It was encouraging to see that the Federal Ministers for Transport and Major Projects were in discussion directly with the Victorian Government on a rail connection between Southern Cross Station and Tullamarine Airport recently. It was encouraging it was agreed, according to the media reports, that it would be completed in 10 years. What is […]
Assessment of Railway Technology
There is no doubt that railways have transformed where and how people live. A brief overview of the railway technologies and their implications is instructive in view of Australia’s population needs. Traditional rail Railways were a foundation of the industrial revolution. They took over transport from slow canals and stage-coaches in England where railways first […]
Attraction of New Cities for Settlers
Introduction The Australian population is projected to double in the next 4-5 decades to 48m. Governments are planning for the populations of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to double. They plan to superimpose the equivalent of three new cities each of 1m, totalling 3m, on the existing established inner-city and middle suburbs of populations of 3m, […]
Driverless Electric Vehicles
Introduction There are clear indications that fully electric cars are coming, and driverless cars are on the way. Driverless electric vehicles (DEV) are in sight. They may take over from combustion engine vehicles in the next few decades. It is worth envisaging the likely situation in advance. It is widely assumed that low cost, driverless, […]
Australian Population Increase
Projections The Australian population is projected to double in the next 4-5 decades to 48m. (ABS projections report 3222.0) The populations of Sydney and Melbourne are projected to exceed 8m and Brisbane more than 4m. Governments are planning for these city populations by major densification of dwellings and population in Australia’s low density and high […]
Australian Population and Housing Trends
Introduction Ten years ago, the Australian population was projected to double from 24m to 48m in the next 4-5 decades. Today, it is projected to almost double in 3-4 decades by 2050. It may grow further. Australia is a ‘United Nations in one country’. Some 60% of the population increase, 15m, will be immigrants. Australian […]
Dwellings Over Railways
The VFT2 High Speed Rail/Fast Freight Rail (HSR/FFR) concept envisages building 400,000 dwellings above inner-city HSR and suburban rail in trenches for 30km into and out of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane CBDs. Sale of the dwellings would pay for the total construction cost of the HSR/FFR project between the three cities. The dwellings would be […]
Resource Availability for High Speed Rail Construction
The 2013 HSR Study Report recommended construction of HSR between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in stages over 35 years. Government accepts this long construction time. The problem is that in 35 years the population of Australia is projected to almost double and these cities’ populations to grow to almost 8m. The 35 years reflects the […]
Relative Cost of Government Infrastructure
Introduction The Australian population is projected to double in the next 4-5 decades. Major cities are projected to double in size, Melbourne and Sydney to 8m. This will require considerably more government infrastructure spending to maintain and increase liveability or quality of life and prosperity as the population grows. It is worthwhile developing preliminary views […]
Brisbane High Speed Rail
Recently, High Speed Rail (HSR) has been mooted to connect the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. This was not considered in the then Government’s 2013 HSR Study. Its route to Brisbane was inland via Ipswich, with a spur line from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. It did not connect with any airports. This […]