Dear Aiden,

You ask:

“Why do you think of immigration as the problem rather than the solution? We need better infrastructure, and immigration improves the economic case for building it.”

The Shire I live in is one of the fastest growing in the State and also has some of the highest rates. This is because dealing with growth which is excessive, costs inordinate amounts of money and other resources.

A net migration rate per 1,000 people similar to the UK would allow a more sustainable building of that infrastructure and lessen the social impacts.

My wider question to you though is where do you envisaging this all ending? Semi rural Shires becoming populous forcing urbanisation and lessened livability in turn pushing people further out. Where does it stop? What do we want a State like Victoria looking like in 30 years?

What union demands, exactly?
Aidan,
Paul1405 accuses me of living in a tree but you're definitely hiding behind a rock if you feel the need to ask that !

individual,
A real rock? Or an imaginary one?
I ask because Australian unions nowadays understand the importance of efficiency and (unlike their British counterparts) are generally quite reasonable. I therefore strongly suspect that you are making up your claims about union demands putting Australia's competitiveness to sleep. This would probably be to represent the situation of forty years ago that you wrongly believe still to be the case.

But that's just speculation on my part - it's possible that I'm wrong on this and your claims are based on actual evidence. Hence my question: what union demands?

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Steele,
As I see it the main problem with infrastructure provision at the moment is there's too much of a reluctance to take on debt, so too high a proportion of costs are having to be paid up front.

As for how I'd like to see Victoria in 30 years: multiple VFT lines making it more attractive for people to live in places other than capital cities. And yes, some people in rural areas would be pushed further out; that's vastly preferable to letting the places further out decline.

are generally quite reasonable.
Aidan,
What, like asking for a pay increase during the Pandemic ?

Indy, by how much has your aged welfare increased during the pandemic? How much in taxpayer funded bonuses have you been paid?

taxpayer funded bonuses have you been paid?
Paul1405,
I did not ask for ANY unlike the arty farty mob & your Guilt industry !
Why not answer questions put to you in other posts ?