(ABC Radio Australia broadcast and transcript)

Australia may be a big country but it seems few people are interested in a 'Big Australia'. Australia's population is expected to exceed 28 million by 2031. That's up from the current 22.5 million, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Statistics.

It is a small number by global standards but some say it creates a host of environmental, economic and infrastructure hurdles. And that has turned population policy into a critical political issue that Julia Gillard's government is desperate to manage. A fresh strategy is due next April and, in the meantime, the government has released a paper that tries to shift the focus away from a debate that is just about the raw numbers of population growth.

http://www.radioaustralia.net..../201012/s3095956.htm