THE federal government has been forced to draw up a national population strategy, amid growing concerns the number of Australians will rise to unsustainable levels.

Latest projections show the population will swell to at least 36 million by 2050, raising questions about the sustainability of capital cities and adequacy of water supplies.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the country needed to know how many people it could handle. Credit:Pat Scala

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in Canberra yesterday the country needed to know how many people it could handle.

''Many Australians have legitimate concerns about the sustainability of the population levels in different parts of the country,'' he said. ''… Particularly its impact on urban congestion, its impact on the adequacy of infrastructure, its impact on the adequacy of housing supply, its impact on government services, its impact also on water and agriculture and on our regions.''