Not endangered but certainly a vulnerable species. A year 2000 footprint of 10 ha per person is suggested. For Australia's present population of 19 million, a calculation using 10 ha per person amounts to 190 million ha current ecological footprint. At 10 ha per person that equals an ecological footprint of 1.27 million ha. If continued for ten years it would impact on 12.7 million ha. - hardly INsignificant.
Immigration clearly has significant national environmental significance.
The discussion paper states that the requirement for approval under the EPBC Act is triggered by an action which has, will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance . Because the population and its impacts accumulate incrementally and over decades is no reason for disregarding their existence. For example, Sydney is bursting at the seams with 4 million people. The complex environment that determines quality of life is under stress yet every year many thousands more migrants are permitted to flood in. The broad social environment in which a great many people live is under stress.