Your views: on housing and growth
Today, readers comment on finding space for 300,000 more houses under the 30-year plan for Greater Adelaide.
Commenting on the story: ‘Tell me where else you would put the houses’
If the Government is set on a model of more greenfield housing development, can they first properly invest in improving our existing public transport system and better support inner suburban density à la Bowden?
If people choose to live in far-flung outer suburban developments, I’m sympathetic to the Minister’s argument that some public transport isn’t viable, but existing suburbs remain in desperate need of serious public transport investment.
Refloating the tram extension proposals should already be happening, electrification of the Belair, Grange and Outer Harbour lines needs to occur rather than largely untested hydrogen technology, and extension of the Gawler and Seaford lines should be discussed.
Major decisions and investment regarding the O-Bahn’s future will also need to happen in the next decade. If this Government is as genuinely future focused as the Premier likes to continuously project, it’s time they start publicly discussing these essential public transport decisions. – Louis Rankin
When oh when is anyone, let alone a politician, going to see demand for housing as an issue? All we ever hear about is supply. And more urban expansion.
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Yet to keep GDP growing the federal government, with the full support of the states, has a huge ‘consumer import’ program. This year we are importing 400,000 more consumers – almost the entire population of Tasmania – then next year apparently 230,000, and so on indefinitely. Of course there’s a housing problem!
Yet we don’t need to do this. Who exactly is benefiting? Not your average family, or commuter, or renter. We are doing this to get more growth, apparently. But growth clearly is not translating into a better quality of life for most people. And it’s piling environmental stress on social stress.
The Australian public is being taken for a ride by those with the most money and influence who actually benefit the most, through their investments, from this insane quest for endless growth. – Peter Martin
The federal government announces record numbers of immigrants while state governments suddenly have to drop everything to respond with plans for housing these people.
Not only housed, but provided with all associated infrastructure from water to roads to schools, and all at the expense of the taxpayer, not forgetting the existing infrastructure backlog. When the federal government says ‘Jump!’ our state government inevitably says ‘How high?’
Yet, as the Planning Commission has said, we are moving into a future with no land to accommodate this future growth. The Minister would do well to loudly call on the federal government to stop foisting these large numbers of extra people on us, instead allowing population numbers to stabilise and infrastructure to catch up. – Sandra Kanck
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It is about time that South Australian planners became planners rather than copiers of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and every sprawling US city.
Adelaide is already the same size as Los Angeles with only a fraction of the population, it does not need to get larger. Don’t destroy any more farming or bushland to cater for a growing population. We are not in the fifites supporting a growing auto industry, those days are gone.
Consider the longer-term requirements of the population and develop proper public transport infrastructure ahead of requirements, rather than just add a bus route three years after a suburb is completed. Corridor infill will only add to congestion: who’s great idea was it to build multi-storey on Unley road? Concentrate expansion at public transport hubs rather than clog up existing roads.
Think about greenfields beyond the long commute of Murry Bridge. The SE Freeway is already congested due to Mt Barker. Think about Tailem Bend and beyond, use existing train lines to connect to the city and those new areas will become their own centres, rather than outer suburbs.
The future is no longer about Adelaide becoming a mega-city designed around cars. It already is a sprawling mega-city. Please don’t screw it up. Will you be proud of your decisions in fifty years? – Roger Coats
State Planning Commission is seeking feedback on next year’s Greater Adelaide Regional Plan. Our Planning Minister says that a “more honest conversation” is needed.
When reading your article, it seems that Nick Champion has already rejected the future State Planning Commission report. This is despite community feedback concerned about greenfield development, environmental impact, and loss of amenity.
His mindset is firmly in the “growth at any costs” camp. I believe that his pro-business view, will also be counter to the State’s current consultation on Green Paper on the energy transition.
I’m all for a lively debate with opposing opinions. However, when the person in power has already made up their mind before the community and expert advice, is this a democracy?
I’ll tell you where to put the houses – the sprawling, congested, outer suburbs of Melbourne or Sydney. The poor souls don’t deserve more houses I’m sure, but I’d rather protect our enviable lifestyle in South Australia. – Stephen Morris
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