Product Overview
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Dick Smith sets out on a mission to uncover just what’s so good about a Big Australia.
Every one minute Australia’s population increases by a new person, currently making Australia the gold medallist of growth! Our population is rising at a faster rate than any European nation, and faster than China, India and Indonesia. In 2009 record levels of overseas migration and childbirth increased our population by 480,000 people and by 2050 it’s predicted Australia’s population will reach 36 million.
According to Dick Smith, that’s a recipe for disaster. Taking into account the serious challenges of lack of water, poor soil and urban congestion, Dick believes we need to stabilise our population, not increase it. Population Puzzle delves into all of these issues as Dick spends six months travelling around Australia and Bangladesh, questioning the experts’ claims that we need more people to deal with an ageing population and skills shortages.
Every one minute Australia’s population increases by a new person, currently making Australia the gold medallist of growth! Our population is rising at a faster rate than any European nation, and faster than China, India and Indonesia. In 2009 record levels of overseas migration and childbirth increased our population by 480,000 people and by 2050 it’s predicted Australia’s population will reach 36 million.
According to Dick Smith, that’s a recipe for disaster. Taking into account the serious challenges of lack of water, poor soil and urban congestion, Dick believes we need to stabilise our population, not increase it. Population Puzzle delves into all of these issues as Dick spends six months travelling around Australia and Bangladesh, questioning the experts’ claims that we need more people to deal with an ageing population and skills shortages.
“It’s the elephant in the room, the hidden issue no one really wants to talk about, yet it effects every aspect of our Australia way of life and we have to really start thinking about it and planning for the future,” Dick Smith
