The problems faced by the Central Coast are a good example of what happens when expansion is not met with proper planning.

Fair go. This is Australia in 2007. We can’t let any of this “proper planning” nonsense happen. It’s not just a lack of planning for ordinary services but a lack of planning for major infrastructure and for industrial change [Wollongong and Newcastle for the wrecking of our steel industry; Queensland ports for the increase in overseas trade]

I gave up the car for the train when I was working in Sydney - long trip to work but I was able to use my travelling time for essential reading. Sometimes the trips were like that SBS program of a few years back, “Going Home”.

dd, understand the feeling. As a new dad I would love to travel less to spend more time with my daughter. I can grab the odd day to work from home and there is a some flexibility in my work hours so that does help.

I honestly don’t share this Anglo urge to live right on top of sand, sun and surf day in day out when you have only 2/10ths of your time to enjoy it, 4/10s commuting and 4/10ths working in the city and your kids get bored with just going to the beach. And one of these days we will have emissions free cars - that’ll be the icing on the cake!

I made a bit of a killing on the real estate, but.

When the main industry on the Coast was orcharding, it was Country Party territory. The Country Party grandees did what they’ve done in all coastal communities - cash in, build lotsa cheap housing, then act all hurt when people move in and vote Labor.

A dormitory suburb does not take itself seriously as a community. It is hard to organise and easily swayed. There are 4-6 State seats on the Central Coast (depends if you count Lake Macquarie, which I regard as part of the Hunter) and Labor hold them all.

Neville Wran was the first pollie to take the Coast seriously. Commuting was vital to him winning Gosford and Blue Mountains in 1976, which set him up for a decade in office. The capital works on weekends improving the rail line have been underway for 20 years, but they are the first major works on that line - which is only a metre or two above the water line for much of it - since the 1920s. The Libs are too scared to announce major capital works on the line, but if they did they’d win two seats at least.

The Coast has an above-normal One Nation vote because the people who left western Sydney felt alienated by the increasing presence of new migrants, and vacated their homes to them.

I grew up in Kincumber when it was largely bush, but fled.

I worked with someone who commuted every day from the Blue Mountains. Two hours, each way. Others came in from the northern beaches, by car, across the Bridge. Travel time: highly variable, but never less than 90 minutes. I didn’t know anyone coming in from the Central Coast, but I’m sure they were around somewhere. Looking like zombies.

Mad, all of them. Other than the cashed-up northern beaches folks (executive scum) their whole reason for writing off four hours or more a day in commuting was that they liked the lifestyle where they lived. Really? And when were they there to enjoy it? When were they awake enough to enjoy it?

That rant aside, Shaun is absolutely right in saying that many of the problems facing the Central Coast are down to poor planning and a complete lack of foresight. Which is the NSW Government all over.

Though this morning I stayed awake which is a little unusual. But yes, there is usually a deathly silence during the morning commutes. Sometimes broken by an over loud iPod or the obvious mobile.

And yes, an obvious Go Between reference.

Lol, Christine.

Great post. Sometimes you’ve just got to remind yourself and others that those kinds of stories only ever tell a bit about the place you live your life. It’s like when they play the assault figures for the inner areas of Sydney, or they talk about the problems on the Block. I always think that, yes, those are worrying problems, but Redfern, Chippendale and Surry Hills are still a part of my life.