Covid and the Great Exodus

Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Apr-20

Net overseas migration accounted for 63 per cent of Australia’s population growth in the year to September. The nation’s population increased by 371,000 during this period; meanwhile, the federal government’s April 2019 Budget had forecast net overseas migration of 271,000 in 2020. However, data from Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge shows that the number of temporary visa holders fell by 260,000 to 2.17 million in the March quarter. Economist Warren Hogan warns that the decline in net ­migration will have an impact on consumer spending and the housing market.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY

Ageing a $36b hit to budget within a decade

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 2-Apr-19

The Parliamentary Budget Office has predicted that Australia’s ageing population will see government revenue fall by around $20 billion within the next 10 years. This is due to reduced workforce participation, which results in less people paying tax; spending on the aged is tipped to rise by $16 billion over the same period. However, the PBO notes that immigration can help to offset the possible impact of ageing on the budget, as most migrants tend to be younger than the average, while they can boost the birth rate by increasing the number of people of reproductive age.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Canberra still to control overall overseas intake, says Morrison

Original article by Andrew Tillett, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 13-Nov-18

The federal government will seek greater input from the states on the immigration rate, based on what they feel is their "carrying capacity" in terms of the infrastructure and services they can provide. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government will always be responsible for setting overall migrant numbers, and that it is not something it will be "contracting out" to the states. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has welcomed plans for the states to have more input on migrant numbers, saying it is "playing catch-up" on the infrastructure that is needed because of recent population growth.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

PM push for states to set migrant rate

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Nov-18

The federal government is understood to be planning major changes to immigration policy that would see the states and territories assume responsibility for determining permanent migrant numbers. Such a change would help address a major problem with current population policy, namely that while the states and territories are in charge of infrastructure issues like schools and roads, the federal government controls immigration, one of the major "levers" of population.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Keep home-building level high, association says

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 9-Apr-18

The Housing Industry Association notes that 2016 was a record year for new house construction, with 230,000 being built, and that this rate of construction needs to be maintained for the next two decades. The HIA states this level of construction is needed to meet demand levels and to help maintain housing affordability. The HIA also wants immigration levels to be maintained, in order to offset the impact of Australia’s ageing population and falling birth rates.

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Plan now or quality of city life will fall

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Feb-18

Infrastructure Australia contends that governments need to start planning for what it claims will be a population increase of 12 million over the next 30 years. Much of this growth is expected to occur in major capital cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, but Infrastructure Australia warns that the quality of life in large cities will suffer if planning does not start now on infrastructure issues such as the adoption of user-pays road systems and the development of large "timetable-free" public transport networks.

CORPORATES
INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA

Budget deficits for 40 years

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Mar-15

The Australian Government’s Intergenerational Report forecasts that the nation’s population will rise from 23.9 million to 39.7 million over the next four decades. It also forecasts that Australians will live longer, with more than 40,000 people over the age of 100 by 2055, while the workforce participation rate of people aged 65+ will rise and there will be fewer people under the age of 65 in the workforce. Treasurer Joe Hockey has used the release of the report to warn that Australia faces decades of Budget deficits unless policy reforms are implemented

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MIGRATION COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA