How you are being forced to pay for Australia's mega population surge four times a year

Those living in Australia's most populous city can expect a steep increase in their water bills as utilities struggle to keep up with immigration-fuelled population growth.
Sydney Water had planned to increase its customers' bills by 18 per cent from October 1, under its 2025 to 2030 plan.
While the application for the hefty rate rise was blocked by the state's Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), residents will still be slapped with a six per cent increase - more than double the 2.4 per cent inflation rate.
The utility pointed to huge population growth as justification for the increase, which equates to about $73 for a typical bill.
A Sydney Water board meeting last year warned of the strain on infrastructure in the city's outer suburbs, which house a higher proportion of new migrants.
'The biggest drivers behind Sydney Water's planned investments are growth and renewing existing infrastructure,' the meeting minutes said.
'Most of this investment will support growth in both new and established areas – especially in western Sydney, where development is booming and where population growth is pushing existing water and wastewater systems to their limits.'
To cope with the population surge, Sydney Water expected the average bill to rise by $226 during the next financial year, and by $111 every year until 2029-30.
'We know this may cause payment difficulties for some of our customers. We have programs in place to assist them,' the provider said.
'We'll deliver services to 300,000 new homes to support the NSW government's growth ambitions, and our growing population and cities.'
Relief is unlikely in the coming five years, with IPART proposing a 4.6 per cent annual increase in Sydney Water bills each year, subject to community feedback.
This would see homeowners and renters pay an average of $1,293 a year in 2025-26 rising to $1,527 in 2029-30, before inflation is even factored in.
Like Sydney Water, IPART chair Carmel Donnelly acknowledged increases in water bills were necessary to fund infrastructure upgrades amid strong population growth.
'We have set draft prices that are lower than Sydney Water's proposed prices,' she said.
'However, some increase is necessary to allow Sydney Water's services and infrastructure to keep pace with Sydney's growth and deliver safe, reliable services that meet community expectations.'
Overseas migrants are accounting for more than 80 per cent of the population growth in Sydney and Melbourne - putting pressure on transport and water infrastructure.
Immigration levels were still high in the year to March with 437,440 people moving to Australia on a net permanent and long-term basis, with this net figure factoring in departures including skilled migrants and international students.
In Sydney, Australia's most populated big city, 120,886 overseas migrants moved in during the last financial year - making up 81 per cent of the net population increase factoring in births and those who moved interstate.
In Melbourne, 121,240 migrants moved in during the same period, making up 80.7 per cent of the population growth.
Both cities are overcrowded with 41,086 Sydney residents leaving for another part of Australia over the year to escape the congestion and unaffordable housing.
Despite that exodus, Sydney's population is still increasing by two per cent a year in a city that is already home to 5.5million people.
Building activity is also failing to keep pace with Anthony Albanese's plan to build 1.2million homes over five years, or an average of 240,000 a year.
But in the year to April, just 182,034 new homes were approved, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Friday revealed.
Morgan Begg, the director of research at the Institute of Public Affairs think tank, said new housing supply was likely to fall further behind population growth.
'With housing approvals so low, Australia is being set up for a disaster, as in the last three years to June 2025, net migration is on track to be 1.3million, meaning the gap between demand and supply is drifting further apart,' he said.

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