National Plan for Australia’s Growth

Growing Well: Why we need a National Plan for Australia’s Growth

Australia is heading towards a population of more than 40 million people by 2065, but growth is occurring without a coordinated national plan, placing increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and everyday life.

The Planning Institute of Australia is calling on the Federal Government to commit to a National Plan for Australia’s Growth, warning that without better coordination, Australians will continue to face rising housing pressures, longer commutes, and increasing exposure to natural disasters. 

Why Australia needs a national plan now

Australia’s population is projected to grow by more than 14 million people over the next four decades, reaching over 40 million by 2065 [1].

That growth is already placing significant pressure on housing supply, infrastructure networks and cost of living, particularly in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. 

Without better planning, that growth will continue to drive up costs and reduce quality of life. 

The Productivity Commission estimates that better functioning towns and cities have the potential to deliver a $29 billion long-term gain for our nation [2], driven by improved transport, housing and land-use alignment. 

At the same time, the economic cost of natural disasters is already estimated at around $38–39 billion annually, and is projected to increase to more than $70 billion a year by 2060 if growth continues without stronger planning and resilience [3]. 

A practical national plan

A National Plan for Australia’s Growth would bring together decisions that are currently made separately, including housing, infrastructure, migration and economic development, into a coordinated, long-term framework.

It would not direct where people live, but ensure governments are planning for growth in a way that supports housing supply, infrastructure delivery and economic opportunity.

The report explores five potential scenarios for how Australia could grow over the next 40 years.  These scenarios are not predictions or prescriptions, but practical tools to test different growth patterns, understand trade-offs, and help governments make more informed, coordinated decisions about the future.

Call to action

The Planning Institute of Australia is calling on the Federal Government to build on the National Urban Policy and commit to developing a National Plan for Australia’s Growth. 

“A coordinated national plan will help ensure we deliver more liveable places, stronger economies and a better quality of life for Australians,” said Emma Riley RPIA (Fellow), PIA National President.

Want to learn more? 

You can watch our free-for-members briefing on the report, by logging into the PIA website and watching it here.

What are others saying?

There is a growing call across industry and peak bodies, along with researchers, for a more coordinated national approach to growth. 

PIA’s proposal for a Plan for Australia’s Growth builds on these perspectives. It provides a practical framework to bring these elements together – aligning population, housing, infrastructure and economic planning, improving coordination across governments, and using scenario-based approaches to test different growth pathways and their implications. In doing so, it would help translate these calls into a coherent, nationally consistent approach that supports better long-term outcomes for cities, regions and communities.