Australian Political & Infrastructure Discussion Thread

[Australian rePublic]

What do y'all feel about the country opening it's international borders by Christmas? (except WA, where it'll split off and become it's own isolationist empire ruled by God Emperor of the Earth Mark McGowan) I think by somewhere mid-2022, just to make sure no more waves will pop up (looking at u VIC and NSW) but a part of me feels like it sounds reasonable, whilst the other part makes me feel like it'll start a whole new wave in Australia.

I reacon we should at least wait till after the Beijing winter Olympics. It's not a good idea to have that many people crowd into one city right now. New Wave, doubt it, considering most people will be vaccinated by then

[Perikuresu]

What do y'all feel about the country opening it's international borders by Christmas? (except WA, where it'll split off and become it's own isolationist empire ruled by God Emperor of the Earth Mark McGowan) I think by somewhere mid-2022, just to make sure no more waves will pop up (looking at u VIC and NSW) but a part of me feels like it sounds reasonable, whilst the other part makes me feel like it'll start a whole new wave in Australia.

I reacon we should at least wait till after the Beijing winter Olympics. It's not a good idea to have that many people crowd into one city right now. New Wave, doubt it, considering most people will be vaccinated by then

Oh yeah, forgot about the Beijing Winter Olympics, it's still gonna go forward regardless of calls to boycott it. I bet a penny that Anastasia's gonna go haha

[Australian rePublic]

I reacon we should at least wait till after the Beijing winter Olympics. It's not a good idea to have that many people crowd into one city right now. New Wave, doubt it, considering most people will be vaccinated by then

Oh yeah, forgot about the Beijing Winter Olympics, it's still gonna go forward regardless of calls to boycott it. I bet a penny that Anastasia's gonna go haha

Which is why we should keep our borders closed till at least then. I wouldn't be surprised if Anastasia goes

[Australian rePublic]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/ ... /100511638

John Barilaro is set to resign as NSW deputy premier

[Perikuresu]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/nsw-deputy-premier-john-barilaro-resigns/100511638

John Barilaro is set to resign as NSW deputy premier

Bring out the champagne

[Mathuvan Union]

What do y'all feel about the country opening it's international borders by Christmas? (except WA, where it'll split off and become it's own isolationist empire ruled by God Emperor of the Earth Mark McGowan) I think by somewhere mid-2022, just to make sure no more waves will pop up (looking at u VIC and NSW) but a part of me feels like it sounds reasonable, whilst the other part makes me feel like it'll start a whole new wave in Australia.

Why are you blaming us?
The outbreak is entirely Sydney’s fault, as if I didn’t hate them enough already.

The State governments are trash. All I’m gonna say. Might as well become independent from Australia.

I saw something about an independent Victoria movement
Hard to say I agree, because I’m not extremely fond of Andrews, but once we’ve pulled out of lockdown he’ll probably call for an election or something.

He’s better than the alternative to say the least.

[Australian rePublic]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/ ... /100493548

QLD mystery case was infectious in the community for 10 days, but is avoiding lockdown. So much for a short and sharp lockdown. How convenient that it happened after the grand final

[Perikuresu]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/qld-coronavirus-covid-community-case/100493548

QLD mystery case was infectious in the community for 10 days, but is avoiding lockdown. So much for a short and sharp lockdown. How convenient that it happened after the grand final

Meanwhile WA after the AFL grand final: You're telling me that the 3 COVID threats aren't from Perth?!
Man, must be nice being in WA, I envy them

[Perikuresu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3oGlbbLfFs
I feel like Jordie's is gonna get drunk on Champagne soon enough

[Perikuresu]

Perrotet's the new NSW premier

[Perikuresu]

Awwww, Americans care for Austral-..... It seems that I had a lapse in judgement

Also never fuck with France

[Shrillland]

Perrotet's the new NSW premier

Wasn't even close, but as Gladys' right hand, it was the most sensible transition for them.

On the national level, Keneally's pre-selection in Fowler raised such a ruckus that even US media is looking at it as a condemnation of Australian race relations

I get what they're trying to say, but Keneally's one of the best candidates out there, Deputy Senate Leader, former NSW Premier, she could be Prime Minister in '25 if Labor loses again.

[The Kingdom of the Three Isles]

What do y'all feel about the country opening it's international borders by Christmas? (except WA, where it'll split off and become it's own isolationist empire ruled by God Emperor of the Earth Mark McGowan) I think by somewhere mid-2022, just to make sure no more waves will pop up (looking at u VIC and NSW) but a part of me feels like it sounds reasonable, whilst the other part makes me feel like it'll start a whole new wave in Australia.

Why are you blaming us?
The outbreak is entirely Sydney’s fault, as if I didn’t hate them enough already.

The State governments are trash. All I’m gonna say. Might as well become independent from Australia.

I saw something about an independent Victoria movement
Hard to say I agree, because I’m not extremely fond of Andrews, but once we’ve pulled out of lockdown he’ll probably call for an election or something.

He’s better than the alternative to say the least.

Never said we should become independent, just said, if we are not gonna act as Australians, not New South Welshmen or Victorians, we might as well become independent.

[Australian rePublic]

Did you know that when meeting for federation, New Zealand came so close to becoming a state whereby Western Australia became so close to becoming an independent country. It's interesting to speculate about what would have happened had it actually come to pass

[Golga]

Did you know that when meeting for federation, New Zealand came so close to becoming a state whereby Western Australia became so close to becoming an independent country. It's interesting to speculate about what would have happened had it actually come to pass

I know right! I wish the Kiwis would become a state.

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Did you know that when meeting for federation, New Zealand came so close to becoming a state whereby Western Australia became so close to becoming an independent country. It's interesting to speculate about what would have happened had it actually come to pass

I know right! I wish the Kiwis would become a state.

No, I think it's better that it's its own nation.

[Perikuresu]

Did you know that when meeting for federation, New Zealand came so close to becoming a state whereby Western Australia became so close to becoming an independent country. It's interesting to speculate about what would have happened had it actually come to pass

Ye I think that's basic info for Australian Federation, and I like diving into Alternate History so why not, for this scenario, I'm leaving NZ out of the federation because it was hard trying to convince NZ and Fiji to join even when WA agreed sooooooooooooooo.

• WA would've certainly crashed economically
• Curtin wouldn't have been PM of Australia
• Australia would've been more subservient to Britain during WWII
• Japan might've won the Battle of the Coral Sea and the New Guinea Campaign, possible Japanese invasion of Australia? Not sure. More attacks on mainland AU and WA? Yes.
• We're probably gonna be less friendly to the US in this timeline, expect no or lessened commitment to the Korean and Vietnam Wars
• WA and AU would've most likely be more closely aligned to the Non-Aligned Movement
• Reunification would've been inevitable, I bet during the Cold War, although not as late as Germany's or Vietnam's reunification or Kore- oh wait
-If they didn't unite, WA would've been the second NZ in this timeline, although it's probably gonna be "bigger" than our relations with NZ in OTL

Also I'm curious about Japanese plans for Australia in case of an Axis victory (they were too ambitious, although some parts of their plans were changed e.g. Partitioning Indochina into Annam and Cambodia and annexing the Phillipines)
• Their plan to annex Australia would've probably been unchanged, although I doubt the plan would've gone into effect
• A more realistic plan would be to either
-Unite Australia as a satellite state that would be a Japanese settler colony
-The status quo remains with Australia being split between West and East, with both becoming a Japanese settler colony

[Mathuvan Union]

Did you know that when meeting for federation, New Zealand came so close to becoming a state whereby Western Australia became so close to becoming an independent country. It's interesting to speculate about what would have happened had it actually come to pass

I know right! I wish the Kiwis would become a state.

Yes.
I’m also happy with WA leaving.

[Australian rePublic]

Canberra's light rail should expand into Queanbyean, and become a cross-border light rail system

Canberra is on track to become the most vaccinated city in the world
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... worldwide/

As NSW passes 90% first dose mark
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-09/ ... /100526130

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

If a carbon tax won't work, why not just subsidise renewable technologies and electric vehicles?

Statistics:
Melbourne runs on 100% renewable energy
https://offgridaustralia.com.au/news/city-of-melbourne-hits-100-renewables-as-80mw-wind-farm-comes-online/
as does the ACT,
https://www.act.gov.au/our-canberra/latest-news/2016/may/100-renewable-energy-for-canberra-by-2020
in March, Victoria hit 50%,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Victoria
late last year, Tasmania hit 100%, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/tasmania-renewable-energy-sustainable-hydropower/
and you've all heard about South Australia.

And I know people will say, "Ok, that's fine, but coal and gas jobs", and yes, that's true. The Hunter Valley is an area that relies heavily on mining - so once those companies shut up shop, it'll likely be extremely taxing on locals due to places like Singleton and Muswellbrook having health problems as a result of coal mining.

For somewhere like the Latrobe Valley,
Once EnergyAustralia shuts down its power plant at Yallourn and builds a battery instead, why not subsidise, idk, rail upgrades or supporting growth in the Latrobe Valley with things like healthcare and education - which do employ a lot of people.
https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentData/EasternVictoria/LatrobeValley_EmploymentbyIndustry-Ranked

The Hunter Valley is an area that relies heavily on mining - so once those companies shut up shop, it'll likely be extremely taxing on locals due But the one place where you have to tread carefully is Queensland. It's a very conservative state - evidenced by the federal election results - almost all of Queensland's papers are owned by News Corp, which consistently pushes pro-coal messaging, and if you p*ss off people in Central Queensland, where mining is a big employer - the resources lobby, Clive Palmer and the media drop a huge advertising campaign on you and you're gone by the next election.
https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentRegion/QLD/Fitzroy/EmploymentbyIndustryRanked
https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentRegion/QLD/Mackay/EmploymentbyIndustryRanked

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Canberra's light rail should expand into Queanbyean, and become a cross-border light rail system

Canberra is on track to become the most vaccinated city in the world
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... worldwide/

The ACT sounds like a great place to be right now. Y'know, minus the roundabouts

[Australian rePublic]

If a carbon tax won't work, why not just subsidise renewable technologies and electric vehicles?

That's what I've been saying all along. Though, I do question the environmental benefits of electric cars over conventional vehicles, but that's a different story...

Statistics:
Melbourne runs on 100% renewable energy
https://offgridaustralia.com.au/news/city-of-melbourne-hits-100-renewables-as-80mw-wind-farm-comes-online/
as does the ACT,
https://www.act.gov.au/our-canberra/latest-news/2016/may/100-renewable-energy-for-canberra-by-2020
in March, Victoria hit 50%,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Victoria
late last year, Tasmania hit 100%, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/tasmania-renewable-energy-sustainable-hydropower/
and you've all heard about South Australia.

And I know people will say, "Ok, that's fine, but coal and gas jobs", and yes, that's true. The Hunter Valley is an area that relies heavily on mining - so once those companies shut up shop, it'll likely be extremely taxing on locals due to places like Singleton and Muswellbrook having health problems as a result of coal mining.

For somewhere like the Latrobe Valley,
Once EnergyAustralia shuts down its power plant at Yallourn and builds a battery instead, why not subsidise, idk, rail upgrades or supporting growth in the Latrobe Valley with things like healthcare and education - which do employ a lot of people.
https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentData/EasternVictoria/LatrobeValley_EmploymentbyIndustry-Ranked

The Hunter Valley is an area that relies heavily on mining - so once those companies shut up shop, it'll likely be extremely taxing on locals due But the one place where you have to tread carefully is Queensland. It's a very conservative state - evidenced by the federal election results - almost all of Queensland's papers are owned by News Corp, which consistently pushes pro-coal messaging, and if you p*ss off people in Central Queensland, where mining is a big employer - the resources lobby, Clive Palmer and the media drop a huge advertising campaign on you and you're gone by the next election.
https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentRegion/QLD/Fitzroy/EmploymentbyIndustryRanked
https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentRegion/QLD/Mackay/EmploymentbyIndustryRanked

From an economic standpoint, there is no difference between a government job and unemployment. If someone stopped being unemployed and got a job for the health department or for the railways, they're still on the government payroll, only now they have to also be paid minimum wage, super annuation, annual leave, sick leave, etc. The same person pays them, only they pay them more. Creating more government jobs for the sole purpose of reducing unemployment is useless. We should definately build more railways and more healthcare, but if we do it for the sole purpose of reducing unemployment, then that's stupid. Unless it's going to produce more benefits to the community besides creating employment, then you might as well just pay them the dole, which is cheaper. Now, Australia being a federation, if an unemployed person were to work in government railways, it should shift the payments of that person from the federal government to the state government, however, that's pretty much it. Let's say Bob was unemployed. He recieves $100 per month unemployment. Now Bob works for the government's garbage collection service. He now recieves $200 per month in wages, plus $20 per month in superannuation. Now the government pays Bob 220% to work for them compared to the rate that they paid him to be unemployed. How has that improved the economy? Garbage collection is an essential service, so that indisputably justifies the increased payment that the government gives to Bob, however, if Bob's job was created for the sole purpose of finding him employment, then where's the benefit? This doesn't apply to profitable state owned industries, which is a whole other kettle of fish.

[Australian rePublic]

I wonder if it would be feasible to build artificial waterways and/or boost the amount of water in natural waterways (such as the Murray Darling) through a combination of recycled water and desalination water, or perhaps even diverting unused rivers or creeks

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

I wonder if it would be feasible to build artificial waterways and/or boost the amount of water in natural waterways (such as the Murray Darling) through a combination of recycled water and desalination water, or perhaps even diverting unused rivers or creeks

Could you explain how that would work?

[Australian rePublic]

I wonder if it would be feasible to build artificial waterways and/or boost the amount of water in natural waterways (such as the Murray Darling) through a combination of recycled water and desalination water, or perhaps even diverting unused rivers or creeks

Could you explain how that would work?

I'll use Sydney as an example.

Say we dig a canal between the Hawkesbury -Nepean River and the Parramatta River. We could divert a portion of the Hawkesbury River to run through this canal. Then we dump recycled sewerage upstream near the Hawkesbury, and some desalinated water to that and let it flow to the Parramatta River. If we were really creative, we could prevent water from becoming too salty by diverting it before it becomes too salty. You collect some of that Hawkesbury/recycled/desalinated water upstream and add it to Sydney's water supply and a pipe add a pipe downstream to collect the water. Or it could run in the opposite direction from Parramatta River to Hawkesbury River, and the principle would be the same, but in the opposite direction. That water could be added to Sydney's water supply, become a nature reserve, swimming hole and/or create a small fresh fishing industry for Sydney. Depending on the size of the canal, perhaps it could even become a shipping route and allow for an inland port to serve Western Sydney, which is Sydney's industrial heart and alleviate pressure from Port Botany.

As for actual inland waterways, you build a desalination plant on the north coast of NSW and pipe it across the Great Dividing Range and pump it into the Darling River. Alternatively, you could build a desalination plant somewhere in the Shoalhaven, use some of that water to provide water for the Shoalhaven. The rest will be diverted to the highest point between the Shoalhaven and Wagga Wagga. Some will then be diverted into a new canal feeding the Shoalhaven River, and the rest will be used to feed the Murray River. One of the new canals (either the Shoalhaven or Murray River canal) will run through Canberra/Queanbeyan, providing them with more water, and perhaps, even, depending on circumstances, an inland port. Canberra/Queanbeyan could even dump recycled water upstream in their section of the canal. You get the private sector to fund a significant amount of it, with guaranteed returns