The Hidden Strains Behind Our Population Boom

The elephant we all must see

Western Australia is brimming. Not just our economy, but our hospitals, our homes, our roads, and our community services. The population has surged like never before. The government tells us it’s a story of opportunity and growth, yet behind that lies a warning we dare not ignore.

The pressure on our health system is no longer a statistic: it’s the anxious wait in emergency departments, the stretched ambulances queuing into the corridors, the elective surgeries cancelled time and again. It’s our loved ones’ worsening health outcomes because care just can’t keep pace. This isn’t just bureaucracy; it’s a waiting room where patients suffer — where lives hang in the balance.

From the consulting room to the chamber

After decades as a general practitioner, I know what it means to feel unheard by the system. Our hospitals face a steady state of strain despite record budget commitments. Why? Because throwing money at symptoms only scratches the surface. The core problem is population growth outpacing the infrastructure essential for wellbeing: more people needing care but the system stretched thin.

We have a workforce shortage, but it is not merely about importing more staff. It’s about creating a health system sufficiently flexible and robust to serve every patient promptly and compassionately. For example, nurse practitioners, often capable of managing routine care, are hampered by regulations that prevent them from fully alleviating GP workloads. The complexity of these issues requires more than slogans — it demands evidence, insight, and systemic reform.

Similarly, our housing markets reflect this imbalance. With Perth’s property prices surging and rental stress at its highest nationally, many young Western Australians watch dreams of home ownership slipping further out of reach. It’s no coincidence that those struggling to afford a roof over their heads are the very people delaying or foregoing starting a family. If providing homes comes at unaffordable prices, what future are we building for the next generation?

A fractured conversation overshadowing the facts

This debate often fractures into heated exchanges, with migrants unfairly cast as scapegoats. As someone proud to welcome people from all walks of life into our beautiful tapestry, I reject the divisiveness and fear-mongering that stains this conversation.

Migration is essential; Australia needs skilled workers, particularly in healthcare, construction, and aged care. Yet numbers matter. Rampant growth without matched investment weakens our societal structures and fuels the brittleness Nassim Nicholas Taleb warns against — a fragile system that breaks under pressure instead of strengthening. It is not about stopping migration: it is about sustainable migration aligned with comprehensive infrastructure planning.

We risk a society tipping toward disarray if we allow resources to be stretched past their limit, while simultaneously overlooking the wellbeing of the people already here.

To those who despair at the state of housing, health, and transport, I say this: the politicians squabbling here are, at heart, trying to grapple with a truth others avoid. The birthrate is falling, and migration fills a vital gap. But if the cost of living, waiting in hospital, or finding a home is crushing families, then we must rethink our approach both locally and federally.

We need a conversation grounded in compassion and science, not fear and misinformation. Solutions exist, whether expanding nurse practitioners' roles, increasing graduate nurse placements, accelerating affordable housing projects, or investing in public transport — provided we make them priorities.

If you want to hear more about these critical issues from a doctor who knows the stakes, I invite you to join me on my YouTube channel for ongoing discussion.

Building a sustainable future for all

The sobering reality is infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth in Western Australia despite years of government promises and billions spent. This disconnect betrays families waking to longer ambulance waits, renters facing eviction, and young people unable to move out of home.

We need honest recognition that while migration brings benefits, it also intensifies demand on health, housing, and environment. Ignoring it risks societal fragility and the breakdown of community trust. Respectful, evidence-based policy must match numbers entering with the capacity to care, house, and support.

I urge readers to view the full Parliamentary record of this debate to understand the nuanced arguments and commit to being part of a forward-thinking movement.

If you care about shaping a Western Australia where everyone has a fair chance at health, home, and hope, consider joining Legalise Cannabis WA. Together, we can chart a sustainable path forward — one where science, compassion, and common sense lead the way.