NEW government data revealed that about 650,000 migrants will arrive in Australia between this year and the next.
The figure will mark the biggest two-year population surge in the country’s history.
As Australia and the rest of the world reopen their borders, international students and working holidaymakers are set to return Down Under, causing a spike in immigration.
Experts however warned that the population boom comes with consequences such as placing even greater pressure on the national housing crisis wherein too many tenants compete for few homes and rent prices surging a record high.
The surge in population could also lead to long-term job vacancies, where employers have struggled to find staff to fill positions, particularly in retail, healthcare, hospitality, and tourism.
Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson slammed the government’s proposed housing future fund designed to finance 30,000 social and affordable homes over the next five years, which she said is not enough to accommodate the shortage of 700,000 homes in the country.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Claire O’Neil welcomed the data as a sign of the ongoing recovery from the pandemic and a reminder of the critical role migration plays in Australia’s economy while acknowledging the workforce gap caused by the contagion.
“This data is a welcome indicator of the ongoing recovery from the pandemic and a reminder of the critical role migration plays in our economy, but also shows that we still have a long way to go to fill the gap in our workforce left by the pandemic,” said Claire O’Neil, Home Affairs Minister.
The Property Council of Australia blamed the government’s failure to plan for a rapidly rising population behind the ongoing housing crisis in the country.
