It is not possible to specify a precise number of residents or tourists that constitutes a threshold, below which the Island’s population can be deemed to be sustainable; and above which it is deemed to be “overpopulated”. This is partly because there is a series of limiting factors or “bottlenecks” which with effort and expense can be overcome one by one, if that were desirable, which is definitely not the case. Partly also because some of them are a matter of personal subjective judgement; and partly because the living conditions which the Island’s community are willing to accept can evolve over time.
Many of the limiting factors such as fuel supply and land ownership lie outside the scope of the Society’s special interests. Refer to the website of the Norfolk Island Institute for more information.