Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Towns die, cities choke, Australia sleeps

By Everald Compton - posted Wednesday, 14 August 2019


I was born and bred in the Australian bush.

There, I went to a tiny bush school which had eleven students whose parents worked in the local timber mill. I enjoyed many happy days in a prosperous little community that really was one large family.

Back in those days of the 1930's and 40's, Australia had thousands of small towns, most of them larger than mine, which were stable and secure with affordable housing, plus good shops and a fine school and reliable hospital, based as they were on solid rural industries which were the core of the national economy.

Advertisement

Then, they slowly began to die.

They were victims of many backward factors such as economic rationalism, manipulated 'free' markets, scarce investment, costly inadequate transport, declining water supply, high cost of labour, no jobs for the young, plus an ageing population and poor government which allowed capital cities to grow in unbalanced fashion.

Now, they are the remnants of a rural society that has little hope of revival unless Australia suddenly gets an enlightened government that turns around decades of neglect in which vision has been a rare commodity.

At the same time, our capital cities were allowed to grow unrestrained and unplanned so that now the streets are clogged, the footpaths impassible with too many parked cars, and we have inefficient and scarce public transport and thousands of ugly high rise apartments, mostly poorly built.

We claim that this represents modern civilisation. Wow.

And the little guys suffer there too, just as they do in the bush, as most can't pay the rent for their exorbitantly priced shops in huge shopping malls where there is intense retail competition especially from online shopping services that are also killing their rural counterparts.

Advertisement

Many constructive thinkers are offering solutions, but these fall on the deaf ears of government.

My view is that we must start with reduction in the size of government, dropping from three levels to two.

Local Governments are not mentioned in the Constitution so they can be eliminated.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All

This article was first published on Everald Compton.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

10 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Everald Compton is Chairman of The Longevity Forum, a not for profit entity which is implementing The Blueprint for an Ageing Australia. He was a Founding Director of National Seniors Australia and served as its Chairman for 25 years. Subsequently , he was Chairman for three years of the Federal Government's Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Everald Compton

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Everald Compton
Article Tools
Comment 10 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy