"Each major Australian capital city is faced with predicted population growth of millions more people." It's not a passive "prediction", it's a deliberate Treasury target, Ross. Ordinary Australians are strongly opposed to it. But it's working just fine for well heeled "property consultants" like you.

Urban transit? Normal cities have a rail link to the airport. Even LAX is getting one, at long last. After 50 years, Tullamarine is not even close. While Sydney has one of biggest tollway gouges in the whole world. Works for rich people, bad news for ordinary punters.

There's no provision in today's Australian Psyche for step by step long-term development. Just about everything is based on the quick buck mentality !
I firmly believe that a National Service would bring back the forward thinking of the post war era when infrastructure was built for the future not just for the day !
The 4 mile long canal of Corinth through solid rock was built in 600 BC yet we can't divert a few creeks to fill lake Eyre with all the machinery of today ?
It clearly is the lack of patience from investors that prevents so much practical progress.
Many projects would literally pay for themselves from the real estate along such projects. Flood mitigation could be paid for by canal developments etc.
If only the quick buck mentality could be gotten rid of ! Environmental concerns aren't warranted there as environmental benefits would override all !

Two things not to do: Don’t smoke and don’t travel. Problems solved.

We have a people problem: there are too many of them. We have a people problem in the politicians who want to keep bring more people here - mostly people who don't fit Western civilisation. People. People. People.

Ever watched any of those ambulance/hospital emergency shows Ross? An extremely disproportional percentage of the injured are bicycle/motor bike riders. Your solution may increase the health care bill beyond acceptable.

I bought myself a mobility scooter, it also is not the answer to urban transport, but something like a cross between it & a golf cart just might be.

Then there is the non urban population. I live in a semi rural village. It is about 50 Sq kilometers in area, & has 1190 houses, & still growing. It is 15 kilometers from the nearest super market, about 20 from nearest town, & 25 from a larger one offering full shopping facilities. People here don't just need a car, but really need a ute at least to bring home everything needed to live in an area on the electrical grid, but with no other urban type services.

Too much planning currently aimed at major cities leaves far too many folk like us completely out. Time to include the rest of us in planning.

Two things not to do: Don’t smoke and don’t travel. Problems solved.
diver dan,
Willy nilly travel is a large contributor to the problems of our times. From emission to lost tax revenue to acquisition of new stupidity & importing new problems.
There are an extreme few travellers who actually learn from travelling & return with increased knowledge & improved mentality. The contrary is more the case from my observations.
We don't have a mobility challenge, what we have is a mentality challenge & particularly the challenge of saving the decline of common sense courtesy of intellectuals !