You are invited to a talk on "Big, Thirsty Australia: how population growth threatens our water security and sustainability" - based on Sustainable Population Australia's recent Discussion Paper.

Authors Jonathan Sobels and Sandra Kanck will explain how most Australians are oblivious of the momentous changes taking place in Australia’s water security due to population growth and climate change. For 200 years, Australia’s expanding population has driven demand for more water. As population continues to grow due to high immigration levels, concerns about water security are also mounting. Recent major droughts (1997-2009 and 2017-19) have put pressure on water supplies in both small towns and capital cities, prompting state governments to commission large-scale desalination plants.

Population growth slowed (but did not halt) during the Covid-19 pandemic, when migrants leaving Australia briefly exceeded those arriving. Then the government restarted immigration at unprecedented levels: six times the long-term average! Even if the government succeeds in reducing immigration to pre-Covid levels, Australia will grow from 27 million to 40 million people within 40 years.

There has been surprisingly little discussion about whether there will be enough water to support this goal. Despite Australia being the driest continent with the least run-off and most variable rainfall, water planning simply assumes the population projections of the Treasury Department must be achieved. Treasury projects high immigration levels in order to boost GDP, without considering natural resources or our quality of life. Assumed technological fixes,e.g. desalination, may not be the solution.

This talk argues that assumptions of water abundance are flawed.

Bring your questions along. Free. The Minor Works Building, 22 Stamford Ct Adelaide (off Sturt St)

Contact the host of Big, Thirsty Australia free talk on Water Security and the Environment

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