This is frustrating to say the least. The over crowding of everything has made life turn from okay to a major strain. And why does the majority of migrants want to come to Melbourne? What's so special about here? What if the water situation gets worse before the desalination plant comes on in 2011-12? The immigration laws need to be changed to how they were in the 50's where migrants were told where they can and cannot live.
Increased migration needs to have a proportionately matched increase in jobs. If the the amount of jobs is not increased then the standard of living will fall guaranteed, as the extra job seekers will under price the existing job positions held. Common sense says having more people here will cause a rise in home values. Well that depends whether or not these migrants are cashed up. But I suspect most will need to borrow for a loan and if they're undercutting existing jobs then they will fall below the poverty line. So we could end up with plenty of people here, but with a large proportion earning less than what is required to sustain an acceptable lifestyle. Hardly what the dream of most migrants have. They deserve to come here and be given the best chance of a new life. I just think they will be disappointed at the extreme cost of just having a roof over their heads.
When migrants came here in the 50's to the 80's it was for a purpose - to get this country moving! And they did just that with the migrants going straight to the heart of this nation; cutting sugar cane, laying railway tracks, Snowy River Hydro Plant, building bridges, skyscrapers, airports, shopping centres. Now what? The mining industry needs them - not the cities. Even the recent migrants say this trend is unsustainable. Just ask any new Australian from India - they will tell you what over crowding does to living standards.
