Once again we see that the Baird government has not consulted broadly about the increasing population of Sydney, although he has consulted with property developers ("Sydney set to pack in 185,000 new homes", November 19-20). It seems the majority of these new homes will be built in the west and south west, while the northern beaches, eastern suburbs and the shire will hardly be affected. Why?
There are no plans for hospitals, schools, nursing homes, hospitals,transport, roads and recreational areas to be built and who will pay for them. The much touted West Connex, M5 and rail network will become obsolete. For those who want a livable city, the 2019 election can't come quickly enough.
![Illustration: Cathy Wilcox](/web/20161122162912im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/t/i/u/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsta0w.png/1479686917179.jpg)
Robert Pallister Punchbowl
Let us hope that Planning Minister Rob Stokes is planning for more than homes. For example, how many schools are planned for the areas of home expansion? How many of the 11,800 homes planned in the Camden area will be built on flood-prone ground? Unless answers to these questions are addressed now, before the homes are built, we certainly face great problems a few years down the track.
Clive Williams Lavender Bay
Jacob Saulwick points to the uneven "urban infill' in Sydney. Many parts of Sydney with no previous high-rise are getting heaps of new apartments, while other areas with much larger blocks, which would be easier to consolidate into a development site, are spared. can't help wondering if there is any high-rise proposed in Mike Baird's street, and whether this would make a difference to the infrastructure planning that ought to accompany the high-rise blocks.
Carmen Jarrett Leichhardt
I was excited to read your lead story about the new homes for Sydney, as I thought that perhaps my grandchildren may have some hope of getting into their first home. However, when I read through the list of where these homes are proposed to be built, I saw that unless they are prepared to go out into suburban sprawl, hours away from the major employment hubs, they have to decide to have no children or at best one, and save to buy a modest home unit within their work area.
Even if they accept this harsh economic prescription, they will still have to battle to find a school as the Baird Government has no plans to build schools in the areas where this high density housing is designated. Of the 185,000 housing units proposed, only some 40,000 are in the outer areas like, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden and other outer suburbs where young families may have some possibilities of buying a family home under $1 million.
Frank Ward Shoal Bay
Sydney is about to have the biggest housing construction boom in history, according to Jacob Saulwick's article. The cause of this boom is the predicted population increase of 2.1 million in the next two decades. Given the huge economic, social and environmental costs of population growth, why is it that we blindly address the supply side of housing rather than constrain the demand side?
This could easily be done by reducing immigration numbers to lower levels than we have accepted in recent decades. The criteria of sustainability and human wellbeing must take precedence over short-term growth.
Alan Jones Narraweena
Dear Premier, please stop selling our parks and publicly-owned land. We don't need any more public-private-partnership (PPP) tollway roads.It's our land, not yours.
Branco Gaica Redfern
Following the election of Donald Trump in the US, there has been much talk lately about a rural electoral backlash here. However, I predict a backlash in the cities, Sydney and Melbourne, where generations of people will be unable to purchase housing, or perhaps even rent.
Federal and state governments need to act before it is too late. End capital gains concessions; implement decentralisation to the regional centres, where possible; penalise empty unit or house investments; and most importantly, build fast rail networks between the city and places such as Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong where ordinary people can still afford to buy.
Bruce Johnson South Turramurra
Thanks kindly, but it's a change, not a chop: Throsby
Two of your correspondents have linked my work situation with that of two women I greatly admire, Megan Latham and Gillian Triggs (Letters, November 18, 19-20). I am honoured to be mentioned in such distinguished company but it is not deserved. While their ongoing employment is decided by governments, my program on ABC Classic FM has not been "chopped". It will come to an end next month at my request. I am moving to Saturday mornings on Classic FM and the ABC has been nothing but supportive in my quest to refresh my work commitments.
Margaret Throsby Rozelle
Ian Temby has failed to mention the most serious consequence of NSW Premier Baird blurring the separation of the legislative and judicial powers. The next ALP government that doesn't like the direction of some future investigation now has a precedent for equally poor form. On the bright side, we can all save a bit of ink and website space, as now we have a CAC not an ICAC.
Paul Mason Brisbane
Why does Ian Temby think that Megan Latham and judges have a right to security of tenure? In today's society, security of tenure is based on job performance and even great performance is no guarantee of security in our uncertain economy. Imagine an economy if, by law, everyone had the same job security rights as the powerful in the legal profession? Mr Temby's attitude demonstrates how far out of touch the powerful are with the lives of ordinary Australians.
Rodger Harkness North Curl Curl
Damn! I'm going to miss Armageddon
Most of us prone to worst-case scenarios would not have welcomed your gloomy outlook for the future ("8 threats that would paralyse the city", November 19-20). The solution is to challenge such catastrophic thoughts and, as Hamlet advised, "by opposing end them". In my case this was relatively simple. The fine print tells me these calamities are 30 years away and with my longevity now more like "shortevity", they will all occur long after I've shuffled off this mortal coil.
Garth Clarke North Sydney
With terrorism being one of the eight threats that would paralyse the city of Sydney, why is there no trauma department at the Sydney Hospital, handily in Macquarie Street? This would save around 20 minutes getting life-saving help for injured people, which is currently the case when patients are taken to Royal Prince Alfred hospital in Camperdown.
Robert Cameron Rozelle
Thanks for that paranoia-inducing article. But there are some glaring omissions: Viral Zombie Attack, Alien Invasion from Zorgan, Giant Mutant Snails, Vampires.
Andrew Travers Randwick
Bully-boy Dutton finds a new target
Just when you thought Peter Dutton couldn't get any uglier, he now turns on a former Coalition Prime Minister to blame him for our current refugee crisis. The attack is even uglier when the victim is deceased and unable to defend himself.
Robin Humphrey Springwood
I discern from Mr Dutton's surname that his family origins are from northern England. There have been some terrible criminals from that area in the past 200 odd years in Australia, and steps should immediately be taken to subject anyone from that origin to additional surveillance. No, don't ask me for evidence. Just take my word for it. It is the background that's to blame. It's in their blood.
Peter Wilson Quorrobolong
I do hope Peter Dutton was able to watch the Ethnic Business Awards on SBS over the weekend. Inspiring people shared their stories, and some of them were "boat people".
Elisabeth Hawkins Normanhurst
Why are we surprised that an ex-policeman sees migrants as criminals? As they say, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
David Ingram Tea Gardens
Australians foremost, so let us rejoice
Stan Grant deals deftly with the problems that people of mixed heritage have in identifying who they are ("The Identity Trap", November 19-20). Australians are descended from people who have come from all corners of the world. Some, probably fewer than 1 per cent, are descended solely from Australians who have been here since the beginning of time. Many more can claim Aboriginal descent. Similarly, more than a quarter of us were born overseas and our Australian children can claim descent from migrants. Regardless, let's honour the fact that we are Australians foremost, but not be ashamed of the many and mostly mixed heritages that we have inherited.
Ian Bowie Bowral
I was really interested to read Stan Grant's reflections on his identity as an Aboriginal Australian because it stems from an issue which still has been inadequately addressed by our nation. But I was jolted by his comments about his own "privilege", not in terms of his income and lifestyle, but much more concerning, his children having "been to the best schools that money can buy".What is it about increasing numbers of supposedly egalitarian Australians whose default position is that paying for education makes it better? We can talk about tradition and networking and all those supposed advantages, but as a teacher and parent in the public system it continually astounds me that increasing proportions of families are conned into spending vast amounts on their children's education for no actual educational advantage.
Even worse, that egalitarianism is further undermined as an ever-increasing tally of new private schools dilutes the public dollar. It would be wonderful to see Australians (not) put their money where their mouth is and support our fantastic but threatened public education system.
Kate Dearden Stanthorpe Qld
Face the real news, we are in danger
Garry Linnell writes that half of all Americans use the social media platform Facebook as their primary source for news and information, and 95 per cent of Australians have Facebook accounts ("The most dangerous person on the planet isn't who you think", November 19-20). He points out that it has usurped in-depth, investigative journalism and that there is "no transparency when it comes to how its controversial 'trending topics' are decided". One is left with the impression that there is a distinct risk of the ignorant increasingly informing their fellow ignoramuses. This article should be compulsory reading.
Harry Polley Dural
Your weekend editorial and Garry Linnell's article both clearly point out the evils of unfettered social media. When anyone can say, with impunity, whatever they like online anonymously, we clearly have a problem. Why can't we extend the defamation laws that apply to print media to online sites? A few heavy fines imposed on Facebook and other similar sites might force them to clean up their acts. If they in turn then require all contributors to verify and identify themselves, we would then get much better accountability for what they publish.
Chris Danckwerts Turramurra
Norman's success shows Hockey up
Why do we have to go on paying Joe Hockey as ambassador and maintaining an embassy in Washington DC? All you have to do is phone Greg Norman to get things done. This piece of networking shows the regard Hockey in which is held. It also shows how we could save a lot on babysitters.
Keith Hardie Caringbah
Is anyone seriously claiming that Donald Trump spoke to our Prime Minister early in the cycle because someone helped the process? You have only to look at the sequence of calls to see that Trump was using an alphabetical list. If Albania were a US-friendly country, its leader would have got a call before we did.
David Greatorex Sydney
Good one, baddies
The families of some of Sydney's notorious gangsters are claiming that the police are negligent in their duties by failing to protect the gangs from each other ("Ties that bind", November 19-20). Surely this is the ultimate irony.
Ken Follows Erina
Trifecta of premiers
David Brooker asks if we could have three premiers in NSW ("Latham sacking no more than payback", Letters, November 19-20). But we already have three premiers – Mike Baird, Alan Jones and Ray Hadley.
Henry Brender Double Bay