Some letters. I tried sending two in but neither got published.
Herald-Sun:
19/3:
I agree with Ian Thomas (50/50, March 17), the world should be practising zero (or even negative) population growth. Governments promote population expansion purely for monetary reasons, not the environment. The world cannot sustain such a large population.
– J. Meulblok, Buckley
29/3:
Rudd not tuned in on population
Australians are feeling the pressure of an overstretched water system, health system, public transport and rising house prices because of over population.
Independent researchers and even the Greens are calling for a massive cut in immigration, and Kevin Rudd does nothing.
He is either completely out of touch with everyday Australians, or he is putting his own interests ahead of ours — either in recognition of the fact that migrants usually vote Labor or his own desire for a UN job.
– Alison Smith, Point Cook
30/3:
Thank God for China and its one-child policy. We need the same here. Population is killing our planet and its reduction is more important than any global warming debate.
– Tim and Christine Stafford, Mt. Eliza
31/3:
Fulfilling Rudd’s population wish
Is it any wonder that more and more economic migrants are try ing to get to our country?
After all, was it not a few months ago that our PM stated that he wanted a bigger Australia, and a rise in population to more than 35 million?
Would-be settlers can read, and obviously think we are an easy touch…which, of course, we are.
– P.A. Blyth, Williamstown, SA
The Age:
27/3:
City’s newest suburb
So Victoria’s population growth is the highest in the nation (The Age, 26/3). Are we supposed to celebrate the fact that the combined populations of Ballarat, Stawell and Ararat are arriving in Victoria annually?
Does John Brumby seriously expect us to believe Melbourne is going to continue to be the “world’s most liveable city” with this reckless growth?
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has put the states on notice regarding extending growth boundaries to accommodate this unparalleled growth and shortage of housing. I don’t think it will be long before Ballarat is our newest western suburb.
– Shaun Dumbrell, Williamstown
Not open for debate
Andrew MacLeod has told us we should not debate the size of the population of Melbourne as it, apparently inevitably, heads from 4 million to 8 million (“Docklands Mark II”, The Age, 26/3). But will we be allowed to debate the possibility of 16 million? 32? 64? 128?
When cells in the body grow uncontrollably, it is a disease called cancer. The same applies to the population of our city. Melbourne at a congested 4 million provides culture, entertainment, sport, universities and first-class hospitals. There is nothing that a city at a hyper-congested 8 million can provide that one of four cannot.
The green-wedge strategy adopted 40 years ago was not to have an ever-shifting boundary whereby green wedges were slowly converted to development corridors but to set the permanent shape for the metropolitan area. London has managed to retain its green belt for 60 years, while more than 80 per cent of the population of England lives outside its major city.
It is well past time that the government adopted a serious program to make some of our regional cities serious metropolitan alternatives to Melbourne, so that we can all preserve our suburban gardens.
– Chris Curtis, Hurstbridge
A scary future
As a teenager I’m worried that the population in Australia is getting out of control. As I get older, adults will find it increasingly difficult to buy a house. Is this how we want our future to be?
– Georgia Stewart, Kew
1/4:
More dangerous than crocodiles
Thank you for the reports on the human population surge in Melbourne (“People our biggest import as Melbourne gets squeezier”, The Age, 31/3).
Unfortunately the same claims can’t be made for the birds, butterflies, native grasses and orchids, frogs, skinks, quolls, and all the other non-economic populations that we are too selfish to share the planet with.
Victims in another way of this human population obesity are the suburban jam-makers and preservers, who see their old neighbours’ fruit trees chopped down for yet another set of grim concrete boxes, with their ugly and useless box hedges, and “gardens” of pebbles from some abused Chinese river bed.
And we humans think that crocodiles are dangerous.
– Pamela Lloyd, West Brunswick
