Posted 11/3/08
MELBOURNE'S LIVEABILITY FADES AS POPULATION SOARS
Media Release, Victorian Branch, Sustainable Population Australia (SPA)
"The news on 4.3.08 that the Victorian State Government is re-zoning land in several growth corridors at an accelerated rate to meet demand sounds like crisis management", the President of Sustainable Population Australia (Victorian branch), Ms. Jill Quirk said today.
"That Melbourne is destined to surpass Sydney as Australia's largest city was the other piece of depressing news in the media today", Ms. Quirk added.
"There is nothing about this situation that heralds an increase in quality of life for Victorians and particularly those in Melbourne. The two news items are true because of unprecedented high immigration into Australia and funnelled into Melbourne.
The problems that arise from this are discussed endlessly on the media most days of the week - traffic congestion and overcrowding on public transport, water restrictions, how to save water and how to produce water, sad stories about wildlife caught up in development that has made no provision for them as it advances over habitat, a housing affordability crisis and inflation which can be traced back to increasing land prices because of population growth necessitating rises in interest rates!"
"All these problems are immediate", said Ms. Quirk, "but in addition we live with the already expressed anxiety of people in the future being stranded in outer suburbs without public transport when fuel becomes too expensive to run cars, rising food costs as arable land near cities is covered with housing, the future high costs of water for domestic use and the need to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a rising number of consumers."
"Our governments have visited a large set of serious problems on us with which radio personalities constantly entertain their angst-ridden audiences, usually with no consensus or solution.
The solution is in fact simple - Turn off the tap on immigration to slow population growth and we will have some hope of a manageable future."
5.3.08
Jill Quirk
Sustainable Population Australia (Victorian Branch President)Sheila Newman
Sustainable Population Australia (Victorian Branch Vice -President)
PO Box 1173
FRANKSTON,
VIC 3199
AUSTRALIA
P: 03 9509 7429
M: 0409 742 927
E: SPA VIC