Sustainable population

Sustainable Population Strategy released
On Friday 13 May 2011, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, the Hon Tony Burke MP, released Sustainable Australia – Sustainable Communities: A Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia at the Housing Industry Association Conference, HIA@Gold Coast 2011. - Media release

Sustainable Australia – Sustainable Communities: A Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia will help to ensure that future population change is compatible with the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of Australia.

Download the strategy

A package of measures has been funded through the 2011-12 Budget to support a sustainable population in Australia.

Measures

The 2011-12 Budget provides $95 million to support a sustainable population in Australia through four measures: Suburban Jobs; Sustainable Regional Development; Promoting Regional Living; and Measuring Sustainability. These measures have strong links to other government initiatives, including changes to the Regional Sponsored Migrant Scheme, making it easier for skilled migrants to progress to permanent residency in regional Australia.

Budget media release - 10 May 2011

The Suburban Jobs initiative is intended to drive the development of more job opportunities within easy reach of where people live in the outer suburbs of Australia's major capital cities. It will support local and state governments to plan and help deliver employment precincts, manufacturing hubs and multifunction developments close to residential areas in growing outer suburbs.

Suburban jobs initiative

The $29.2 million Sustainable Regional Development program will support better sustainability planning in regions that are experiencing high growth, through strategic assessments under national environmental law in up to seven additional regional and coastal growth areas.

The $11.5 million Promoting Regional Living program will support Australia's regions to promote the lifestyle and business opportunities in regional areas. This will build on the Government's commitment to build more affordable homes in regional cities to relieve pressure on major capital cities through Building Better Regional Cities.

The $10.1 million Measuring Sustainability program will develop a set of Sustainability Indicators to measure Australia's progress towards more sustainable communities. This set of sustainability indicators can be factored in at a regional level to better inform decision makers. The Government will work with key data agencies such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with data to be regularly released at national, state and where available regional level.

In addition to these measures, the Government will provide a further $81.4 million in new investments to help cities become more productive, sustainable and liveable. These commitments include:

$61.4 million for managed motorways that allow more efficient use of our road infrastructure, bringing mums and dads home from work faster; and
$20 million for Urban Renewal to help improve planning and design of the outer suburbs and major regional centres that are experiencing population growth pressures and housing and transport affordability cost pressures.

Public consultation

The Issues Paper, A Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia, was released on 16 December 2010. 380 submissions were received, reflecting a wide variety of views. Submissions helped to inform the government's development of the sustainable population strategy.

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