Putting Paid to the City
Electricity water rate rises and additional charges for busses and trains is all Bob Carr appears to have come up with to fund Sydney’s projected growth and infrastructure development needs. And he says this is “distinctive.” No, it’s the easy way. Sure you’re planning where to get the money at the same time as you’re planning the development, but that’s no surprise; that’s what you’re supposed to do. But charging more for utilities and putting the burden on the users of mass transit options is going to do two things more than pay for the roads and tunnels you’re building: get the entire population offside over heat, light, and water; and drive everyone with the option off the trains and busses and into cars to clog those new roadways and pollute the air further just when it’s needed least. Water restrictions are good; I’m all for it. But look, I know it’s hard to plan where commerce will locate itself and so it’s hard to know where to put the train station and bus depot when you’re plotting out where to put new suburbs, but you’ve got underserved suburban centers already and a rail system that’s in tatters. Instead of ring roads, tunnels, and tollways, get your mass transit ducks in a row first. That’s going to do more for the environment than anything you’ve got up your sleeves presently, especially with that idiot Michael Costas running the Transport Ministry show. Not that anybody’s going to listen to me: I ride the train.