Catherine Carter |
Monday, 21 February 2011 7:00 AM |
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Our ACT Population Symposium (held last week) featured lively discussion and a full range of views on our ideal population level from the delegates.
We looked at demographics, the Commonwealth strategy for a sustainable population, political trends, the ACT situation, urban infill and the Australia-wide population debate.
When asked the ideal population size for Canberra, delegates named figures ranging from a million to considerably less than our current population of 359,000.
Some believed a bigger population would stimulate infrastructure growth and raise living standards, others felt it would increase the strain on existing resources and lower living standards.
Some produced compelling arguments to show that increasing population would, by leading to more efficient use of resources, reduce our per capita carbon footprint.
Others produced compelling arguments for the opposite point of view.
But all were heard, and all points of view were discussed. And there were several significant points of agreement between all delegates.
Everyone agreed, for example, that considering population without also considering infrastructure was just plain foolish.
Whatever the size of our population, we cannot have an efficient, environmentally responsible and pleasant Canberra without incorporating strategic infrastructure planning into the daily running of the Territory.
All speakers acknowledged Canberra's large per capita ecological footprint and all acknowledged that the right population size and density were crucial to reducing it. The point of disagreement was whether we needed a larger, static or smaller population to improve the situation.
Another significant point of agreement was this: it is both pointless and irresponsible to consider the issue of the ACT population in isolation from the rest of the country, and indeed, the rest of the world.
We live in a spacious land and, though many of us see much of Australia as functionally uninhabitable, we acknowledged that people manage to live in equally or more inhospitable environments elsewhere in the world. Canberra is a green (generally) and generously proportioned city.
Many other Australians have much less open space, many fewer parks and much smaller glimpses of sky between the buildings than we do.
The debate centred around what our responsibilities to the rest of the world really are. Some speakers, for example, felt it was a duty to share what we had.
Others said it was our duty to provide a model of ecologically intelligent living for the rest of the world to see and emulate.
But nobody contended that it would be right to plan our population in isolation from our neighbours.
When the topic moved from absolute numbers to density, or the amount of land space per person, delegates found a further point of agreement. Canberrans, they said, should enjoy choice.
The Territory should feature a range of housing options, a range of dwelling sizes, prices, locations and types. Those who want the convenience of an inner-city apartment should be able to have it in Canberra.
And those who want their own garden and suburban lifestyle should enjoy that too. The proviso was that all lifestyle choices should be catered for with quality buildings, first-rate design and the greenest possible materials and construction methods.
So the symposium established that all sides in the population debate share a fundamental understanding of the issues, challenges and responsibilities involved.
That provides us with a solid foundation on which to build a productive and effective strategy for achieving the best possible Canberra for now and the future.
Catherine Carter is ACT Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia
Catherine Carter |
Monday, 21 February 2011 7:00 AM |
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