Future Challenges For Australia

Future Challenges For Australia Australia In Its Regional And Global Contexts Year 9 Geography 2013 Syllabus 5A4

What are your thoughts?

Syllabus Agenda • Population • Current and future population trends: • growth rates, age structure and spatial distribution • government population policies to manage population growth • Implications of population trends: • ecological sustainability • population movement and urban planning • Human rights and reconciliation • Future challenges for Australia in relation to: • human rights • reconciliation • How other nations have responded to these challenges • Strategies to address the challenges

Introduction • Australia is an isolated continent with one of the lowest population densities and highest living standards in the world. This presents both challenges and opportunities to our country and its leaders. • With the current global population of 7 billion set to reach 9 billion by 2050, overpopulation threatens the quality of life for people everywhere. • A sustainable and peaceful Australian and world population can only be achieved by balancing the needs of all people with the global environment in which we all live. By developing informed opinions geographers can make decisions that will help create a positive future.

ABS Predictions

Population Growth /Shrinkage • Australia's population in June 2007 of 21.0 million people is projected to increase to between 30.9 million and 42.5 million in 2056, and reach between 33.7 million and 62.2 million by 2101. • This is a projected increase of between 32 and 51% • World population

Where We Are Living On The Australian Continent? • Given the resources available, Australians predominantly live around the coastline. This mainly due to : • Access to fresh water • Access to telecommunications • Access to health services • Access to transport services • Access to education facilities • Temperature – moderate/mild vs. extreme • Land type – desert vs. temperate

Government Policies • What government policies are affected by the future challenges of population growth, human rights and reconciliation? • Health • Immigration • Education • Transportation • Land Rights • Citizenship • Refugee • Pension • Aged care

Impacts on Government Policies • Health – e.g. disease management, immunisations, where to build hospitals, how many? etc. • Immigration – e.g. How many work & family reunion visas should be offered? Numbers of skilled vs. unskilled workers etc. • Education – e.g. Number of & location of schools & universities, numbers of teachers needed etc. • Transportation – e.g. When, where & how many roads are required to move people, food and good around the country • LandRights – e.g. who is entitled to claim Native title on different parts of Australia & the consequences for others wanting to access that area etc

Impacts on Government Policies (cont.) • Citizenship – e.g. who can apply to become an Australian Citizen, what are the maximum number per year? Who can hold dual citizenship? Why? • Refugees – e.g. Where to process refugee applications, how many are we obligated to accept under the UN Human Rights agreement? • Pensions – e.g. How much each year is the government likely to have to pay for aged, disability, unemployment and family type payments etc.? • Aged care – e.g. How much is needed? Where in the country? What training is required? What about impacts on water and sewerage along the coastline?

Upcoming In-depth Investigation • Population Growth • Human Rights • Reconciliation

Future Challenges For Australia