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The Forum > Article Comments > Selling us down the river > Comments

Selling us down the river : Comments

By Bernard Eddy, published 29/7/2010

Last week Australia was told, for the first time in a decade of subterfuge, that the privatisation of water is the aim 'moving forward'.

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Sonofgoblin and weareunique.

With a rapidly growing population, expensive infrastructure is always required if living standards are to be maintained. So it is no surprise that utility costs have rocketed as a result of the recent population spike. The alternative view that governments have suddenly become incredibly inefficient makes no sense to me.

My view is that the idea that population growth as a driver of prosperity is an unproven, perhaps false, concept pushed by some for their financial gain. Is this view unreasonable?

One test is that of substitution. In this instance, substitute AGW as a concept. Now, some people believe that AGW is a false idea promoted by some for their financial gain. They believe that AGW has little supporting evidence, and that a substantial body of evidence is needed to support a concept. Yet, funnily enough, some of the same people accept population growth as a driver of prosperity when there is little evidence that supports it. In fact, I suspect that a grinning idiot with his thumbs up would be sufficiently persuasive for some of them.
Posted by Fester, Monday, 2 August 2010 6:00:20 PM
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Fester:>>With a rapidly growing population, expensive infrastructure is always required if living standards are to be maintained. So it is no surprise that utility costs have rocketed as a result of the recent population spike.<<

Fester, I can't agree. Grids and utility supply channels cope in all the states daily, with the exception of excessive demand due to the weather. The extra costs are to pay for infrastructure that successive governments let run down because they put the majority of the returns into consolidated revenue not the utility.

>>My view is that the idea that population growth as a driver of prosperity is an unproven, perhaps false, concept pushed by some for their financial gain. Is this view unreasonable?<<

It is the view of the entrepreneur, the more clients the better. But there is such a thing as sustainability, critical mass if you like. I agree with you.
Posted by sonofgloin, Monday, 2 August 2010 10:29:12 PM
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