It would appear to the masses of Australia that Queensland is the "promised land"!

We have been inundated by a tidal wave of humanity from the southern states and as a result have witnessed a unprecedented increase in the cost of land and housing!

We are at the same time witnessing a rapidly increasing crime rate along with commensurate diminishing punishment levels!

We have suffered a statewide "forced amalgamation" by our ever-caring Labor Government, bringing with it massively increased unimproved valuations and inevitable increased rates!

As if this was not enough to cope with, we have to try to weather a world-wide greed inspired "recession" ( when the US gets an erection the rest of the world gets AIDS )... the effects of which will be more homeless and increasing poverty levels throughout Australia and especially Queensland!

We are now being "warned" that Queensland will probably suffer the most from the Federal Government`s Carbon Emission policies which will add another $11 a week to each home-owners Electricity Bills!...and this is only the start of what will be seen as the greatest bunch of con-tricks ever foisted upon the people of Queensland!

Why should the people of Queensland really care about so-called "Global Warming" (the principle of which is questionable?) if we are going to end up homeless as a result of these continual advances in world environment management and other such "political expediency"?

It now appears that Queensland is "Paradise Lost" and is fast becoming unsustainable as a place to live for many of us Queenslanders!

Thank you Mr Rudd, Mr Beattie and Ms Bligh....you have all done very well.....continue the punishment, but make sure that you have a new job lined up for when you get kicked out of your secure little Wally Worlds!

I dont think government is up to the job of a major influx.
We went to country QLD in the early 1980's and it was like the 1930's.
Over 25 years it improved but not all that much for major population shifts.
Many people testify to going north and having to come back because of no jobs...and its so difficult to get back into Sydney and Melbourne.

When Bligh became premier, one of the first changes she made was to rename the Ministry of Environment and Multiculturalism. She called it Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation and put someone in the position, Andrew McNamara, who has a pretty impressive record in environmental matters, unlike the previous minister.

It seemed like a very positive move. At last not only environmental matters seemed as though they might get a much better level of governmental input, but sustainability, for the first time in this country, might actually get a bit of attention.

But alas, it was a false dawn.

Increased CRIME RATE?

AAAH..it's all dem suthahnerrrz.
:)

David:

It is rather coincidental, isn`t it? ...Still the facts and the figures do NOT lie!

I am amazed at the number of people that I have asked for their reason for coming to Queensland and invariably it has been: "Because it is cheaper housing!" ....."Because it is a better way of life!" and the doozie of all is:.... "You might as well be picking up the dole in a warm climate, as freezing down South!"

An interesting fact is that a lot of these "brave new pioneers", immediately after arrival here in Queensland, start complaining and want to change the place to how it was in the place that they left behind!

Maybe it would be a good idea if every person convicted in a Queensland Court of Law had his or her place of birth identified publicly and then the true value of Beattie`s brainchild would become apparent to even the slowest of wits!

I’m sure southerners are no more criminally-minded than established Queenslanders. Any increase in crime rate would be due largely to police numbers not being increased in line with population growth.

It is understandable than some southerners start ‘whingeing’ soon after they arrive. I mean, there’s plenty to whinge about; water restrictions, increasing cost of water, electricity, etc, traffic congestion, crime, health, education, blah blah blah. Oh, and the rapid population growth that is compounding all these things.

I bet that for a lot of them, their new home isn’t all that it was cracked up to be.

They should wear some of the blame for that…for not properly researching their new abode. But our illustrious state government needs to wear the bulk of the blame, for attracting people to areas of Queensland that are suffering the results of population pressure and/or the lack of basic services and infrastructure that the government has failed to keep increasing in line with the population growth rate… or soon will be suffering from these things.

What is the Bligh government’s solution to reducing the now blatantly obvious and chronic population pressure and consequences thereof in SEQ? Is it to attempt to slow down the influx? Um, no, not in the slightest. It is to encourage more of the southern influx to relocate in north and central Queensland… into Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Port Douglas, Airlie Beach and the Capricorn Coast…which are all places that are large enough as they are and will suffer from more rapid growth, and become just like the large centres in SEQ.

Sustainability in Queensland? Mmmmm…yeah….sure mate.