Australia Needs Sustainable Population Growth, According To Experts

If you are studying about Australia, statistics and facts will show that it has a relatively small population. In fact, with a population of only around 22 million people, it is considered as one of the least populated countries, despite its large size. However, that does not mean that it does not have population problems.

In fact, some experts argue that the country might actually be heading towards an overpopulation problem. “Overpopulation?” you say. Though this might sound a bit surprising, there is actually a lot of truth on this one. The thing is, while Australia is indeed a large country, it only has limited resources. And with the pace at which the country is using up these resources, it is likely that a large addition to the population can greatly affect this one.

On the other hand, there are groups that are concerned that Australia's small population might not be sufficient to fuel its economic growth. This too, is actually a good argument. Australia is one of the countries that has posted a significant growth in the last few years. However, as have been said earlier, Australia's small population will not be able to handle the growth. And this is in fact the very reason why the country is heavily dependent on incoming immigrants.

So how to you work out these two seemingly contradictory, but valid, point of views? If you ask experts, they will say that what Australia needs is a so called sustainable population growth. They argue that, whether the country likes it or not, the Australian population is still set to grow significantly in the years to come. Thus, they said, instead of trying to cut down population, the government needs to adeptly manage it in order to meet the country's needs.

One of the areas that experts say the government needs to work on with regards to this one is the redistribution of people to the areas that will be needing them the most. As it is, much of Australia's population are crowded in the major cities and other areas of high development. Experts say that, by bringing people into areas that are not that much populated, such as the country's interior, it will encourage growth and development in these places at par with the other regions.

Of course, experts point out that this solution will not work without the support of the government and the people themselves. And with that, they will definitely feel lucky, as this route is actually the one being promoted by current Prime Minister Julia Gillard. She said that this one is a necessary step in order to maintain Australia's current level of growth.

Adding An Adrenaline Rush To Your Australian Vacation

Having an Australian travel visa and visiting the country is definitely a great way to spend your vacation. But let's face it, all that usual vacation to-do's, like strolling and sunbathing, often get a bit too boring after a while. And so, wouldn't it be nice to something that's a little more exciting?

Luckily, there are plenty of these in Australia. In fact, extreme activities has become so quite popular with many visitors who travel to the country yearly. And so, here are some of these activities that you might want to try out on your next Australian vacation.

If you are a plane junkie, then there are several places that you can head to. For instance, the city of Adelaide in South Australia has several companies that offers you a spectacular biplane ride over the city and the outlying areas. This will actually be a great experience, since you get to see the city from above.

On the other hand, if you want something a bit more high speed, then you can head to Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Here you will get to experience the thrill of being a fighter pilot, complete with the ubiquitous pilot get up. And you can also choose between either an aerobatic display or a simulated bombing raid for your adventure, which will definitely make you live up all your Top Gun fantasies.

If you want to stay on land, but still feel the need to go high speed, then Victoria is the state that you would want to head to. The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a popular venue for a lot of speed junkies like you. Here, you have the choice of going either on four wheels or in two, though the superbike tutorials are by far the more popular.

And of course, nothing beats the thrill of engaging in an exciting gunfight. For this one, there are plenty of paintball sites in the country that you can visit. The ones in Melbourne are some of the most popular because of the large spaces. They offer players plenty of game scenarios, ranging from from capture-the-flag games to those that have intensive mission details. They even provide night games for those who want more thrills.

Lastly, for those who want to get wet, then Oceanworld Park in Sydney is the right destination. Here, you will get the chance to dive and get up close with the resident sharks of the park. And you will also get to encounter a wide variety of other marine creatures.

Jetstar's Chief announced an end immigration checks in Australia-New Zealand travels

Mr. Bruce Buchanan, chief executive of Jetstar, announced an end to requiring passports for travels between Australia and New Zealand. According to him, flights between the two countries should be treated as domestic flights.

"We have Europe and North America working out how to make travel easier," he uttered.
"For two countries which are so closely aligned in cultural and legal systems, there has got to be a way to get it worked out so that we have a common border and trans-Tasman flights are treated like a domestic trip. Technology has got to the point where you can automate a lot of the processes behind the scenes”, he added.

Mr. Buchanan projects such a change would produce an additional 326,000 passenger movements a year across the Tasman, reduce some $250 million in costs and inject at least $100m a year in GDP for both Australia and New Zealand. "It would be the single biggest boost to the tourism industry on both sides of the Tasman," the chief executive said.

Chief executive Bruce Buchanan also delivered a further expansion of trans-Tasman operations with the launch of direct flights between Melbourne and Queenstown, and Gold Coast to Queenstown, starting from December.

JetStar's chief also stated that the first step towards cutting the Australian immigration and Customs issues involved in the trans-Tasman flights is to handle all the processing in one destination.

"Step one would be to do it on one side of the Tasman," he said.

However, Australian and New Zealand citizens can enter each other's country to visit, live and work without the need to pre-apply for authority to enter the other country. Although New Zealanders are granted a Special Category Visa in keeping with Australia's requirements for all non-citizens to hold visas.


References:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/jetstar-chief-calls-to-drop-passports-for-nz/story-e6frg8zx-1225891816856
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/35660/20100715/jetstar-end-immigration-checks-in-australia-nz-travels.htm

Some Party Spots You Might Want To head To In Australia

When heading to Australia, travel visa holders would often want to party. And often, the partying would go up into the night. Luckily, there are a lot of great nightspots that you can visit in the country. Here are some of them that you might want to head to on your next night out.

New South Wales

When in New South Wales, the city of Sydney is probably the first one you will visit. And you will be in luck here, since there are dozens of great bars and restaurants that you can head to when partying. For your first stop, you can head to the Water Bar in the Woolloomooloo suburbs. The food here is really great and there are a lot of drinks for you to choose from. And if you are a jazz lover, then this is also the right place for you, as several jazz bands perform here regularly.

Not surprisingly, the Sydney Opera House is another great venue for those partying at dusk. There are actually several bars and restaurants here that you can frequent, which also brings in a lot of other people. And of course, if you want a theater performance to cap the night, several theater companies regularly perform here for the audience.

South Australia

For those going down south, the capital city of Adelaide is also a good place to head to when looking for places to hang out. One of the stops that you can visit is the Adelaide Festival Center there are several dining areas that you can head to here if you want some to grab some food. And just like the Opera house in Sydney, you will also be able to watch some great performances at the several theaters in the Center.

For party-goers, the Exeter Hotel is a great place to visit. The hotel features several bars that you can hang out in and hosts an exciting multitude of crowds that party till the early morning. The Austral is also another great one to head to for those wanting a great dinner and drink, and it is also suitably located.

Queensland

For those looking for a tropical night out, then the Gold Coast is the right one for you. The Cooly Hotel is a great place for those looking for live music performances, with some of the state's top bands playing nightly. And if you prefer partying at the beach, there are plenty of bars located along the coast and open till the wee hours of the morning.