Definitely overgoverned. But you are looking at the wrong end. Check your copy of the Constitution. Note the limited jobs the
Commonwealth was supposed to do. Now it, or rather, the politicians are sticking their oars into all levels of government.
Department of Education - the Commonwealth runs no schools. Department of Health, the Commonwealth runs no hospitals, and has only
a limited sphere with immigration health and quarantine. You can multiply the examples. Swimming pools, car parks, arenas, baby
sitting centres, child minding. The CG should not be doing any of this. These jobs are for the States and their creations, the
town and shire councils. Government should be as close as possible to the people.

And where things overlap between states, that is where they should get to agree among themselves re joint Commissions.

Admittedly they did not do too good a job before Federation, but as far as railways were concerned, the problems were the Scots and
Irish Chief Engineers who each thought their own gauge was the bee's knees and persuaded the politicians (Note, NOT the politicians
fault) to adopt a gauge and then had it changed.

At least all the eastern capital city tramways were better informed and started off with Standard Gauge (barring Hobart of course -
those dastardly Taswegians!). Hooray, back on track!

Regards

Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Cook" d3619@...>
To: tramsdownunder@...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Re: OT Planning priorities - [Was skyrail]

Totally agree with this Tony. Town planning should be administered by State Government only. As for the municipal clowncils, they
should have nothing to do with the town planning process. Even better, why not abolish the useless clowncils altogether? The country
would save billions by getting rid of these bozos.

Andrew Cook (who thinks Australia is over-governed).

________________________________
From:tramsdownunder@... tramsdownunder@...> on behalf of Mal Rowe mal.rowe@...>
Sent: Wednesday, 15 May 2019 10:37 AM
To:tramsdownunder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Planning priorities - [Was skyrail]

On 14/05/2019 19:00, Prescott wrote:
> How on earth is town planning incompatible with democracy?! Life in a

> democracy is not much fun if your city doesn't work properly.

>

> In any case, the central planning is performed - with public input and

> consultation - by the democratically-elected state government that

> people have voted for on the basis of policies put forward at an

> election. Any state government should take full reponsibility for big

> picture planning and not leave it entirely to local interests that

> have no regard to what the effects might be in adjacent municipalities

> or the common good in general.

>

Thanks Tony.

It sounds like we are actually in 'furious agreement' - perhaps I should
have focussed on consultation rather than 'democracy'!

Mal Rowe - who reckons cities are for people

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