The Government said the population boom was great news because it meant the economy would keep growing.But some green groups say enough is enough.
Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Charles Berger said the growing population was on a collision course with the environment.
More people - as outlined in the ABS data - meant more greenhouse pollution, poorer river health and struggling infrastructure.
Every extra million people added 25 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution, Mr Berger said.
He called for migration to be cut to "more sustainable levels".
"We cannot continue to add the equivalent of a city larger than Canberra every year to Australia's population and still expect to maintain the health of our environment and our quality of life." [Greens say immigration bad for environment, September 26, 2009]
