People and where to put them. It’s about time we have this debate.

Sue Brooks November 18th, 2009

As reported in the Courier Mail …..

FIRST-home buyers could be financially encouraged to settle outside of the booming southeast corner to help shift population growth to the regions.

Premier Anna Bligh is considering a $3000 boost to the  first-home owners’ grant for people buying property outside the southeast.

The Government believes a $10,000 grant would help encourage existing residents and those moving to Queensland to buy houses in regional areas, aiding the local economies.

The policy is the first the Government has proposed to actively discourage people away from the southeast, where population growth is putting huge strains on transport, electricity and water infrastructure.

 

My reaction and comment…….

 

This is a momentous occasion if Anna is serious and follows through to develop and implement such a policy. After living regionally most of my life I have come to realise that a city with a population of around 100,000 people is a good size. By good size I mean that a city with this many people can support a good range of employment options, high quality education, health and sporting services and facilities and excellent cultural and entertainment activity.

 

Cities with populations smaller than this struggle to raise revenue for infrastructure and the provision of services and are very much dependant on outside assistance to service their community needs.

 

With a hundred thousand people a city can become much more sustainable than a smaller city can. It can reduce the exodus of its youth to ‘the big smoke’ and still guarantee a relaxed but cosmopolitan lifestyle where traffic jams and grid lock are never seen. It can, more importantly, provide its food and water services in an economically efficient and sustainable manner.

 

I support the move towards decentralisation and believe that it will assist in the preservation of eco systems, rivers and other important and threatened natural habitat and the fauna that lives there.

 

To achieve this outcome requires careful planning and I look forward to debating these issues as the Fraser Coast Regional Council investigates our future land use planning.

2 Responses to “People and where to put them. It’s about time we have this debate.”

  1. # Ben Collingwoodon 18 Nov 2009 at 10:10 am

    Anna is clutching at straws desperately trying to find something, anything that will win community support.

    I for one can not see Labor actually pulling this one off or more importantly, supporting de-centralisation. I’d love to be proven wrong.

  2. # Sadmanon 18 Nov 2009 at 9:53 pm

    De-centralisation is without doubt the way to go. It is surely better to use existing infrastructure, than have to build new?
    There are many country towns with all of life’s essentials, roads, schools, hotels, parks, shops etc. The only problem
    could or would be a lack of employment.

    To de-centralise well the government would have to pick town and areas where there is the potential for industry of
    various kinds.

    In the case of migrants, the government should tell them where to go for their first two years. Hopefully after two
    years they will have taken root.

    One of our great government weaknesses, is how they handle the unemployed. How can we talk of skills and labour shortages
    when we have 6-7% unemployement? People should be given a travell voucher a time and date for an interview and sent.
    Once settled in, the families should be given relocation assistance, all too simple isn’t it.

    Sadman

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply