Wonder where we will put all these new People
Lets try Sydney. nope already to crowded and housing is out of control
Lets try Brisbane. nope seems like every month now they get flooded
no place for them there.
Lets try Adelaide nope its just about dead great work pollies.
Lets try Perth nope they are about to go into recession
Lets try Hobart No jobs
Whats left OK Darwin and Melbourne problem solved im sure these cities can squeeze in another 10 million or so no problem

Everytime I hear anything about this right wing BS called the IGR, it is just dogma to justify current and upcoming federal government budget philosophies. Any predictions about the future in 4 decades fails miserably to comprehend the rapid advancement of A.I into our lives and the subsequent diminishing of, or in some cases, radical restructuring of jobs & careers that are virtually unheard of or even invented today. On top of all this, is the ever encroaching effect of climate change with its inherent troublesome unpredictability. To try and plan cities with a vision of 40 years from now, is just plain silly and absurd.

This obviously does not just effect Australia, its a global thing, this advancement of A.I, robotics and technology overall. Driver-less motor transport as an example making redundant any commercial driving jobs.

Don't kid yourselves, I see a future where one of the deep philosophical conundrums is going to be how on earth are people going to get money to live? If technology does practically everything for us! Yes, even going so far as to assist, if not, eventually and completely overtaking the complex occupation of something like a surgeon as another example. This is something I heard discussed on a BBC radio program about 6 months ago.

Did people even just a decade ago let alone 4 decades previously envision the processing power of today's common smartphones? So what other shocks and shaking up of the status quo is in store? Bottom line way I see it... no one knows..and anyone who 'thinks' they do is basing it on assumptions and you know what they say about those who 'assume', you can make an 'ass' out of 'u' & 'me'...

Aidan,

Your beliefs are obviously sincerely held, and we'll have to agree to disagree. I can never accept that anyone, individuals or governments, are wise to try spending themselves out of trouble. True, some people did benefit - many of them rent-seekers, some of them shonks who had no previous experience of doing the work they botched, and some honest people who did OK. But, Australia was no better off. We survived because we are remote from many of the sharp, global finanacial practices; we have a strong, disciplined banking system, and the previous Coalition government (like them or not) left the country in good shape. Just as the socialist New Deal in the U.S didn't work (the market, as usual came good) the idea that throwing good money after bad helped Australia is an illusion.

Aidan is mostly right, we just don't need to raise more tax?

Take interstate rapid rail. All of that could be funded via interest free self created social credit/thirty year self terminating bonds etc; and repaying that, by selling some of the resumed/rezoned land, once the rail links had massively swelled property values.

And traveling on rail isn't necessarily unproductive time, given modern technology could allow things like video conferencing/getting productive with the lap top!

Many commuting highways have grass divider strips down the middle, and an ideal place to locate a express monorail system!

If they were designed as endless loops able to move as many passengers as individual gondolas could carry once fully loaded, rather than be stuck by a (peak demand) timetable; they'd move many more; and maximize available profits.

Given they'd all be traveling in the one (anticlockwise) direction! And just seconds apart if that were convenient?

Once the weight sensors sensed a full load the doors would slide shut and the loading ramp withdrawn; the individual gondola could move off and accelerate to a matching speed.

At the end of the loop would be another (switch) loop capable of storing as many gondolas as were in service, and another for routine maintenance purposes; and therefore operational (computer controlled driverless) gondolas able to be rolled out with actual demand; or one every (half) hour when most of the peak demand had gone?

So late night revelers and shift workers would still have a public transport option to fall back on?

And swiped smart cards would eliminate most of the staffing needs and just be limited to security?

And disembarkation points could be supported by weight sensing moving walkways to eliminate the usual bottle necks that slow down a rapid transit system?

The only thing preventing transport rationalization, are the usual (solution-less) nay sayers, who as usual, know all the reasons it can't be done!
Rhrosty