Emma Garlett: To love Australia is to participate in its progress amid unprecedented change

The only thing we can rely on is change. Nothing stays the same. The sheer velocity of this transformation feels unprecedented. As we look towards the next decade, a fundamental question emerges — will the Australia of the future be the country we know and love today, or are we evolving into something entirely unrecognisable? The reality is, Australia must change.

Nations are living organisms. As generations grow weary and pass on and the values and norms we see anchored in society today will inevitably shift.

In 50 years, our social fabric will look as different to us as the mid-1970s would look to a teenager today. It is an evolution of our identity. The most visible driver of this change is demographics. By 2035, Australia’s population is predicted to reach 32 million. We will be living longer and more complex lives with life expectancy reaching 83 for males and 87 for females.

We are also witnessing a geographic tilt. Melbourne is predicted to overtake Sydney to be the largest capital city, fundamentally altering our economic and cultural center of gravity of the nation. This transformation is deeper than these mere numbers. In 2025, the first ‘Generation Beta’ babies were born. It marks a historical milestone — for the first time in human history seven distinct generations are alive at once. This creates a multi-layered, complex, generational pile-up of values. For Generation Beta, the marvels of our current age will be mundane. They will grow up viewing multimodal AI as a basic utility, quantum computing as a standard tool, and autonomous vehicles as the default mode of transport.

They will eventually occupy roles in industries that haven’t been named yet, solving problems we haven’t yet identified. As the children of younger Millennials (Gen Y) and older Gen Zs, this new cohort will inherit a worldview shaped by their parents’ priorities.

The traditional Australian Dream is being rewritten.

The landscape of the Australian family is becoming more diverse, and the rigid structures of the 20th-century workforce are dissolving.

In their place, we see a normalisation of the values championed by the youth of today: radical flexibility, purpose-driven careers, and an uncompromising commitment to environmental sustainability.

This generational shift is a mandate for every institution in the country.

If you are a leader — whether in business, government or community — who has not yet cultivated an inclusive culture, you aren’t just ‘behind’, you are becoming obsolete.

The future Australian consumer, employee, and citizen will not settle for the status quo.

They will demand environments that reflect their technological fluency and their social conscience.

We cannot freeze Australia in amber.

To love this country is to participate in its progress. As we head toward a population of 32 million, our success will depend on our ability to hold space for seven generations of stories, ensuring that as our norms change, our sense of community remains.

The future is coming fast, the only question is whether we are ready to lead it or simply be swept along by it.