What is it with intolerance these days? Here in Melbourne our population is growing beyond all expectation. Someone told me there is the equivalent of a Jumbo jet full of people arriving every week to make Melbourne their home. The city is bursting at its seams; even the ever expanding suburbs are reaching their limits. It would be nonsense to further increase the geographical size of Melbourne. The people in the new, outer suburbs already have to deal with a lack of public transport and a lack of services. Releasing more land would simply be a ridiculous decision.
Yet still, the people in the inner city suburbs and those in suburbs up to 10kms away from the city refuse to allow changes to zoning. They don’t want to accept any form of housing development in their leafy, tree lined suburbs with the quarter acre blocks and the multi-million dollar houses. Oh no, not in their backyard!
It’s the same in the next suburbs out, the suburbs that have been proposed as traffic hubs, with direct public transport to the city. No one there wants development in their backyard. Heaven forbid that a few more dwellings get built to house the expanding population! The great Australian dream of a big house and an even bigger back yard might disappear. That would be unthinkable!
What is wrong with people nowadays? What are they so scared of? Does no one want to help their fellow man?
Charity begins at home, or so we are told. Yet we are more than happy to throw a few dollars at charity so long as they keep the needy away from us.
What could possibly be so bad about building apartment blocks? What evil could possibly exist in developing more public housing to look after those less fortunate? Are we so selfish that we really don’t care?
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Interesting post....Do you have a homeless population in Australia? It is getting terrible in Canada. Our homeless are quite visible and need housing. Same thing though...nobody wants to bring them into their neighbourhood...
ReplyDeleteI was just going to make the comment that Canada is getting bad, but you beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a world wide issue.
It is like that here in Florida too.
ReplyDeleteI live in a relative small town but it is growing. Everytime there is talk of a new housing development people march to City Hall to complain. They want to maintain the small town feel but then they complain they there isn't more shopping available! I guess no realizes that stores are not going to come where there is no people!
i have a friend who left the states for Austrailia... I had no idea it was like that! I will call him and tell him to come home righ tnow LOL
ReplyDeletealthough he has been tehre for 3 years- he really loves it there!
Many of us don't care about others outside of our circle of friends and relatives. As the economy contracts, so does our generosity of spirit, it seems.
ReplyDeleteThe homeless problem is out of control in London too
ReplyDeleteOur house is in a newer housing development. We've lived here about 14 years. Yet, I still remember shortly after we moved in, overhearing the old-timers complaining about all the new developments coming in, the increasing traffic, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs populations continue to grow, the people have got to go somewhere.
Susan - we do have many homeless here. Governments just don't seem to be able to come up with viable solutions.
ReplyDeleteArdeth - it is world wide for sure.
Martha - Very true! People are strange creatures...
Diva - Lol! Where in Australia is he?
Joy - I often wonder how to change things around.
Kitty - its everywhere.
Brenda - I think we should all try to remember that!