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Racial separation revealed geographically (Sydney Morning Herald, Dec 17th 2005)

"A tale of two Sydneys: affluent versus aspiring"

Stockholm - where high density failed (Australian Financial Review, Dec 16th 2005)

"No reality in high density"

Urban Sprawl (The Australian , Dec 10th 2005)

"Even Urban Sprawl Finds Defenders"

High density living in Paris (Daily Telegraph, Dec 7th 2005)

The lowdown on higher density

Geoffrey Rush (Dec 7th 2005)

Rush tracks down allies

Wide Open Spaces (The Australian, Nov 23rd 2005)

Planners put wise to wide, open spaces

Home Ownership (Australian Financial Review, Nov 22nd 2005)

Door closed on home ownership

Corruption (Daily Telegraph, Nov 4th 2005)

Tunnel corruption bombshell

Tough times ahead as numbers keep rising

Congratulations on your editorial of September 23 headed "Sydney's cup runneth over". Sustainability Commissioner Peter Newman is right: Sydney is indeed "full up".

Indeed, with poor public transport and high petrol prices, Sydney may become unworkable. Food costs are likely to soar as fresh food has to be shipped in, urban development having concreted over most of the market gardens in the Sydney Basin. And climate change may see a similar drying of the region that Perth has already experienced.

We are in for some tough times. Further growth is not the answer. Sydney has to develop a localised, steady-state economy that ensures as good a quality of life as emerging conditions allow.

Jenny Goldie, Sustainable Population Australia Inc, Michelago

To suggest that Sydney is somehow running out of land and resources can only be described as ideological baloney. What Sydney has definitely run out of is affordable housing, and NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor is taking the honourable and courageous decision, in doing something about it.

The Demographia International. Housing Affordability Survey 2005 ( www.demographia. com) clearly illustrates that the Sydney couple on the median household income would have to pay $350,000 more to house themselves than their counterparts in the US cities of Atlanta, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.

The young people of Sydney are not getting a fair deal.

Hugh Pavletich, Christchurch, NZ

Whether or not Sydney is full, the city's resources are overstretched and in the meantime, where is the increasing population to be housed?
Why not follow the European model and build up our country towns? Europe is full of vibrant towns and cities with populations less than Adelaide. Only London and Paris are larger than Sydney. The Premier and the Planning Minister should be well aware of the possibilities.
Jeannette Tsoulos, West Pymble

High-density housing for Sydney must be stopped. Well planned satellite cities are needed to relieve traffic and human congestion, and pressure on the water supply, electricity and sewerage system. Where is the long-term planning, instead of politically expedient short-term disasters?
Margaret Ratcliffe, St Ives

Restrictions on the release of new land are causing Sydney to become a city of haves and have-nots. Those who have are pleased at the increase in the value of their homes. The have-nots see their dream of home ownership fading into the distance. Can we build a civil society when so many people feel helpless?
Grata Behrmann, Neutral Bay

The Daily Telegraph 24 September 2005, page 24

Saturday Letters

More of us would turn
Sydney into a rats' nest

We have to take action to stop turning Sydney from one of the most liveable cities in the world into a congested rats' nest.
Peter Newman's warning that pending housing releases for Sydney should be the last should be heeded, but it is only part of the story.
There will be little gained if what we do is try to push more and more people into existing Sydney boundaries - such consolidation will only lead to more and more congestion and a more rapid decline in Sydney's liveability. If we can justify increasing numbers on the basis of growth and increased standards of living, then we have to build new satellite cities from scratch and offset those costs against any economic benefits claimed - only then can we start to make more informed decisions.
There is no future in trying to retrofit higher densities into suburbs with inadequate infrastructure, as present plans persist in trying to do.
Michael Gillian, Ettalong Beach


'Development must cease if we are to survive’
End development
It was very pleasing to read that finally someone has voiced to the State Government that development must cease in Sydney if we are to survive.
I say this as a tenant who wishes to one day own his own home knowing-that ceasing development will push prices up but it must stop before we see our beloved Sydney totally overcrowded and destroyed.
It makes me angry to hear greedy money-hungry developers are against any move to stop the sprawl purely so they can line their own pockets by building cramped new developments with minimal infrastructure.
What we need to concentrate on is possibly creating new inland cities utilising new environmental ideas and principles and urge newcomers to embrace new ways such as total recycling and rebuilding our diminishing industries. Please save Sydney and urge development in new areas that can sustain it.
Eric Mooyrnan, Brighton-le-Sands

Build satellite cities
Sydney is too full? You bet, but the solution is not to stuff more people in the inner city. That will not alleviate water problems or pressure on infrastructure.
What about satellite cities? What about regional /country development? What about a modest decrease in immigration rates so our population increase is manageable? What about some real solutions?
Graerne Cordiner,Gladesville

Recipe for pollution
Professor Peter Newman urges that no more land releases be made ("Sydney is full," Daily Telegraph, September 22). But he has frequently made it clear that he believes there should be no limits on the numbers coming into Sydney, and that all the additional people be crammed into existing suburbs.
This will cause Sydney to be even more crowded and polluted.
Tony Recsei, Warrawee

Stop retrofitting us
Sydney has been overcrowded for a long time, and it has been spoilt by high-density housing developments.
Any new increase in population must be accommodated in satellite cities, possibly in I the Southern Highlands, properly environmentally designed from scratch.
We can do without all the problems resulting from retrofitting higher densities on to suburbs with infrastructure that was originally designed for lower densities of population.
Fred Rost Ashfield

Carr cuts and stuns (Australian Financial Review, July 28th 2005)

Spin doctors depart the scene

Fear told on Carr as disasters mounted (Daily Telegraph, July 28th 2005)

Spin doctors depart the scene

Bureaucratic Incompetence - "It'sa Costa Plenty!" (Lane Cove Village Observer, July 6th 2005)

Bureaucratic Incompetence - "It'sa Costa Plenty!" (by Lane Cove Tunnel Action Group Inc.)

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