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Constrict Construction
Oct. 20th, 2011 08:13 pmA few months ago I was getting annoyed at the news. The media was being lead, and in-turn leading us to believe that there may was the plausibility that a tram network would be constructed in Perth. It was a dumb idea, the mount of money required to establish a networks of trams, and then when a tram breaks down, it stopped the whole network. I love public transport but I could see the flaws in this idea and I got sucked into the debate. When I realised my folly and saw that this whole debate was a clever ploy by the government to distract attention and conceal what they were really up to. I looked at what was going on in parliament and found that about 1/4-1/3 of the bills before parliament at the time had a direct effect on the construction industry.
It occurred to me back then that the construction industry have too much power in this town. Their power seems to extend beyond what and where they can build and how. There is an important point of when. When is saturation point reached. When has one area got enough construction work going on at one time. Like the Perth CBD, is there enough construction (and deconstruction) work going on there? Can we build another building?
I wont even ask where they are getting all the staff to work in the construction industry in Perth during a mining boom, because what I really want to now is why do they get priority over public transport. Why do bus stops have to move for construction, why cant the builders be force to work within the confines of the established infrastructure. What right do they have to close roads and footpaths during peak times for their work, and when you go around the blockage you find that road is blocked for skip bin. Seriously, a lane on Wellington street is blocked for a skip bin, part of the reason William street is blocked to all but buses and taxis is also for a skip bin.
If they cannot make space on private land for their work, then that is their problem, they should not be using public space, my space, for their work. Yes the construction work needs to be done safely, but that is for the developers to negotiate in their planning, not for me to negotiate through because of their lack of consideration for others.
Next week our city is on show for all to see for CHOGM. There is one thing the CHOGM delegates will see above all else, how impossible it is to get around Perth. We can build better public transport and we can have more buses, trains and even trams, but if they cannot get around the choked streets hey have no purpose. The construction in Perth is not improving the city, it is impeding it because who wants to put an office in a town where everyone is delayed getting to work.
It occurred to me back then that the construction industry have too much power in this town. Their power seems to extend beyond what and where they can build and how. There is an important point of when. When is saturation point reached. When has one area got enough construction work going on at one time. Like the Perth CBD, is there enough construction (and deconstruction) work going on there? Can we build another building?
I wont even ask where they are getting all the staff to work in the construction industry in Perth during a mining boom, because what I really want to now is why do they get priority over public transport. Why do bus stops have to move for construction, why cant the builders be force to work within the confines of the established infrastructure. What right do they have to close roads and footpaths during peak times for their work, and when you go around the blockage you find that road is blocked for skip bin. Seriously, a lane on Wellington street is blocked for a skip bin, part of the reason William street is blocked to all but buses and taxis is also for a skip bin.
If they cannot make space on private land for their work, then that is their problem, they should not be using public space, my space, for their work. Yes the construction work needs to be done safely, but that is for the developers to negotiate in their planning, not for me to negotiate through because of their lack of consideration for others.
Next week our city is on show for all to see for CHOGM. There is one thing the CHOGM delegates will see above all else, how impossible it is to get around Perth. We can build better public transport and we can have more buses, trains and even trams, but if they cannot get around the choked streets hey have no purpose. The construction in Perth is not improving the city, it is impeding it because who wants to put an office in a town where everyone is delayed getting to work.