Roundtable proceedings

• Productivity Commission

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02 August 2011Population growth has been the subject of much public discussion in recent times. However, widespread misconceptions about the pace, characteristics and implications of population growth means that much of this debate has not been as well informed by the facts as the topic deserves. To enhance public understanding, in December 2010 the Commission released a Research Paper Population and Migration: Understanding the Numbers, which describes Australia’s main demographic trends and what lies behind them.

The Productivity Commission’s 2011 policy roundtable, held at Old Parliament House in Canberra on 21-22 March, examined the topic A ‘Sustainable’ Population? — Key Policy Issues.

Participants included government officials, academics, consultants and representatives of non-government organisations. Keynote addresses were presented by Professor Barry Chiswick from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, George Washington University, and Distinguished Professor Richard Arnott from the University of California, Riverside.

The Commission’s 2011 policy roundtable aimed to shed light on the potential tensions between the various dimensions of ‘sustainability’ and projected population growth, and assess the implications for economic growth and community wellbeing. The proceedings are being published to enable access by a wider audience to the information and insights that emerged. The volume includes the papers presented by the speakers, responses by discussants, and summaries of the key points emerging from the roundtable discussions.

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