In The West (12 April, p.14) Adele Horin comments on the loss of the quarter acre block... We are moving from large or small houses on largish blocks, to small home units on very small blocks. This -- according to Horin -- is a good thing.
Living like sardines will reduce commute time, reduce infrastructure costs, remove the space that was previously unused in backyards. Even stronger justification -- Europeans have been living like sardines for years...
So let's just pack ourselves in. If it's good enough for Europeans then we -- Australians -- must follow. Why the hell should we have a lifestyle that is different to anyone else? If it's European, it must be better!
Here's another view:
We live in Australia because we like to live in Australia. Why is that? Perhaps it's because of the laid-back lifestyle, the pleasant weather. Perhaps some of us even like the freedom of space around us -- the freedom of being able to be on our own quarter acre block, with a bit of outside space for personal living.
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"They cannot afford or do not want the house in the far-flung suburb." That sounds reasonable. But why not? It's expensive because of the competition to buy -- more people want more houses so prices rise. Okay, so let's control our population -- keep the numbers down so that there is less demand for new houses, so the prices remain within reach of more people who already live here.
What is the problem with a suburb being "far-flung"? That suburb will be a long way from work and entertainment and friends. So there is a high cost of travel. The article notes, in particular, the high cost of commuting to work. Can we decentralise work? Why not encourage businesses to spread themselves around? Bring business to employees rather than the other way round.
Well, no, that last idea is ridiculous. After all, business is in the business of reducing costs. Employees are a major cost. Employee commuting is not a cost to the business -- so forget it! So what if employees have to travel a long way to work, that's their problem. If they don't like it -- they can resign. There are plenty more employees where those ones came from.
We are driven by business. Business aims to make a profit -- and any cost that is outside the business is irrelevant. Large populations, high rates of unemployment, living like sardines, commuting for hours each day, environment and standard of living going rapidly downhill -- who cares?! As long as business makes money.
Business makes money, there is a flow-on effect, people -- on average -- earn a little bit more. So the country -- on average -- earns a bit more money. If we need to accept a poorer standard of living -- even some people living in abject poverty -- who cares? After all -- on average we have more money.
Packed in like sardines, tied to the TV and the PC because there is no freedom to move outside, can't afford a house with a yard... Population pressures destroying our environment and our standard of living, population growth continuing... But who cares? After all, Australians -- on average -- are earning more money. And money, after all, is the most important thing in the world.
What a load of rubbish.
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