As a result of Bligh's mooted decentralisation bonus, there have been calls for her to cap the booming population in SEQ, as we would expect.

She has admitted that poor management of population growth will cause a crisis in livability. So of course the idea of stabilising population needs to be up for major consideration.

But alas, dear old Anna has just poo-pooed it entirely, straight up. She is just not even going to consider working towards a population cap, which effectively means that she is just going to continue to subject SEQ to ever-greater pressure on water supplies, roads and other infrastructure, the natural environment, and peoples' quality of life.

She can see the problem but can't get past suggesting some piffling token-effort response to it. I was initially pleased that she had made a move on the population issue. But now I have fallen right back into my normal state of utter disgust with her worship of never-ending rapid-expansionist, totally antisustainabilityist politics.

The editorial in today's Courier Mail is excellent.

Here are some quotes:

'The Premier is finally acknowledging that the sustainability of southeast Queensland's phenomenal population growth is an issue very much worth discussing and not just in terms of how good it all is for the economy.'

'The Premier has arrived very late in the debate. Nonetheless we welcome her presence...'

'There is much about her government's approach to population and growth issues that needs to change...'

'The development of a population policy for Queensland has the potential to be one of Ms Bligh's most important contributions to the state.'

'Ms Bligh said it herself yesterday; Poor management of population growth will cause a "crisis in livability" It will be a fundamental test of her leadership to ensure the [SEQ] region avoids such a future.'

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Now we really do need to keep prodding Anna into some meaningful action of the subject. It is afterall, IMHO, the most important issue of all for her government and for the people of SEQ.

So does this mean that she may have to consider 'de-amalgamating' the many regional councils she and back flip beaty fought so hard to amalgamat.

So who pays for this now? Us, I supose!

Ludwig

Just for curiosity which other political party is *trying* to address the population issue?

How are you going to stop people coming into Queensland?
Queensland for the Queenslanders Hey.

How are you going to stop Queenslanders breeding and then choosing to live in the SE?

Mind you there are far too many wild cards to say if this is a good idea or not job availability is a key downer.
Let's stop tourists they consume/pollute too.

"... which other political party is *trying* to address the population issue?'

None Xammy. Not the Libnats, the Groans nor anyone. But curiously there was a mention in the Courier Mail yesterday that Bligh has been niggled for ages by these parties over the subject. I say; phoowey to that!

"How are you going to stop people coming into Queensland?"

The most likely way is by making SEQ a highly undesirable place to live compared to NSW, Vic, etc....which is what is going to happen in the near future if Bligh doesn't take some serious action on population growth. That'll at least skittle the growth rate in the southeast corner, although it will probable have a big affect on the whole state.

But in terms of what the government can do - they can implement all sorts of incentives and disincentives, regulations and laws, to get people to go where they want them to go and not go elsewhere, in just the same way as developments of all sorts are rigorously examined [well, in theory!] before approval is granted or rejected.

Gee, this sort of thing sits right at the most basic purpose of government - that is, to properly plan growth and development and all the connected factors in order to get the best result for communities and individuals.

When you think about it, for the Qld Premier to allow population growth to just continue and at a very rapid pace, while it is so obviously having enormous negative effects, just sits in absolute contrast to one of the core purposes of government!!

This government is abrogating its most basic responsibility here!

The Opposition, Greens, and every one else and their dogs should be making the point that Bligh should not have a choice. She must not be allowed to choose to just let things get worse and worse due to increasing population pressure and everything that goes with it. She should OBLIGATED to deal with the issue in a decisive manner!

Despite Ludwig's bitterness towards the Greens, and hence his propensity to misrepresent them on every possible occasion, the Qld Greens have made strong and detailed submissions to successive SEQ Regional Plans around the general issue of sustainability since as long as I've been involved with them.

This is from the current policy:

<< Reform the SEQ Regional Plan, and ensure all future Regional Plans:

* The basis of the SEQ Regional Plan must be achieving ecologically sustainable development. Priority should not be given to population growth at the expense of the environment and social arms of sustainability. Population projections should not be used as planning targets or requirements at regional and local levels.

* Conduct a full assessment of the carrying capacity of the SEQ Region including water availability, infrastructure capacity and critical wildlife habitat, both now and in a climate-constrained future. Ensure the SEQ Regional Plan does not provide for development beyond the ecologically sustainable carrying capacity of the region.

* The SEQ Regional Plan should be revised to focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation through regional planning designed at reducing Queensland’s emissions. The region’s carbon footprint should be identified and targets set to reduce greenhouse gases by sector.

* To provide for a diverse range of housing needs including affordable housing, while ensuring that housing affordability is not used to justify ecologically unsustainable overdevelopment.

* To fully protect significant regional biodiversity and wildlife corridors, including the habitat of endangered and vulnerable species and SEQ koala habitat, and protect endangered and of concern regional ecosystems from further development.

* To provide more open space and recreational land at the regional and local levels (with a target of 4 hectares per 1,000 people), but not at the expense of conservation areas. >>

http://qld.greens.org.au/policies/planning-and-development

The only mainstream political party to have a policy regarding ecological sustainability in SE Queensland is the Greens. It helps neither Ludwig's cause nor his own credibility to try and obscure that.