The loss of habitat, ibis breeding territories and related issues are
interesting in themselves, but isn't the real issue (and the long-term
damage) the misallocation of resources that is Westconnex itself? This is
billed as the largest infrastructure project in Australia (it is actually
dwarfed by the out-of, sight-out of mind, Chevron LNG plant) and various
figures, continually rising, are given for its cost. In a world rapidly
needing to decarbonise that we allocated close the total of the State
health budget on a freeway, seems to be a symptom of a polity which is not
quite grasping its fundamental priorities OR one which still sees
tomorrow's problems as someone else's. Duncan's gaiety and boosterism on
what is plainly the kind of edifice that characterised the HEC in the 1970s
& 80's is only exceed by his chutzpa at suggesting it will increase our
quality of life.
Like much that comes from the conservative side of politics (think wind farm
commissioners not anti-discrimination commissioners or the abomination that
is our off-shore concentration camps) one gets the sneaking feeling that
some of it is simply to get up latte/chardonnay/Chai (add your libation of
choice) collective noses. Nothing does this better than a few tunnels and
bitumen delivery strips which dump photochemical smog, congestion and
general angst in the inner city seats of the aforesaid greenie/lefty
members. From Duncan's point of view it might also deal to those two death
cults of the smooth functioning inner city - Clover Moore and bike lanes.
Total up the single-decker metro and Westconnex and you have a neat pile of
lolly that could have put quite a dent in replacing cars with public
transport and perhaps replacing a few coal mines with some molten salt solar
or a few more propellers on the windy bits. Such an approach may be the best
long-term strategy for all birds and their habitats.
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