Forum tackles population

If you are concerned about massive population growth on the Coast and natural assets being replaced with urban development and infrastructure to support even more people, then you will not want to miss next weekend’s population forum.

The forum, organised by the Sunshine Coast Environment Council in conjunction with south-east Queensland conservation groups, will feature authors, academics, conservationists and politicians, including Sunshine Coast mayor Bob Abbot.

SCEC manager Narelle McCarthy said the forum was a “pivotal opportunity” for Coast residents to get involved in the population debate and influence the future of the region.

“This is a down-to-action forum where our expert presenters will explain how we must call on all levels of government to address the problems of south-east Queensland’s unsustainable population growth,” Ms McCarthy said.

The Queensland Conservation Council claims that if the population of south-east Queensland continues growing as projected it will expand from 2.8 million to 4.4 million people by 2031.

To accommodate this rapid growth 754,000 new dwellings would be required and extensive areas of farmland, open space and bushland lost.

According to the group’s website, congested roads, crowded beaches and a degraded environment will be the norm.

“Health and education systems will continue to falter while water and energy will become scarcer and more costly. Unchecked, south-east Queensland will have 17 million residents by 2100.”

The free forum will be held on Sunday, March 14 at the Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sportsmans Parade, Bokarina from 2pm-4pm.