Rudd billions may bypass planning system - but at what cost to the environment and social capital?
$1.5 billion of Kevin's whopping $42 billion stimulus package has been put aside for public housing - according to an article in The Age today. The plan is to press 'GO' on every project possible to get people building, often at the expense of full planning processes.
I wonder - as did the editorial today and a number of other people quoted - at what cost to the Environment and Social Capital.
I honestly hope that we don't end up with more versions of housing estates in Long Gully,
Caroline Springs or Mernda Villiage: unconnected cookie-cutter developments which foster unsustainable travel and living.
Why not take this opportunity (& cash) to build world's best practice housing and community planning? I'd be proud of that.
Why not mandate that every new house and shopping centre has solar in the roof, insulation in the walls and has north facing windows?
We know this stuff works, we've known it for years and I just don't think that the traditional: "Green is too hard, just build it quick"is good enough anymore.
... or maybe we could spend the development money in regional Australia? (or is there no votes in that?)
Don't get me wrong, I think much of the planning, consultation and permit processes currently in place are too slow. But we don't have to spend slow - just smarter.
0 comments:
Post a Comment