"It's much cheaper to live without children. Strange how millions of religious Australians haven't figured that out. Maybe they just don't care."

Not having kids allowed me to happily retire at 50.

Aidan, what do you propose we do when we run out of space to grow wheat, raise livestock and build high-rise condos?

I hope your answer isn't "have more kids."

Well, when your economy is almost totally reliant on population growth and housing development because policy decisions by the economically illiterate have trashed what once was a manufacturing economy what can you expect?

And attempted to also trash any examples of cooperative capitalism on an idiotic ideological imperative. Look at our emptying out regional and rural centres.

And as a consequence of government decisions that have focused on political outcomes rather than the actual national interest! And decision making, not alleged capital city population pressure.

For years elections have always been proceeded by the contemplation of rapid rail and deferred on rank political grounds alone. And to prop up the profits of cronies in the airline industry and airport price gouging by fellow travellers.

And by politicians that have made negative gearing and special capital gains tax exemptions etc/etc for the privileged more important!

The infrastructure deficit is down to planning, not population pressure! If it were we could simply say to more recent immigrants, go back where you came from!

The current management template is the problem, not recent arrivals many of who have been our most industrious and productive citizens! That said there is a way of correcting this and requires first and foremost the removal of self-imposed and asinine limitation and useless appendages, i.e., state governments!

The one tier of ultra-costly and completely unnecessary tier of government. Without these economic albatross hanging around the nation's economic neck, 70+ annual billions could be realised for infrastructure! And some of this infrastructure will require skilled guest labour! TBC.
Alan B.

AyameTan,
How many millennia would that take? Australia has no shortage of space; it's water that's the limiting factor.

On some of Alan B's point I concur. Planning in Australia is always behind. Our politics has lost its capacity to think beyond the next newspol. How can anyone plan ahead with that mind set.

We need to step back and review where we are and where we want to be. Can't believe I am saying it, but we need a "Limits to Growth" type review, but not like the original which was basically a left-wing globalisation approach.

Re Government structure. We have too much and 3 layers is inefficient. Whether its remove state gov or merge state and local into regional bodies(perhaps natural catchment based) with one Federal government that's open to debate.

Ps Terry Jones (Monty Python) rest in piece and thanks for all your unique humour.

Aidan, are you aware that much of central Australia is nothing but desert?