Melbourne goes from ‘most liveable city’ to congested mess.

Santa · Guru

RE: Melbourne goes from ‘most liveable city’ to congested mess.

RustyD · Guru

A friend drives a car transporter with a lot of movement between Ballarat and Berwick / Warragul. Used take a whole day and cost heaps in fuel. Now he can actually get two trips in. Just need Eastern Fwy to join City Link to complete a great set of loops.

SouthernComfort · Guru

Santa wrote:
Guess it comes down to whether or not your prepared to express an opinion.
You know my feelings on Vic/Melb, no apologies.

Oh dear, still missing the point

Santa · Guru

SouthernComfort wrote:
Santa wrote:
Guess it comes down to whether or not your prepared to express an opinion.
You know my feelings on Vic/Melb, no apologies.
Oh dear, still missing the point

Not at all, I understand exactly where your coming from, try looking at the topic from alternative viewpoints instead of adopting a parochial stance, it may well be enlightening.

People, for good reason, base opinions on experience. wink

SouthernComfort · Guru

Santa wrote:
SouthernComfort wrote:
Santa wrote:
Guess it comes down to whether or not your prepared to express an opinion.
You know my feelings on Vic/Melb, no apologies.
Oh dear, still missing the point
Not at all, I understand exactly where your coming from, try looking at the topic from alternative viewpoints instead of adopting a parochial stance, it may well be enlightening.
People, for good reason, base opinions on experience.

No, I'm afraid you don't, and two things demonstrate that:

1.) You've started a thread to express your opinion totally devoid of any detail. Please don't assume I'm concerned by your personal opinion of Victoria, in itself it's of no consequence to me. What foxes me is your failure to share any detail and the intent of the thread. If you want me or anyone else to become "enlightened" by "looking at the topic from an alternative viewpoint" you need to provide the back story to yours - how else do we understand what you're on about?

2.) You're accusing me of parochialism because I highlighted a few positives to illustrate a different view to yours? Sorry, but contradictory views are still legal. I may be happy where I live but I am certainly not parochial.

Anyhow, a last attempt to explain my point:

I don't know how much travelling you've done, but normally when someone publishes an opinion about a place based on personal experience, it's customary to proffer some reason or detail for the benefit or guidance of other travellers (e.g. we didn't like the climate in this particular month, or we didn't feel safe in a particular place/area, we didn't like the road systems because..., or it was expensive, etc.). Some people even highlight what they did like (it happens!). So long as it remains devoid of any helpful detail, your opinion/experience in this case provides no value for travelling GN's. Simply expressing your wholesale dislike of an entire city/state doesn't do anyone any favours, it's neither useful nor believable.

If you try dispensing with the enigmatic approach and enlighten us with the "good reasons" for your opinions based on your experience, we may get some clues about your views. Of course, if the cause of your dislike is based on something intensely personal or an upsetting experience that you prefer not to share, that's your prerogative and I along with most people would have the grace to accept that.

If you want the final word, please be my guest, enough time spent on this.

JayDee · Guru

Melbourne appears to more like a SIN CITY rather than Most Liveable City.

But then I am a Queenslander.

We have our issues up this way like on the Gold Coast and Logan, where we live.

However I do love the BIG sporting events in Melbourne.Golf, Footy, Melb. Cup Tennis to name a few.

But if you want a good lifestyle... then go north young man .. go north to God's Country.

Enough from me.

Jay&Dee

vince56 · Senior Member

Ya know what I think, like politics and religion, having a go at where people live should be off the agenda on this forum!
To all of you out there having a go at Melbourne, I have lived in every capital city in Oz except Hobart, I choose to live in Melbourne, it suits me well.
If you wanna live in Upper Widgeemup that's your choice, good on ya', now can we get on with travel stuff please????

Leo · Senior Member

The OP referred to congestion and it could have been referring to any capital.

That is no surprise with Premiers, particularly of the largest States, who have been complaining for many years about States being forced to deal with the very expansive immigration policies of successive federal governments that result in transport, water, energy, unemployment, expensive housing and other problems.

The debate at present is whether a reduction or measured pause in immigration and hopefully a reconsideration of the 'Big Australia' zeal of federal governments is necessary to at allow State and local government to play catch-up. What ought not be forgotten too, is that it is the record immigration and of previous decades and family reunion that have also added mightily to the relatively larger number of older people. Then there is the claimed permanent low fertility affecting Australian women that is at least in part attributable to economic and other changes, eg., casualisation of work and expensive housing.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't look forward to being forced out of the family home as I age and into some blueboard hot shoebox unit without eaves or garden or people and businesses I am familiar with. Previous generations have usually been able to afford to continue to live where they raised their family. I am also made painfully aware of the grid-locked traffic on roads that used to run freely and of the 'user pays', ramped up taxes and council rates that are necessary to pay for all of the new infrastructure - much of which would be not needed if the promises of decentralisation made by federal governments had ever been kept (or if it is even possible for any federal government to realise that outcome).

Mass Immigration, 'Big Australia' and 'growth is good' have been sacred cows for as long as I can remember. If the public could be trusted, in fact required, to give an opinion on gay marriage, why not on immigration and the 'growth is good' mantra and the pros and cons of same?

-- Edited by Leo on Wednesday 14th of March 2018 11:45:53 AM

vince56 · Senior Member

Sorry Leo,
Have another read of the OP, not derogatory towards Melbourne?