Meg, you wrote:

“Ludwig you seem to have confused Toowoomba with Rio De Janeiro or Beijing – let’s get this in perspective.”

Obviously Meg, my perspective is national.

“… ‘disincentives’ have the same effect.”

Financial disincentives should be means tested, as per that horrible baby bonus, rather than one-price-fits-all as with water tanks and car gas conversions. There is an issue with financial disincentives disadvantaging the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, but we cannot let this be an excuse for open-ended growth in stressed cities or regions. Anyway, quite apart from the merits of disincentives to move into crowded areas or incentives to move into non-stressed towns, I think you have at least indicated that the concept of management of growth is fair and reasonable. That’s the main thing.

“You might like to review your stagnant population theory too…”

I presume you mean ‘population stabilisation ethos’. With respect, you might like to think about where we will be a few years down the track if we don’t head for limits to population growth. Water will be just one in a rolling series of resource crises. There is nothing stagnant about a stable population.

“Ludwig, 1.8 children isn’t replacement population – hardly rapid population growth…not even break-even…”

Sorry Meg but you are wrong. With our current fertility rate of about 1.8, and net zero immigration, our population would continue to grow for about another 40 years. This is because the number of people in their reproductive years is very high with respect to the total population age structure. So, the personal fertility rate is below replacement, but the total fertility rate is quite significantly above 2.1.

Heading for a stable population does not mean that “in a few years time... there [will be] no young’uns to work the land…”. And the aging of our population is nowhere near as a big an issue as it is made out to be by some vested-interest pro-growthers.

Incidentally, the Burdekin Dam is pretty well south of the lower Burdekin agricultural area, and west of Mackay and Proserpine.

Ludwig has confused population growth with the age distribution.
A balanced population is needed for the population as a whole to be succesful in providing all the social
services needed as well as the resources for public works of all types.
This is where it affects subjects such as water services.
There simply has to be a significant proportion of the population
as taxpayers.
An unbalanced population cannot do it.

The birth rate is directly the result of government pandying to the equal rights movement by
forcing lending institutions to lend on two incomes. It will be virtually impossible to get the birth rate
to a self sustaining level until that dopey decision is reversed.
It forced up the price of houses and the women then realised they had no choice but to work.
Simple priciples;
If you borrow on two incomes, you need two incomes to repay.
The price of houses is directly related to the amount of money in the market.

With an election on September 9, all Queenslanders now have the opportunity to vote whether they want recycled sewage water in their drinking water or not.

If you want recycled sewage water in your drinking water - Vote for Labor.

If you want fresh water in your drinking water - Vote for the Coalition

amber4350,
Just how are the Qld coalition going to deliver fresh water.
Neither Labor nor the Liberal/National coalition can deliver fresh water.
Both can deliver hot air.
Both will piss in your pocket.
Both will promise fresh water.
If anyone can deliver fresh water they will also deliver cheap petrol and cheap house loans.
John Howard can't deliver cheap petrol or cheap hoes loans and God is on his side.
God is on the Qld Lib/Nat coalition side and they won't be able to devliver fresh water.
Now as for promises.
Yes they can deliver them we are in the promised land . . . of promises.
You know what you get when you are on a "promise"
Nothing but lies.

Proof that The National Party was behind the NO vote in Toowoomba.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile will officially launch Lyle Shelton’s campaign for the seat of Toowoomba North in the September 9 State election.

More than 200 business and community leaders have booked in for a gala campaign dinner at the Cathedral Centre tomorrow night to mark the launch.

Mr Shelton said it was a privilege to have such strong support from the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Federal National Party.

I think I smell a conspiracy ;)

As a member of the NO campaign in Toowoomba, I can vouch for the fact that the National Party was NOT and NEVER was behind the NO vote in Toowoomba.

Lyle Shelton was a member of the NO campaign as a sitting councillor and a citizen of Toowoomba. State politics had nothing to do with it.