Sydneysiders pay for endless population growth

Neither politicians nor supporters of a Big Australia immigration policy acknowledge the significance of water.

Several reports have warned that Australia will face chronic water shortages and rising water prices as its population grows by millions, due to persistently high immigration.

Infrastructure Australia’s 2017 modelling predicted that household water bills would quadruple over 50 years due to population growth and climate change, rising from $1,226 in 2017 to $6,000 in 2067 in real dollars.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.