.

With their combination of convenient amenities, public transport, health facilities and entertainment, these large centres of domestic activity are often seen as the ideal starting point for international travellers looking to get involved in a new country.

As more immigrants make these cities their home, they often form small communities known as 'cultural hubs,' which in turn can offer beneficial services to new arrivals.

However, the draw of the urban lifestyle is not without its troubles, as increasing population densities pushes up demand for public services and can put a strain on existing infrastructure.

Some of these concerns have been addressed by the Property Council of Australia (PCA), which has launched a national campaign to highlight the need for additional investment in housing, employment sustainability and other factors if the number of residents continues to climb.

Chief executive of the PCA Peter Verwer asserted: "The aim of the campaign is to engage the community on the future growth of our cities and mobilise support for more political action."

Projections provided by the council show that by 2030 the Australian population will have increased by approximately 6.2 million people, taking into account birth rates, mortality figures and net overseas migration.

While the rates of growth are predicted to differ across the various capitals - Adelaide was seen to move from 1.2 million in the present day to 1.7 million in 2056, while Sydney was shown to nearly double to 7 million in the same timeframe - the message was clear in the report, settlement and infrastructure plans needed to be reviewed.

Net migration was found to play a large role in these growth patterns - and while the report was careful to not point blame in any particular direction, it could be said to have provided a solution to certain issues at the same time.

With the need for new infrastructure and industry support - particularly in the face of an ageing population - migration could continue to offer the country a valuable source of labour that may be used to deliver improvements and upgrades across the board.

As Mr Verwer phrased it: "People don't want their federal government to be bystanders in cities policy - they want targeted action."