Kingborough threats

THE urban growth boundary Tony Mulder mentions (Letters, June 7) has facilitated large land releases for housing in Kingborough. Releases have not been supported by substantial public transport investment and serious metropolitan planning. As a result, urban dysfunction in the south has manifested as congestion on the Southern Outlet and a scattered, halfempty suburban “centre”. Our ill-planned urban development has put pressure on the endangered forty-spotted pardalote, contributed to beach pollution and proven

Less time in the car?

I CANNOT believe the State Government’s priorities. The Budget proposes $1.6 billion next year for infrastructure and only $67 million on affordable housing ($10 million borrowed from a future year’s allocation). Treasurer Peter Gutwein talks about his “infrastructure budget” then says the Government was already doing all it could to help ease the housing crisis. Of course there is more it could do. Postpone just one bridge or road and put the funding into making housing more affordable, healthy and sustainable. The Bridgewater Bridge is getting $394 million. It can wait another year but homeless people and those in second-rate housing cannot. Premier Will Hodgman defends infrastructure spending by saying it is essential for making roads safer and, astonishingly, to allow people to spend “less time in their cars and more time at home” ( Mercury, May 29). For the people forced to sleep in their cars this must have really resonated.