Comments on: Will Indigenous communities see any of the 'Building Australia' Fund?

By: beevo

beevo — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:13:48 +0000

Thanks, I am sure I will get a few flames over that but act in haste repent at leisure eh?
The tyranny of distance makes even the most modest housing project (shed) into a money pit. I am quite sure I personally could not afford to afford live in such desolate places, even if I could keep my job while doing so (which I couldn’t) There must be a huge knock-on effect with all day-to-day living costs. The closer communities will obviously get better bang fo the buck. Still, as you say the funding may not be going that way.

By: Andrew Bartlett

Andrew Bartlett — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:54:28 +0000

Thanks for your input Beevoe – it’s the way of most blogs that people can’t edit their comments are they’re posted (except on their own blog). I can correct it though – I think the general point you are making is clear enough anyway.

I’m not saying all road improvements are a bad thing, but I am saying that a lot of major pieces of road infrastructure – such as the tunnel-fest happening in Brisbane at the moment – encourage more car usage, which continues the congestion it was meant to fix.

If we’re looking at quality of life improvements – one of the criteria which Mr Rudd has said will be used – then there’s not much dispute that many Indigenous Australians have far worse living conditions than other Australians. Housing conditions is a major part of this, and needs a concerted and sizeable spending injection to remedy it – which seems to be tailor made for this infrastructure fund. They don’t all have to be in remore communities, and can be built in an eco-efficient manner.

By: beevo

beevo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:09:40 +0000

Hang on Andrew!… I got my sums wrong! can I retract? I need a new calculator that works with the old british billions. Apologies for a stupid error.. my misguided sentiment was that if money could fix the aboriginal issues then maybe we should put a figure on it and spend it.
Healthcare not included… every person should have a chance at a long and happy life and you cannot put a figure on that.
Why can’t I edit my post?

By: beevo

beevo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:49:29 +0000

I have couple of issues with this Andrew. I would expect that some of the $20bil. could and would be spent in genuine areas of need. What about 0.003% of the total…sounds too little?? That would be enough to give every indigenous australian a million dollars cash one-off payment. (Let’s make it tax free too!) Maybe then we would get past this eternal issue and move on. What do you think? Would it create problems? If it would fix things I would vote for it. On a specific non-indigenous note on the roads as raised in your article. Do you really think improving traffic flow with better (smarter) road development is a bad thing for the environment? Surely not. I crawl in traffic for two hours every weekday with thousands of others. The roads and traffic systems are way behind the need. None of us there are enjoying it or being indulgent. We are not having fun and it is costing more in fuel already! If there was another practical, affordable and time efficient way to get to work or if I could afford to live closer I would take the option. But there isn’t and I can’t. Spend the last 99.997% on rapid clean cheap transit and I will be on it!

By: munners

munners — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:27:13 +0000

Spot on. Govt never won an election by adequately funding dirt poor Aboriginal communties. Expect much of the same from Labor. Just as bad as Howard in real terms, but give off the appearance of being more receptive. Snakes.