Most local and state governments employ so-called ‘Town planners’, but I wonder what they achieve. Let’s take one city as an example -Sydney. Present population around 2 million and increasing. Each year more agricultural land is acquired to build new houses and the area covered by the city continually expands. Soon it will reach all the way from the sea to the foot of the Blue Mountains and extend even further up and down the coast. Question: Is this process unlimited? Will the expansion be allowed to continue indefinitely?
As the city perimeter increases, the need for all kinds of public services expands, at a higher rate than the increase in population. Radial roads lengthen, become motorways, and need more and more cross-links; public transport extends and becomes more complex; more schools and hospitals are needed with reasonably close access; more complex reticulation of electricity, water, gas and broadband is necessary, more police, libraries, social services, shops, parks, sports fields and so on. Where does it end? Do town ‘planners’ actually plan, or do they lamely follow suggestions of the land developers, mortgage brokers and real estate agents?
The population of Australia will continue to increase through migration for some time to come. This appears to be essential for the growth of the economy, a belief which in itself needs further thought, but little attention seems to be paid to where all these extra people will go. Surely there needs to be a limit to the size, and to the costs involved, of expansion of the major cities in this country. How many more soulless suburbs comprised of regimented rows of boring houses on tiny plots along featureless straight streets do we need?
Many country towns are shrinking and the average age of the remaining residents is increasing. This is where new Australians should be going. Put a limit on further expansion of the cities and encourage the development and expanded settlement of country towns. They need new housing and city-style facilities; they need more accommodation for doctors and nurses, lawyers and teachers; they need extra residents with new skills and ideas; they need the assistance of younger people capable of doing the more demanding agricultural jobs. Please don’t allow them to be dumped in the outer suburbs of cities without opportunities or mobility, and vulnerable to prejudice and crime. Come on town planners, how about some progressive planning?
An old codger's comments 