A collection of letters from The Age over the last 2 months.
18/5:
Stable population key to our future
In an act of seemingly good planning and policy, hundreds of homes will be added to three of Melbourne’s largest public housing estates at a time when the waiting list for public housing is nearing 40,000 (“Public housing gets boost”, The Age, 17/5).
The crisis at all levels of housing means that our federal government, with the support of state governments, can implement its high-density social housing agenda under the guise of a much-needed, but manufactured, social necessity.
Our population growth is not inevitable and neither is the public’s displacement from home ownership. In a stable population, most houses would already be existing, or inherited.
Children should not be raised in hot-houses, and we should expect escalating violence and crime.
Crises such as peak oil, the global population blow-out and climate change demand more functional, sustainable, self-supporting towns, rather than heat-trapping high-rises and environmentally destructive urban sprawl.
– Vivienne Ortega, Heidelberg Heights
30/5:
Missing the point
“Foreign Property Fear Exaggerated” (23/5) misses the point. There are two issues regarding foreigners purchasing property. The first is whether foreigners were making illegal purchases in breach of the FIRB rules. I doubt whether this is a significant factor but it’s hard to know when the FIRB reviewed only 58 sales. The second is Rudd relaxing the FIRB rules making it much easier for temporary residents to legally purchase property. These purchases were not identified in the FIRB review because they’re legal transactions. Therefore, to conclude fears over foreigners purchasing our homes are exaggerated on the basis the FIRB did not identify illegal purchases is ignorant.
The fact is Rudd has reduced the visa eligibility period from three years to one year, broadened the definition of “existing dwelling”, and abolished the $300,000 cap for student visa holders. These changes, none of which have been reversed, have had a significant impact. The Age’s own survey concluded 30-40 per cent of sales between Camberwell and Doncaster may have been to foreigners. You don’t need an economics degree to conclude these changes have priced local families out of the market – and they have every right to be angry.
– Stephen Roberts, Box Hill North
11/6:
Earth has limits
David Milner (Letters, 10/6) queries the notion that perpetual economic growth is a bad thing. There are two main reasons why it is. The first is that it is impossible. The earth has limits. The failure to recognise this is one reason why there is such widespread environmental damage and why billions of people live in poverty. Things will get much worse if we stay on this path. The second is that there is a better way that avoids these consequences – the steady state economy.
– Geoff Mosley, Hurstbridge
13/6:
Population control a must
“People could be a threat to ecology” (6/6). Could Be? We are! Humans are the greatest threat to the balanced ecology of this planet. The excessive growth of the human species at the expense of all other living creatures, both flora and fauna, cannot go unchecked without the ecological system breaking down.
The Rudd government needs to take the lead to curb the growth of humans on this planet.
Carbon tax, carbon trading and now mining tax are side issues compared with the unchecked growth of the human species.
– Bob Greaves, Mount Eliza
17/6:
In response to Premier Brumby’s dubious plan to alleviate Melbourne’s growth problems by forcing people into rural areas, which are ill-equipped to deal with such growth, and would spoil their amenity:
One-track plan will ruin our lifestyles
It appears that John Brumby, having made Melbourne a not-so-liveable city, is planning to divert some surplus population to some regional cities.
Residents of Castlemaine and Bendigo have a good lifestyle, community spirit and access to parks, gardens and countryside. House prices, though increasing, are not insane and you can generally park your car near where you want to go without paying mega-bucks for the privilege.
We also have a rail link to Melbourne, which works tolerably well, except on very hot days, when the lines buckle. There is a limit as to how much more the line could take since former transport minister Peter Batchelor removed, at great expense, large sections of the parallel line. The single line doesn’t handle the delays well, as trains have to wait for those travelling in the other direction.
An increase in population will bring increased difficulties with these single-line sections of the track and probable meltdowns.
Mr. Brumby might find it to his advantage to try to limit population growth rather than exporting the surplus to us, for most of us are not going to be happy about it. We like our lifestyle the way it is.
– Cedric Buck, Castlemaine
What’s the point in shifting all those public sector jobs to rural areas – there’s no water here; you’ve already piped it to Melbourne. Leave the jobs in Melbourne and reap the so-called benefits of encouraging population growth for the past few decades.
– Graham Parton, Stanley
18/6:
Sold lie on growth
It is nonsense to state that Melbourne or regional Victoria’s record high population growth is evidence of prosperity. Study after study has concluded there is no link between population growth and an increase in per capita wealth. Population growth damns us to unaffordable housing, increased pollution, loss of native habitat, strained infrastructure, and a growing wealth divide. How is any of this evidence of prosperity?
John Brumby may seek to spread the pain, but the real political backlash will come when Australians realise they are being sold a lie.
– Vladimir Stoikovich, Brunswick East
19/6:
Victorians aren’t hankering for more
To implement a cohesive growth and development strategy for Victoria, we need to recast our thinking away from the dichotomous Melbourne/regional, city/country mindset. We need to think of ourselves simply as Victoria. Because that is the eventual outcome of a push for growth in regional Victoria – a blurring of lines between city and country lifestyle.
But do Victorians wish to make this change in thinking, let alone change their way of life? I think not. There is no impetus for change. Only the government and businesses are crying out for growth to feed their greedy budgets. Everyone else loves the way they live, and all are reeling from a decade of far-too-rapid change.
Victoria is a very liveable state, and liveability is all about size. Melburnians love their city because it is big, without being huge. It has world-class amenities without the Tokyo commuting times. Regional Victorians equally enjoy their open spaces and smaller towns, but appreciate their easy access to big cities. Country people have no burning desire to become citified.
Mr. Brumby seems deaf and blind to his constituents. Over to you, Mr. Baillieu.
– Cecilia Litchfield, Balwyn
Sustainable sign
Why is an apparent downturn in the building industry so often reported as a negative thing (“Victoria props up ailing building”, The Age, 17/6)? Surely it’s an indicator that we are slowly moving towards a sustainable society. We can’t keep on pushing the urban boundaries into former green areas, or cramming ever more people into densely populated suburbs, or forcing people into rural areas thus destroying country character.
– Graham Parton, Stanley
John Brumby has “detected a hunger for growth” in regional cities. From whom did he “detect” this hunger – politicians and developers perhaps? Australians wanting a sustainable future detected something else – the start of a large political backlash.
– Shaun Dumbrell, Williamstown
