7NEWS investigates the pressures shaping the nation’s future in five-part special – As Australia’s population surges past 28 million people, the nation must confront urgent questions about how big we should become, and whether we’re ready for what comes next.
We’re not having enough babies, we’re not ready to care for the retirees we have, and no one in Canberra can settle the migration debate. Starting this Sunday at 6.00pm on Seven and 7plus, an exclusive five-part 7NEWS series, Australia Next: Population Pressure, takes on the population questions that this generation needs to get right.
From record-low fertility rates to the strain on services in booming communities and the rising cost of an ageing nation, 7NEWS travels across Australia to the places where the population is growing fastest and ageing quickest, to examine what’s at stake.
Led by National News Desk Director Hugh Whitfeld, the series brings together 7NEWS reporters across every state to deliver a comprehensive look at one of the defining issues facing the country: population.
The series begins with ‘The Baby Drought’, exploring why Australia has quietly stopped having enough children. Then throughout the week, 7NEWS will break down the biggest population challenges facing the nation, including:
- A migration debate long dominated by politics, but not resolved;
- Rapidly-expanding communities under pressure, from packed schools to overstretched services;
- The question of whether Australia can sustain future growth while protecting food production; and
- The “age wave” as fewer workers support a larger retiree population.
Hugh Whitfeld said:
“It’s not just the experts telling us something must change, it’s everyday Aussies. The economic conditions must improve so more people have more confidence to have children.
“And immigration settings must be right to make sure all Australians get to share in the wealth this country can offer,” he said.
“These are the issues every family is talking about. We’re going to find some real answers.”
A range of leading voices feature across the week, including population expert at ANU, Liz Allen and co-founder of The Demographics Group, Simon Kuestenmacher, alongside insights from business leader and finance expert David Koch.
Liz Allen said:
“By 2054, it is expected that the number of deaths will outnumber the number of births. We then have a situation where the economy could really take a beating.
“We will have to learn to do more with less, and that means living standards could go backwards.
“Without immigration, Australia’s demographic future looks very uncertain.”
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Media Release – Seven
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7NEWS investigates the pressures shaping the nation’s future in five-part special
