AFTER THE FLOODS
Why are the governments still allowing short-term greed to rule over long term value and safety?
So we live in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, which have been resting rather unhappily under several meters of muddy polluted water for many days.
Our Once in a lifetime floods has now happened two - three times in the last few years. Don't mention the poor people in northern New South Wales. Just awful.
While this time we were high up, the first time we were in rental accommodation and the water went to the roof. Not a pleasant nor inexpensive arrangement let me tell you. while we had insurance it was the wrong type of flood apparently.
but its not just flood development, its just all so poorly planned.
Before i get started - Here are photos 1 month on - Bremer River - Ipswich west of Brisbane.
Developing in Flood planes
Where do we start with urban planning these days? I get so frustrated when i see developments popping up that are so obviously poorly planned. Designed for BIGGEST MONEY for little investment.
development for development sake. Its not planned even if they say it is. its like on SimCity when you need more jobs and you stick a random road out somewhere with a big yellow zone and then watch your traffic go to shit around it.
Why are we still building in floodplains? Ok i know they SAY they are not... but they are, or they are damaging the land so that the floodplains don't work the way they need to.
Urban development with tiny jampacked houses with no green anywhere
but its not just floodplains, its the houses they are building. high density urban sprawl with tiny houses. its the worst kind possible. Creating these little mini micro climates of HOT HOT HOT. Big (or not so big) houses hardly a meter apart. Concrete yards, no grass, dark roofs and no plants. HOT HOT HOT. oh but folks, just in case you were wondering, "it's Ok..." because the "Houses have solar".
don't get me wrong, solar is awesome, however its not making up for all the little houses. taking all the land with no breathing room around.
Trees, we need trees and green planned so much more into our urban development. They lower the temperatures, anything that takes the sting out of the black concrete is fine thing. Places for wildlife, (yes even though i hate things that bite, they are necessary), dare i say oxygen and they are just so beautiful.
Driving down our very beautiful highway out here, i used to see beautiful vista of green and valleys that were just so beautiful. Now they are a sea of metal and concrete. Any all for 100 houses.
I don't know where the balance is. I guess it is because Australian's like living in "own houses" the idea of living in apartments is not something that sits well with the "family dream"
With the current prices of houses and reducing land available and the poor public transport, the options are these micro suburbs with no land. certainly no where for kids to throw a ball around.
Thoughts
It makes me sad they way this is, Even to the point that i would prefer big taller building of apartments with green levels and a park area around. Those gorgeous green building you see on pintrest. I know there are better ways to do this development.
the problem...
MONEY
it is always money.
greed - from the government down. They want the rates and the ratings for building new housing.
look we are not perfect ourselves, not by a long shot, but at least we have trees at our place and a lawn, (which is just a bit better than concrete). We have vegetable gardens and worms. we would like to keep bees. we do have solar, we have a compost bin and we reduce our landfill waste. We have 1/2ed it in the last 6 months along.
I Just wonder where we are going from here when they are still building crap like this.
sorry for Tuesday night thoughts... Frustrated.
More photos from my trek down to the river
Our Rental in 2011 - Just for interest sake
Anyway thanks so much for stopping along and reading my posts I am just loving my HIVE experience so far. Such a fun platform for sure.
For those that don't know my i'm currently focusing on Daily painting and somewhat amusing my self and my family with Acrylic pouring.. lol.. i wish i had a separate studio for that as it is so messy.
My other HIVE interests are:
- cooking
sunset photography (i take photos of the sky every night)
Art
Graphic Design
Gardening (just a smidgion)
Ballet
Sewing - I make Tutus and ballet costumes too...
Here are a couple of snaps of some of the stuff i do outside what you see up in the posts above.
