Australia in its regional and global contexts Future challenges for Australia Stage 5 Unit: 5A4

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 nearly 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.

Definitions Key WordDefinition Asylum seekeran individual who seeks refuge in a foreign country, usually due to religious or political persecution demographythe study of human population characteristics and patterns emigrantsomeone who leaves one country to settle in another Fertility ratethe average number of babies born to a woman during her reproductive years immigranta person who migrates to another country permanently

Definitions continued Key WordDefinition infrastructurefacilities and systems that serve a country, city or area, including transport and communication systems, power plants, hospitals and schools reconciliationthe process of understanding and building the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians refugeea person who flees their country in search of refuge in times of war, famine, political oppression or religious persecution superannuationa pension-like program that is organised by employers for the benefit of their employees to ensure that they have enough money to fund their retirement

Definitions complete Key WordDefinitions suburbanisationurban growth caused by the creation of new suburbs at the outer edges of the city Temporary protection visaa visa to Australia for asylumseekers who arrive in Australia without authorisation and are assessed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to be refugees, which allows them to stay a set amount of time

Australian demography What is demography? Three main components of demography: Populations size Structure Distribution Studying population change involves considering social, economic and environmental issues The Australian Bureau of Statistics will be conducting a census in 2011 (held every 5 years)

Current and Future Population Trends - Australia’s Population Growth Australia’s population has grown from 3.8 million in 1901 to over 21 million in 2010 Access ABS Website – see Australia’s population clock Australia’s current population growth rate is 1.8% (2010) – this means for every 1000 people in Australia that year an extra 18 were added Internet activity – compare growth rates of other countries

Factors affecting population growth 1. The fertility rate – the average number of children born to each woman of child-bearing age 2. The mortality rate – the number of deaths within the population 3. Net migration – the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants.

What does the fertility rate need to be in Australia? Without MIGRATION the fertility rate needs to be 2.1 for one generation to replace the next. Therefore with Australia’s fertility rate at 1.8% and without migration, Australia’s population would gradually decrease in size What is the optimum population? Environmentalists will argue the population is already too great for the resources available and the environment is being degraded Others argue for an increased population for reasons of national security and economic growth

Australia’s ageing population Changing population structure It is predicted that in Australia by 2051: The number of people aged over 65 years will increase from the current 2.5 million to around 7.2 million The proportion of people aged over 65 years will grow from the current 13% to 25% of the population The proportion of people over 85 years will grow from the current 1.4% to approximately 6%

Reasons for a change in the structure of Australia’s population 1. A fall in the fertility rate due to women having fewer children 2. The increase in life expectancy due to improved health and medical care 3. The fact that the baby boomers (those born ) are now reaching retirement age

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Retiring baby boomers Challenges and opportunities of retiring baby boomers ChallengesOpportunities Better educated retirees will have a continued interest in learning, leading to an increased demand for adult education courses Increased economic and social benefits to the community Jobs created in adult education Larger number of skilled volunteers Changing health needs as more people reach greater ages, increasing demand for medical services and aged care Stimulus for medical research More jobs in health and medical services Development of new approaches to provide support for aged people in their own homes

Retiring baby boomers Challenges and opportunities of retiring baby boomers ChallengesOpportunities More people living alone, particularly women, creating possible social isolation Increased community development New thinking about housing design Transport services and communications technology that are age friendly More people entering old age without sufficient financial resources, putting pressure on government to provide pensions Ongoing training and professional development of mature-aged workers More flexible working conditions to facilitate gradual transition from work to retirement Increased financial literacy in the population

Boom or Doom! Economically, baby boomers represent an even bigger future challenge. As the baby boomers grow older this group will distort Australia's non-working population, just as they increased its working population throughout the 1960s and 1970s. An older non-working population will put a greater strain on Australia's hospitals, aged-care services and pensions with many commentators predicting a financial crisis. +and+interests Education&id=

More on Boomers …. We Boomers did just that "boomed". We even created a device called "The Boom Box" to play our music for everyone instead of just ourselves. We were raised to believe that everything was possible and our parents had made life pretty easy for most of us. We lived near our schools so the walk was short. We rode in car pools, took music and dance lessons, didn't have many chores to do, and we went to movies. We got a bit out of line in our teens and early twenties. At the age when our parents were saving the world via World War II we were tuning in, turning on, dropping out, going to concerts, and burning draft cards...and bras. We fought in Vietnam, a very different experience from WWII. And we got used to the idea that we could have our own sweet way if we just demanded it enough. When we grew up we invented the World Wide Web, Apple, Microsoft, Rock & Roll and Flat Screen TVs. We also over mortgaged our homes and used credit cards instead of savings accounts. On the other hand, we started the fitness craze that changed people's health habits. We outlawed smoking in public places and now that we are turning 65 we don't look old yet.

Government Policies The local, state and federal government in Australia have developed strategies, plans and policies to support aged communities Local level – action plans are designed to increase awareness, encourage action and improve information about the ageing issue State level – The NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing advises the Minister for Ageing on matters affecting the needs and interests of older people in the state, and on the impact of the ageing population

Government Policies Federal level – Compulsory superannuation has been introduced to reduce the number of people that will be dependent on government pensions The federal government encourages people to continue working beyond retirement ages

Choose an Activity Create a poster on ‘The challenges and opportunities for Baby Boomers’ (based on the slides). Use images and key points OR Construct a table outlining the generations of Australians (Builders, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Y, Z) For each provide: What years were they born eg Baby Boomers ? What is the split (%) of Aust’s Population? Growth/decline rates? Their attitude/outlook on life As a generation, what is one contribution to Aust society/culture One key implication/challenge for Australia’s future OR Discuss the range of government policies that will address the problems that will arise with the ageing population. How does this compare to other developed countries. Suggest a strategy that has worked in another country that could assist Australia.

Activity Go to website Compare Australia’s changing population structure with other countries Conduct research to find out whether migration is the answer to Australia’s ageing population, and present findings in written or digital format Select a developed country other than Australia with an ageing population and research the ways in which they are preparing for the challenge. Suggest one of the strategies that could be used in Australia

Population distribution Australia’s population is concentrated in urban areas near the coast. More than 85% of the population already live within 50 kilometres of the coast with the trend continuing This puts increasing pressure on coastal environments and leaving many inland rural areas in decline – this process is known as ‘sea change’

Unsustainable growth in coastal areas The rapid increase in population in coastal areas is causing severe problems for local councils struggling to provide the necessary infrastructure, particularly water and sanitation. Local services are also put under pressure as the schools, hospitals and transport systems are not able to keep up with the increasing demand

Interstate Migration Some states and territories are experiencing much higher growth rates than others. Queensland has the highest growth rate at 2% and Tasmania has the slowest at 0.7% (2006) The current trend is for people to move north to take advantage of cheaper housing and better job opportunities as well as climate, lifestyle and retirement

Interstate Migration

Rural-urban migration Reasons people move from small inland communities to larger regional centres and urban areas near the coast include: Changes in farming practices due to new technology Loss of traditional industries Increasing environmental concerns changing land use practices Decline in rural health and education services due to centralisation of services Greater consumer demands with regard to retail and leisure provisions

Research  Research The Shire of Crookwell (Upper Lachlan Shire) and identify the following: Where is it in Aust, the challenges it is facing and what has been developed to meet these challenges. AND 2) Students can create a visual presentation to show either 1) the decline of small inland towns or 2) the growth of coastal developments

Sustainable cities More than 20% of Aust. Population live in Sydney. One of it’s greatest assets is it natural environment and resources – the harbour, beaches, bushland. WATER the aim is to conserve water by reducing water consumption: Sydney’s population has doubled since 1955 but water consumption has tripled Business, government and industry account for 30% of water use in Sydney The benefits of water conservation include: Reduces the amount of water taken from lakes and rivers Reduces the amount of waste-water created Uses less energy to treat and distribute water Avoids the need for new dams

Sustainable cities Sydney’s natural resources: ENERGY – household consumption continues to rise despite households getting smaller the aim is to reduce energy consumption Sustainable development will need to be based on renewable energy sources as people rely heavily on electrical appliances that provide comfort eg air conditioners

Sustainable cities Sydney’s natural resources: LAND - New housing developments are occurring and replacing land to grow food. The demand for land (for housing) is impacting the growing of food ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT (EF) This is a measure of the amount of land that it would take to produce the food energy and resources that a person consumes (calculated at 1.7 hectares per person) Average EF for people in Sydney is 7 hectares = more than twice the global average.

Urban Planning The population in Australia’s urban areas is expected to grow by four million between 2005 and Sydney Transport – transport by car is increasing and is causing worsening air quality and traffic congestion Viable transport alternatives are one of the keys to maintaining the liveability of the city.

Urban Planning The aim is to provide residential areas nearer to work and leisure facilities and improve public transport to reduce dependence on cars. URBAN VILLAGE This modern approach in urban planning seeks to combine a mixture of land uses and housing types in community- sized developments within cities. These urban villages are located at transport hubs and are designed to provide a sense of community where people can live, work and play without having to commute by car. E.g Norwest – Live and work in the same suburb (IBM, Apple)

Migration Australia’s Migration Program was initially set up to increase the labour force and improve national security. Types of Migrants Migrants can become permanent or temporary residents of Australia and enter under one of the following categories: Employer sponsored Business people Family members Skilled workers Humanitarian entrants or refugees

Refugees and Human Rights What are Human Rights? Human rights are those rights that all people have because they are human beings. The recognition that all people should be treated in a decent, equal and just manner led to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.

Who is a Refugee? The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Article 1) defines a refugee as: A person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a wellfounded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.

Difference between asylum- seekers and refugees An asylum-seeker is a person who has arrived in another country seeking safety and is waiting for recognition as a refugee. For this reason there is no such thing as an illegal asylum-seeker. Often these people arrive without documents because they have fled from regimes that would not provide them or they have not had the time nor means to acquire them.

Processing of asylum-seekers Handled by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship If they arrive in an authorised manner eg visa, they are generally allowed to remain in the community while their applications are processed If they arrive in an unauthorised manner they are confined in detention centres until they are granted a visa to remain in Australia, or they leave the country, voluntarily or otherwise.

ACTIVITY Investigate the Christmas Island incident Who was fleeing? From where? Other interesting facts?

Temporary v Permanent Visas Asylum-seekers entering the country without authority receive a 3 year temporary protection visa if their application for refugee status is successful Humanitarian grounds – permanent protection visas can be granted to people on humanitarian grounds and enables family to be reunited.

The Pacific Solution The Tampa incident occurred in 2001 Afghan asylum-seekers were rescued from a sinking Indonesian boat in international waters. The Australian government refused to allow the ship to proceed to Christmas Island for processing After negotiations the people were transferred to the Pacific island of Nauru

The Pacific Solution Diverting asylum-seekers to Pacific islands is known as the ‘Pacific Solution’. The Australian government provided Nauru with an aid package worth $20 million in return for agreeing to accept these people New law – asylum-seekers can only apply for refugee status if they reach the mainland otherwise they reside in a detention facility on Christmas Island

Detention Centres Immigration Transit Accommodation Centres have been set up in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide for those spending a short time in detention and regarded as a low-security risk INTERNET ACTIVITY Research the treatment of refugees in one developed country and compare the treatment there with the treatment provided by Australia. Handout – Refugees and detention centres in Australia (GF2 Teacher Resource p29-30)

Reconciliation Definition – the process of understanding and restoring a relationship, especially between Indigenous peoples and the wider community Reconciliation is a community-based movement involving Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians Handout – Indigenous Land Rights (GF2 Teacher Resource p19- 20)

Reconciliation Reconciliation in Australia is based on three main ideas: RECOGNITION that Indigenous people are the traditional owners of the land and have a unique relationship with the physical environment JUSTICE – Past government policies have been detrimental to Aboriginal populations eg Stolen generation leading to social problems HEALING – improving living conditions and quality of life for all Australians, but especially the disadvantaged

Reconciliation today The Current Situation Individuals promoting reconciliation include: Peter Garrett (politician) John Williamson (singer/songwriter) Cathy Freeman (athlete) Pat Dodson (priest)

Reconciliation today The Current Situation Groups and organisations involved in reconciliation include: Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) Reconciliation Australia NSW State Government ensure fair representation of Aboriginal people on decision-making bodies and ensure policies and services are relevant and accessible to all people including Indigenous groups Federal government (Rudd) formally apologised for the wrongs committed by white Australians towards the Indigenous people

Responses to Reconciliation Other Nations experiencing Indigenous and reconciliation issues include: New Zealand Bolivia Research how New Zealand and/or Bolivia have dealt with the issues of reconciliation and Indigenous people

Strategies for the Future Reconciliation will not be a reality until Indigenous disadvantage is improved. More progress and decision-making needs to be made in the areas of Indigenous health, education, housing, employment and land ownership. Self-determination is the right to administer one’s own community which the Aboriginal community requested in the 1980’s. This proposal has been declined up to this point in time.