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Page 6 of 14 pages : significant questions (jump to page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14) :
“The nation’s supply lines are not up to the task of meeting its growth opportunities. We are failing to make this boom pay. Australia’s infrastructure for basic services – such as power, water, roads, rail, telecommunications and land development – are not up to scratch. State governments have failed to deliver a truly national market for energy. Broadband is failing because of the monopoly power of the dominant telco incumbent. Rail investment has been wasted on ‘nation building’ conceits such as the Adelaide-to-Darwin link. Go-slow regulatory bodies have produced bottlenecks in our bulk commodity ports. Government monopolies and a lack of price signals have produced Soviet-style rationing that outlaw kids from playing under sprinklers as they water the suburban garden.” “And, where business is allowed in, episodes such as the disastrously designed contract for Sydney’s Cross City Tunnel give private infrastructure a bad name. Fundamentally, this is due to a grand failure of government, most clearly in our dysfunctional federal-state arrangements. The Council of Australian Governments is paralysed by political game-playing and Yes, Minister bureaucracies. No one is clearly in charge and no one is taking responsibility. Accountable government needs to harness business innovation to fix our infrastructure crisis.” Editorial : The Weekend Australian (Page 18), 31 Mar 2007 Leading planner and architect William Hames, who designed the Swan Bells Tower (Barrack Street, Perth) slammed the inaction over foreshore redevelopment (Perth) : “If West Australians had been in charge in New South Wales, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House would never have been built. Where’s the great statesman? Where are the people that really can lead? Where are the great visionaries? We need a bipartisan committee to one visionary plan which (the public) can also support. We have an economy that can afford to do some serious major infrastructure works. This is the time we ought to be creating a legacy for our grandchildren.” “Political bickering needs to be put aside. The fault lies with all of us, because no matter what anyone puts up, someone’s got to have a shot at it. It just annoys me. We’ve got a culture of critics, who criticise everything that’s ever proposed. Everyone wants to do something, but they keep sniping at one another all the time. If you took the attitude that you had to have a return on investment immediately, the Sydney Harbour Bridge would never have been built. If we create a foreshore that is fantastic, we will have tourists coming here for the next 100 years – that’s when we’ll get paid back.” William Hames, Director, Hames Sharley Extract : Sunday Times (Page 35), 1 Apr 2007 Toodyay shire must pay widow over fatal crash : “The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling forcing a WA country shire to pay compensation to a woman whose husband died in a car crash on a road that had not been maintained properly – but has slashed the pay-out by half after finding negligent driving was a factor in the crash. The decision by WA’s highest court potentially paves the way for crash victims and their families to sue local government bodies if they have accidents on roads that have not been maintained properly.” “Local Government and Regional Development director-general Cheryl Gwilliam conceded the decision exposed local governments to potentially big damages claims. If they (Councils) can’t demonstrate that they are actively maintaining their roads, they will open themselves up to exposure. I believe the long-running case has already increased awareness and led to all WA’s local government bodies ensuring they had active road management plans.” “WA Local Government Association president Bill Mitchell said he did not expect insurance premiums paid by shires to rise as a result of the judgment. The unique details of the case also meant it was unlikely to set a precedent.” Cheryl Gwilliam, Director-General, WA Dept Local Govt & RD Extract : West Australian (Page 9), 16 Apr 2007 “We have had enough accidents and near misses on the York Street / Princess Royal Drive corner, what are we waiting for? A fatality? I pray to God that I’m not driving the truck when it happens. Let’s use our common sense and keep Princess Royal Drive for heavy vehicles. The entertainment centre should not be built on the foreshore. There are a lot of more suitable options in town, Centennial Oval for one. I have no objections to a marina and speciality shopping area, park and gazebos with barbecue areas. There should be no sale of land / buildings to the private sector. All land / buildings should be lease only.” Doreen Johnston, Albany Resident & Ratepayer Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 6), 26 Apr 2007 |
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Bill Leak, Cartoonist Cartoon : The Australian (Page 12), 17 Apr 2007
Why we are losing our sense of community : “A sense of mutual obligation is what makes communities work. That’s why close-knit communities tend to have a strong moral code : we know each other, we rely on each other, especially in a crisis. So those two deep concerns about life in Australia now – loss of community, loss of morality – are actually one and the same. When we lose our sense of connectedness, moral clarity is the first casualty. Whatever brings us together is not just fun; not just therapeutic (though it is that, especially for those who have felt socially excluded). It builds communities and communities are where our values are shaped and sustained.” Hugh Mackay, The Moral Maze Extract : West Australian (Page 14), 28 Apr 2007 Recruitment of Planning Officers – Changes to Team Structure : “To supply an appropriate level of service to the Albany community, the Town Planning Team at the City of Albany has been established with four (4) planners and one (1) Senior Planning Officer under the management control of the Manager of Planning & Ranger Services. An additional Planning Officer (Strategic) reports to the Executive Director of Development Services and is responsible for the project consultancies and the preparation of strategic documents. Of the five (5) planners reporting to the Manager of Planning and Rangers Services, three (3) planners have recently tendered their resignations. Advertisements run in planning journals and through newspapers indicate that several Councils are seeking to recruit planning officers and the salary package offered by the City of Albany may no longer be competitive. Advertisements run by the City to attract a planning officer failed to attract a single applicant; attempts to recruit from overseas also failed to attract a suitable applicant. This item directly relates to the following elements from the City of Albany 3D Corporate Plan – Community Vision : a Thriving City – Albany’s community will enjoy economic growth and outstanding opportunities for our youth through excellent community infrastructure and services; and innovative development complementing Albany’s unique character, natural environment and heritage.” Robert Fenn, Executive Director Development Services, City of Albany Extract : Council Minutes (Item 18.1), 17 Apr 2007 Next page or Download a print version of ALL the statements? |
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Rainbow 2000 © — a Regional Planning Strategy for Albany & the Great Southern, Western Australia |
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Albany, Western Australia
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