Expert Alert: Population Growth Key Driver of Species Decline

Sustainable Population Australia

Media Release:  Saturday 06 September

On this National Threatened Species Day, Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) draws focus to the devastating and ongoing decline of Australia’s biodiversity.

The Australia State of the Environment Report 2021 notes that human population growth contributes to pressures on the environment and has ‘very high impact’ on biodiversity.

Available to comment: 

Mr Peter Strachan, National President, Sustainable Population Australia
Contact:  0412 400 952 (from 06:30am AWST);  [email protected]

Comments attributable to Mr Strachan:

“Ongoing loss of plant and animal habitat, driven by the impact of a rising tide of human population in Australia and globally pushes all life on Earth into a sixth great extinction event.”

“Australia’s Wilderness Society lists ten mammal species, including the Koala, that are critically endangered. It is now possible to envisage an Australia that has zero koalas living in the wild within 30 years, because of the loss of their habitat to human population expansion.”

Mr Michael Bayliss, Spokesperson and Communications Manager, Sustainable Population Australia
Contact:  0423 701 611 (from 7:00am AWST);  [email protected]

Comments attributable to Michael Bayliss:

"An anthropocentric, growth driven human economy fails to make room for all life forms on our fragile planet. It's time to wind back destructive human population expansion and protect the environment which supports all life on Earth.”

“Western Australia’s Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo is critically endangered due to habitat destruction across Perth’s suburban sprawl.  Perth’s metropolitan areas now extends 150km north to south.  Despite this, the state government has encouraged more population growth, despite recognising that future housing will require even more habitat destroying urban sprawl.”

“SPA’s Position Statement has attracted 20,000 signatures, calling for a return to a net annual migration rate of less than 70,000.  This would support a stabilisation of Australia’s population below 30 million, or 2.3 million more than the current number.”