Tuesday, July 20, 2010

South Australia's future

If there was any doubt about the direction for South Australia's future these first days of the campaign have dispelled those doubts.
Certainly there was a faint hope that a newly elected Federal Government would curb the State's enthusiasm for rezoning yet more agricultural land in the Gawler, Barossa and Mt Barker Council areas. The faint hope that there would be at least one party that would stand up and ask the question "where will we grow the food to feed these people?" One party to recognize that there is a need to resurrect our moribund farming industry. One party to acknowledge that we cannot afford to allow foreign ownership of our farms - in short one party with a genuine vision for the future.
Those who had invested their hopes in the Greens will likewise be sorely disappointed. Bob Brown has made it clear that he does not appreciate the link between population growth and the environment. Indeed, apart from his concern for Tasmanian forests, it is hard to find anything substantive in the Greens policy platform that would give us some hope that here is at least one party that understands that environmental issues demand more than just some warm and fuzzy sentiments.
So what can we expect?
All three parties will support the idea of pouring more people into South Australia. They have made it clear that the big cities are full to bursting. So their objective now is to replicate the mistaken policies of the past few years in regional Australia and we are part of regional Australia.
So South Australians would be advised not to go to Lake Eyre to see the once in a life time wonder of the Coopers Creek running but instead to take a drive through the Adelaide Hills - this may well be your last chance to see an unspoilt country side.

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