Hi AuCu
Given we are one of the driest countries on earth; water becomes the limiting factor when it comes to population growth. Although desalination plants have a place for city emergency supplies during a drought event, I am given to believe that they produce a high level of pollutants in the form of heavy metals, which is not desirable. Nor am I comfortable with nuclear power, given renewables and storage are a cleaner and cheaper option. That said, our government currently has no rational water policy - city or rural. Nor an energy policy for that matter (both conversations for another forum).
Nevertheless, from an environmental viewpoint, this current policy of continued growth is totally flawed without sustainable solutions for the supply of natural resources and necessary infrastructure. Failure to keep pace with population growth on a sustainable level and paradise is lost. Even so, every paddock has a maximum carrying capacity and we are already pushing at the boundaries IMO.
