National News

UWA researchers ask where should future Australians live?

Australia’s population is set to double over the next century, and researchers at The University of Western Australia have created an online survey that looks at how to distribute this projected growth across the country.

The researchers from UWA’s Australian Urban Design Research Centre have today released the Plan My Australia survey to support planning for new cities across Australia.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s population will increase from 25 to 53 million by 2101, mainly due to immigration.

Presuming that half of this projected 28 million increase is dispersed across existing Australian cities and towns, the survey seeks to scope possible configurations for accommodating the remaining 14 million.

The survey is designed to be anonymous and asks respondents to evaluate eight different population distribution plans.

Participants are asked to consider climate, infrastructure, economic opportunity and natural heritage when locating the 14 million future Australians.

Dr Julian Bolleter from UWA’s Australian Urban Design Research Centre said everyone living in Australia had a stake in its future and was invited to participate in the Plan My Australia survey.

“The Planning Institute of Australia is currently promoting the need for a ‘National Settlement Strategy’ for cities and regions that identifies areas with the highest capacity for urbanisation,” Dr Bolleter said.

“It is intended the Plan My Australia results will inform this much-needed national scale planning as well as State Government level planning.”

“We want to hear from you about where you think people should be living in the future.”