Everytime I see that Victorian Government Transport “Plan” ad on TV (YouTube parody version), I want to throw something at it! “Victoria is growing” the voiceover man cheerily says – well, that’s not a good thing, is it? Life is getting very stressful for those living here. The Govt. merely seems obsessed with scarring the landscape with yet more freeways.
“Labour has been ‘maladroit’ in immigration policy, admits Home Secretary Alan Johnson”, Daily Mail, 2/11. A politician somewhat grudgingly admits that the U.K.’s immigration rate has had negative effects.
“Backyard blitz puts Aussie lifestyle under threat”, The Age, 15/4. An English professor is dismayed by the reduction of backyard size of Australian homes. Backyard vegetation also provides shelter for local birds.
“City’s population explosion threatens urban devastation”, The Age, 5/11. This article only concentrates on how to accommodate a large population, rather than trying to prevent such growth. It is not inevitable if governments have the will to combat it!
“Time to take in hand the birds in the bush”, The Age, 5/11. Native birdlife is diminishing rapidly in Victoria, due to land clearing and urbanization, both caused by population growth. The Brumby Government’s thoughtless approval of vegetation clearing around properties is not helping.
The Age letters:
1/11:
Perish the thought
In response to Peter Munro’s article “The big squeezy” (25/10) – do we really want 35 million Australians by 2050? There was a time when our nation’s leaders cried: “Populate or perish!” That cry is now public policy at state and federal level. The planet is racing towards the tipping point for oil reserves, potable water supplies and unstoppable climate change. We live in a society so accustomed to having it all we should update our national pledge to bring it in line with the logical outcome: “Populate AND perish!”
– Michael Virant, Kensington
That article portrays a grim view of Melbourne’s future, assuming that population growth is inevitable. Its liveability will be destroyed if this becomes reality.
Herald-Sun letters:
7/9:
I’m 32 and lived in the one street in Croydon for 31 of those years.
I remember thinking as a child that there was so much space in Croydon. Not so now.
In the past few years I’ve seen townhouses popping up everywhere. I’m starting to feel hemmed in, in my own street.
Croydon, I love you. But you’re changing, and I don’t believe it’s for the better. I think it’s time I left.
– Nola Wernicke, Croydon
Unfortunately, the problem of overdevelopment is afflicting all suburbs, so moving is not really a solution, unless you go somewhere in the country – but then there is the problem there of lack of transport and facilities (such as medical care).
24/9:
We need more people pointing out the impossibility of reconciling increased population, current affluence and a healthy environment. Something’s got to give.
– Beverly Broadbent, East Brighton
3/11:
Hidden agenda on migrants
Australia’s population has been growing and growing over the past decade, and all we hear from our political leaders is either silence or what a great thing population growth is, never mind the environment or the cost of building new housing and infrastructure. The Labor and Liberal parties pretend to make a fuss about a few hundred boat people, but at the same time they are opening the door to hundreds of thousands of so-called skilled migrants. Their tough stance against asylum seekers is really just a way of disguising from the public their pro-immigration and pro-population growth policies.
– Lynne Skinner, Kangaroo Flat
6/11:
Get off the fake grass
The idea that fake grass is better for the environment than real grass is a myth that continues to be enthusiastically promoted by people with vested interests. The logic goes that synthetic turf doesn’t need to be watered or mown and is therefore the obvious choice for ecologically aware gardeners. However, fake grass is a petro-chemical product that takes a long time to break down – unlike real, living, organic grass. In addition, the manufacture and transportation of synthetic grass creates carbon, whereas real grass absorbs it. Artificial grass also damages the soil underneath it and creates an inhospitable environment for the life that thrives in and around real grass, such as insects, worms and birds. While real grass may not be perfect, it is surely a better option than synthetic turf.
– Virginia van Engelen, Port Fairy
