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Tony
De Domenico Executive Director UDIA (VIC) |
Rudd to Speak at National Population
Conference Australia's
former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, will be a keynote speaker at the National Conference
of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA). Tony De Domenico, Executive Director,
UDIA (VIC) said, "The Conference titled, 'Population Vision for a Nation'
to be held in Melbourne in the first week of March, will provide a major
platform to explore the potential policies being put forward by major parties
as Australia heads to one of its most important elections of modern times." "Australia
is facing a battle on three fronts to provide for the forecast expansion of its
population by 2050 to 35.9 million*. There is a massive backlog of infrastructure
which is leaving capital cities in gridlock. The cost of the great Australian
dream has moved beyond an increasing number of people". "With the development industry
in Australia representing in excess of 12% of the country's economic development
and recognised as a major key to economic recovery as the mining industry slows,
this National Conference is timely for a debate on the issue of Australia's rapidly
growing population." Other speakers
at the Conference include the Federal Minister for Housing, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor;
Matthew Guy, Victorian Planning Minister; Ian Walker, Queensland Planning Reform
Minister and Daniel Grollo, CEO of Grocon. Mr De Domenico said "The
Conference will take into account views of Government, Industry and the Community
to open up a national Public Conversation on the pressing issues of population
growth which impacts on every Australian". "We see the National Conference
as being an important and critical event to review the current and proposed future
policies on housing affordability, the development of robust and sustainable planning
policies, the development of sustainable employment and skills retention and the
provision of funding for urgently needed infrastructure as key issues." Media Enquiries:
Ron
Smith, Corporate Media Communications, UDIA (VIC) - Mobile: 0417 329 201
Source: * Treasury modelling
contained in the third Intergenerational
Report forecast a population of 35.9 million by 2050. | 