GST V GST"PER CAPITA" & POPULATION GROWTH

For some time we have been banging on about our population growth while our politicians keep telling us that population growth is essential for our economic growth. But do we really understand what is actually growing?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports our economic growth using the increase in GDP (Growth Domestic Product) but what is not usually understood is that there is a disconnect between GST and our living standards. Actually while GST has been continually growing, the ABS has confirmed that our living standards have been shrinking. While GST has had uninterupted growth for many years, annual growth in real GDP per capita has been 1 to 2 percentage points lower.The reality is that our individual prosperity depends upon economic growth exceeding population growth so while we are experiencing population growth, largely through migration growing faster than our economy, we are essentailly going backwards.

Because it does not serve the interests of our politicians due to large political donations by  the business lobby groups (who repesent big business which relies upon the influx of new customers largely through migration) the government continues to report GDP growth rather than GDP per capita. The governments of both major parties have been using smoke and mirrors to deliberately mislead us. 

BRAG raised this issue with Josh Frydenberg (our local federal member) but we don't expect to see any real change. It will need the force of numbers to push this issue so what about telling your local politicians that you want our economic reports based upon 

Real GDP per capita not the misleading GDP

"RESIDENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS" (RBR)

Are you concerned with the governments' determination to force more residential development into your local neighbourhood?

The latest revision of Plan Melbourne dictates that 70% of all new housing will be crammed into our established suburbs. It also has changed what in many areas is a restriction of no more than two dwellings per block. In future developers can build more than two dwellings and the heights have been lifted to three stories.

When questioned, the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, indicated that maybe this could mean up to 10 dwellings on a suburban block.  You could have a three storey block of flats built next door with no right of appeal.

BRAG has published a Residents' Bill of Rights (RBR) which was developed in conjunction with residents' groups right across Melbourne who are all facing many different planning issues

 The RBR was devised  as a response to the lack of any real consultation by successive state governments, while our residential areas are continually being plundered by developers only intent on exploiting every construction opportunity , regardless of the impact upon our residential areas.

The RBR is an initiative to give residents a real voice in how their local residential areas are developed.

WE URGE EVERYONE TO INDICATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE RBR BY WRITING TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE POLITICIANS AND COUNCILLORS TO SUPPORT THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR RESIDENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS

A copy of the RBR is attached (see the link above).

See the full story in post below.....

HIGH IMMIGRATION MASKS AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC DECLINE

FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT OUR RECORD IMIGRATION INTAKE HAS NOT RESULTED IN OUR EXISTING CITIZENS BEING BETTER OFF AS ALL THE BENIFITS FROM THE RESULTANT ECONOMIC GROWTH GOES MAINLY TO THE NEW ARRIVALS.

DATA FROM THE AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS CONFIRMS THAT OUR PER CAPITA INCOME HAS BEEN GOING BACKWARDS. OUR POLITICIANS HAVE BEEN TELLING US THAT OUR POULATION GROWTH FUELED BY IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN DRIVING OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH, KEEPING US OUT OF RECESSION.  BUT IT HAS MASKED THE FACT THAT EXISTING CITIZENS HAVE NOT FELT THE BENEFIT. OUR POLITICIANS HAVE BEEN MISLEADING US.

AS WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES OVER RECENT YEARS, ALL THIS SO CALLED "GROWTH" HAS DONE IS CREATE AN ILLUSION BECAUSE OUR PER CAPITA INCOME HAS BEEN GOING BACKWARDS. THE ONLY ONES TO BENEFIT ARE THE NEW ARRIVALS THEMSELVES.

THE ATTACHED ARTICLE (SEE ABOVE) CONFIRMS OUR POULATION ESTIMATES AND OUR RATE OF GROWTH FIGURE WHICH AVERAGES AT 1.7% BUT HAS REACHED AS HIGH AS 2.2% - WAY AHEAD OF COMPARABLE COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE UK AT  0.6% AND THE US AT 0.7% WITH THE WORLD'S  AT 1.1%.

AS THE NEW RESERVE BANK GOVENOR, PHILIP LOWE, SAYS "GOOD ECONOMIC POLICY SHOULD BE TO RAISE THE LIVING STANDARDS - NOT JUST MAKE THE POPULATION AND THERFORE  THE ECONOMY BIGGER."

WE SAY THat OUR CURRENT IMMIGRATION AND BORDER FORCE DO NOT CONTROL WHO OR HOW MANY COME INTO THIS COUNTRY AND IT IS TIME TO INTRODUCE A PROPER POPULATION POLICY THAT ENSURES SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE POPULATION GROWTH ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITIZENS.

THE ARTICLE ABOVE IS WORTH READING.

PROTEST RALLY AGAINST PLAN MELBOURNE 2017-2050

RESTORE RESIDENTS' RIGHTS RALLY.

The latest changes to 'Plan Melbourne' will further remove resident rights.

The protection provided by the neighbourhood residential zones has been dramatically reduced and 70% of all new development will be forced into our established suburbs. Also multi-storey blocks of apartments will be encouraged in these suburbs so get ready to have multi-storey blocks of flats overlooking and overpowering your home, without the right to object.

A Protest Rally on the steps of Parliament has been arranged for Thursday 8th June, 1 pm. to demand that residents rights are restored and Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 is amended accordingly.

Professor Michael Buxton from RMIT will be our main presenter along with other prominent speakers, so come along and help us to get your rights restored and changes made to protect our homes from over-development. 

Residents' Bill of Rights

You can download a copy  copy of our Residents' Bill of Rights; see attached above - RBR (final )docx;  which has been sent to all parliamentary members of  the state government and to all councils with a request they take action to imliment the RBR.

The RBR has been developed after consulting with resident groups from right across Melbourne. You can see the full story on how the bill came about in the post below dated 5thJuly 2016.

PLAN MELBOURNE 2017 - 2050

The state Labor Governmnent's recent introduction of the new Plan for Melbourne includes changes to the residential zones which will result in more density in our residential suburbs. 

It is the result of recommendations from a comittee made up of academics and representatives of the development industry without any resident representation. So what's different? This has always been the case with the planners saying they know what's best for us.

The current requirement of a maximum of two dwellings on one block has been scarapped so there will now be no limit. And folllowing the Minister for Planning's outburst in parliament criricizing Glen Eira and Boroondara' s residential zones he has made sure that the established suburbs will in future be forced to accept 70% of all new development and has relaxed the protection previously provided.

A copy of our email to residents right across Melbourne is attached above.

We expect that the residents will react vigorously against this latest plan for Melbourne which will very quickly change the way we live.

*Watch this space re the residents' of Melbourne response.

*See details for rally on the steps of parliament in the post above.

POLITICAL DONATIONS -JUST A ANOTHER FORM OF CORRUPTION?

There has been a lot of concern expressed about political donations being made to gain an advantage , especially by developers. So how does our political donation system work?

According to an article in The "Conversation" membership of political parties has declined, so they have to bolster their coffers by appealing to the public and corporations for donations.

Anyone can donate any amount they like. At the federal level donations above $13,000 must be disclosed once a year but  such disclosure is usually not notified until well after the donation is made. In NSW donations from property developers and tobacco. liquor and gambling industries are banned.

In Victoria there are no disclosure restrictions but gambling and casino donations are capped at $50,000.

Traditionally, state and federal electoral commissions have not taken action even when politicians didn't disclose donations. The "Conversation" article makes the point that the system is riddled with inconsistencies, lacking tranparency,  as money can be channelled through different jurisdictions to avoid disclosure. The article goes on to say that we expect our politicians to be accountable in exercising their public duties. In particular, politicians should not engage in corrupt behavour such  as bartering with a wealthy donor to make decsions in their favour in exchange for a large sum of money. But it's not just the actual corruption that the issue; even the perception of corruption can damage trust in the political system.

In Victoria there are many cases that indicate  donations have swayed planning decisions in favour of developers, so we say that Victoria's very lax controls need to be tightened up along the lines that now apply in  NSW  by banning donations from developers.

You can read the Conversation article by going to :   www.theconversation.com/explainer: how does our political system work

MARKHAM ESTATE DISASTER

The Andrews Government has announced that it is redeveloping the Markham Public Housing Estate in Ashburton with a proposal to increase the number of public housing from 56 to 62. It will be financed by 190  dwellings to be built on the site and sold to private buyers.

What is not disclosed is that the number of bedrooms in the new 62 pulic dwellings will contain less bedrooms than the already demolished 56 public dwellings. 

The proceeds of the sale of the 190 private dwellings will achieve much more revenue than that required to build the public housing so really this con is all about making a profit while doing nothing to assist the 30.000 people on the waiting lists for public housing.

The Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne has appointed himself to be the "Responsible Authority" thereby removing any say or control by the Boroondara Council. Places Victoria, which is managing this development,  promised to "engaage with community and stakeholders"  which is a deceptive way of indicating that the community and council would be consulted but really meaning that they will have no input at all.

There has certainly been no consultation, instead Places Victoria has run "Pop-up information sessions" in the street around Ashburton displaying pretty pictures that are very deceptive. For instance they depict buildings that do not show their real heights and any details provided about the development is very general and of little value. These information sessions are nothing more than a public relations excercise that have had the opposite effect of making the local residents very angry. They are not against public housing, quite the contrary, they support this site for public housing, but not 6 & 7 storey blocks of  apartments that will not be for public housing squeezed into this site that will be totally out of character with their local area.

Shame on you Richard Wynne and shame on you Daniel Andrews.

THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A LAND GRAB FOR PROFIT.

If you would like to help use the attached submission in the top right corner of this post to send your own message to the government.... 

email: richard.wynne@parliament.vic.gov.au

            martin.foley@parliament.vic.gov.au

            jacinta.allan@parliament.vic.gov.au