The way the top wigs see it, Australia is so big yet its population is smaller than comparatively small countries such as Germany (81m people) and Italy (60m people). We have so much capacity for growth that it would be seemed stupid not to tap in this potential to make us all wealthier.
Yet, at what cost to the environment are we willing to take? How many more species are going to become extinct? And why does economic growth have to go hand in hand with population growth? It's been said before that economic growth via population increase is the lazy way to prosperity. As many see it, this country is dependant on growth to pay off our personal debt - the lazy way, simple as that and to hell with the environment.