By The Editor
According to population growth estimates, Melbourne could see a 74% increase to its number of residents by 2036 – but with our State’s resources and infrastructure showing the strain, population growth is becoming an increasing concern.
The Age has reported on two proposed approaches to this issue, while VECCI’s Megan Cox offers a reminder that these discussions must go beyond simply “housing the masses”.
Look to the skies…
Skyscrapers have been declared the answer to Melbourne’s urban sprawl by two leading developers, with both revealing plans for more towers as the city struggles to cope with a surging population [The Age]
Head for the hills…
Thousands of first home buyers are being priced out of Melbourne’s first 25 kilometres, at a time when the city is facing one of its greatest planning challenges: a population explosion. If the predictions are right, Melbourne’s population will almost double in the next 40 years to 7 million [The Age]
Megan: “Regardless of whether Victoria’s future projected population lives “up” in skyscrapers or “out” in suburban areas, governments must frame these discussion with reference to infrastructure needs including safe and efficient road and public transport access, appropriate hospital services and adequate water and energy supplies to name a few.
A larger population in Victoria could impact significantly on the overall liveability of our state if we do not consider the transport implications of having increased populations in suburban areas, for example, or the energy and water consumption requirements that would be required with greater numbers living in and around the CBD.
It is also worth considering the role regional Victoria could play in absorbing some of this future population growth, and of course the infrastructure that would be required to support such increases.”
[...] Melbourne’s growing population has been a topic of much discussion. Whether the solution lies ‘upwards or outwards’, it is important that our city’s infrastructure needs also be [...]
I have made an extensive comment on this post elsewhere (see link below) but want to point out here that the public debate is not about high-rise vs sprawl (as The Age would have us believe) but rather medium density vs sprawl. My view is that high-rise is a bit player but has more potential than it is given credit for, especially in anchoring suburban activity centres.
http://melbourneurbanist.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/what-role-for-high-rise-towers-in-melbourne/
Ensuring continued access to affordable raw resources of stone to build the roads and houses for all this extra population is alo an issue. As the urban fringe expands, existing quarries either run out of resource or are engulfed by the urban sprawl. A key issue for Government in considering the location of quarries is the issue of transport costs of material to market. Hard rock and sand are significant cost components of concrete and roads. If quarries are forced to move further away from their market due to urban encroachment, increases in transport costs associated with longer haul distances from quarry to market will lead to significantly increased cost of infrastructure projects and houses. In addition, there is greater environmental impact (greenhouse gases, air & noise pollution) and social costs (road maintenance, road accidents) from transporting materials a longer distance. Government planning action is required now to address this issue.
A very easy problem to solve. Most country towns have sufficient infrastructure and land to accommodate larger populations. All the government has to do is give people an incentive to live in the country. I would suggest a 5% reduction in tax both for companies and individuals. I have a country based business and can have my products almost anywhere in Australia in 2 working days, it takes me less than 5 minutes to drive to work, I can duck home for lunch, walk to the river to fish, we have great schools and fantastic sporting facilities and we have a very low crime rate. I have lived in Melbourne and every time I visit I wonder why anyone would want to live there. Add up the time you spend travelling to and from work and you must loose 10 years of your life sitting in traffic.