In this extended AABC interview, Land Transformation expert Dr Shane Geha, and International Media Relations Specialist Yvette Grady Russo, discuss the latest trends in town planning.
Extended Interview Questions:
- Sydney basin and the Hunter district as having the greatest depth of agriculturally productive top soil in Australia. Much of that land is now being targeted by developers for McMansion estates. What is your professional opinion on the sustainability of that?
- In our preinterview on increasing the Australian population to approximately 70-million by 2050 you claimed desalination would add sufficient water to support that. Sydney Water developed a full desalination plant and it ran vastly over budget, its net production of water wasn’t up to target and its energy costs were prohibitive. How do you propose to make desalination work for such a vast population?
- If planners and developers generally are going to continue this model of McMansion estates how would you propose to address and readdress issues relating to the lack of roadway access, lack of public transport, lack of open recreational spaces. Lack of local educational, medical, and shopping facilities?
- Do you think estate developers should be required to heavily subsides the cost of public transport hubs in areas they’re developing?
- How will population growth effect Australia’s already endangered wildlife in urban areas and near urban environments – I refer here generally to housing estates being developed on near city farm land and adjacent to national parks?
