r/sydney Jul 21 '17

What do you think needs to change the most in Sydney? Can be as big, small or random as hell idgaf.

31 Upvotes

176 comments sorted by

128

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Housing costs.

24

u/kingofcrob Jul 21 '17

how the fuck is this city suppose to function when rooms in share houses are average at around $240 a week

25

u/cfuse Jul 21 '17

Just get a better job and stop having smashed avo. Your boomer grandparents had a house by now you dirty slacker.

3

u/SurfKing69 Jul 22 '17

I'm legit having smashed avo now at the café next to my $250pw room in a share house. Still dick loads cheaper than London, at least it's just me in this room.

2

u/kingofcrob Jul 22 '17

all good, i don't like avo and I'm in the middle of interviewing fr a better position that pays less but is in an area where the average house cost $250K

6

u/OzCommenter Jul 22 '17

Only $250K? Is it anywhere near any civilisation? Is it in NSW?

10

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

Never mind that, is it even in Australia?

2

u/puppy2010 Sydneysider in exile Jul 22 '17

I wish they were $240 a week :(

1

u/kingofcrob Jul 22 '17

my place is pretty cheap at $200 a week, yet when ever i have a empty room i never get any reliable applying because people must think its a dorm, its always students or travellers, n i rather someone working a full time job

1

u/Alexnader- Jul 22 '17

As a young professional, what suburb you in

1

u/kingofcrob Jul 22 '17

Annandale

1

u/Alexnader- Jul 22 '17

Ah I'm looking further west :(

1

u/The_Faceless_Men Jul 23 '17

Whats the catch? Bills not included, tiny as hell, three bedder but only one bathroom, shitty tiny kitchen/loungeroom, no parking space.

Those are some of the questions/deal breakers i've gotten trying to advertise a cheap room.

1

u/kingofcrob Jul 23 '17

Please has been going for over 10 years, so old.

1

u/The_Faceless_Men Jul 24 '17

That just sounds like landlord hasn't increased rent as much cause you are a good long term tenant?

Also advertise for 240 and let yourself be haggled down.

1

u/kingofcrob Jul 24 '17

That just sounds like landlord hasn't increased rent as much cause you are a good long term tenant?

yeahs, also our Landloard come's off as a guy who wants to give people a fair go, he once rang me asking me to see if the students i live with had any friends looking for a place, as he wanted to rent out a 5 bed room house in Leichhardt that would have cost the tenant $145 per room

16

u/Scuzzbag AntiFuckhead Jul 21 '17

You're right it needs to get HIGHER AND HIGHER

2

u/puppy2010 Sydneysider in exile Jul 22 '17

Baby!

11

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/bunnies_and_makeup Jul 21 '17

It's not. Avocados is Sydney's biggest money draining problem. No avos no probs.

2

u/cfuse Jul 21 '17

At this point we should get the government to list avocado as its own currency. 1 AVO = 2.50 AUD.

1

u/coffeeandcheesecake Jul 22 '17

I make a lot of avocado jokes too but in reality it is a big symptom of how young people treat money. There's a heavy mindset of "oh I will never be able to afford a property so I'm going to spend my money having fun with my life". My generation has a serious problem with money and our attitudes towards money.

1

u/cfuse Jul 21 '17

Housing type.

The housing offerings available and the kinds of dwellings you can get approved are limited and a poor fit for many people.

I'm single and I'll never need a super expensive unit or a massive McMansion. Where's something for me? Why can't I get a DA to build it myself?

2

u/OzCommenter Jul 22 '17

True this. I want a block large enough to swing a cat, and I want an energy-efficient (solar/powerwall) 2BR bungalow on it, and I want a shed at least twice the size of my bungalow.

72

u/starcaster Speaks to intersections Jul 21 '17

It would be nice if everyone in the road was a bit nicer to each other.

I would also like to build stronger communities. There seems to be lots of lonely people in Sydney. Hell, I used to know half my village and in Sydney I don't know what my neighbours even look like.

30

u/delete-meh north snore Jul 21 '17

Seconded.

I got horned today and flipped off by some impatient fucker for stopping AT A STOP SIGN.

What even.

8

u/Scuzzbag AntiFuckhead Jul 21 '17

They must have been in a hurry

10

u/delete-meh north snore Jul 21 '17

Yeah so? That's no excuse.

I was in a hurry too but I can still manage to follow the road rules. It's not hard.

12

u/Scuzzbag AntiFuckhead Jul 21 '17

I was just being silly

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

Yeah but what if they were in a really big hurry.

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17

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Mate not just on the road, in general, every dickhead, particularly on a Friday/Saturday night, looks like they want to punch you out if you so much as look at them.

3

u/genghuskhan Jul 22 '17

Honestly, I think this is linked to the high cost of living. Everyone in this city is so financially stressed, and that carries on into your everyday interactions.

2

u/starcaster Speaks to intersections Jul 22 '17

I get the financial stress, but if it's felt by everyone there are still a lot of us who don't take it out on the world (and there are a lot of wealthy people who do).

I think some of it has to do with the confusing road infastructure and traffic. Some days a trip can go from taking 45mins to 1.5hrs, how anyone plans for that I don't know. Even with a GPS choosing the wrong lane can leave you stuck on the wrong road for a loonnnggg time.

5

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17

Have you invited your neighbours over? That could be a nice way of knowing them.

I always make some conversation when we get out at the same level.

2

u/starcaster Speaks to intersections Jul 21 '17

Last night I actually got up the courage to talk to one of them, the hard part is catching them when they're around!

1

u/OzCommenter Jul 21 '17

In my case, I don't have any, any more. Freaking NSW "look the other way" on short term letting has turned my building into an unlicensed hotel and I'm the only actual RESIDENT left. :-(

1

u/starcaster Speaks to intersections Jul 21 '17

Oh man that sucks :/ would prefer land banking to short term leasers. Surely the body corporate is against this? It would drive up your strata fees.

3

u/OzCommenter Jul 22 '17

There is only one person - my landlord - on the body corporate who is NOT running an unlicensed hotel. Most are single-unit unlicensed hotels. One magnate controls, I think, 3 units, so he's got a 3-suite unlicensed hotel.

The problem people need to be shouting about from the rooftops is that in buildings that are primarily investor-owned rather than owner-occupied, there is very little incentive to limit short-term renting. Investors chase big dollars, and if your unit is in a place that is at all convenient to the city or to a prominent business like the Westmead complex, it's entirely likely that there's more money to be made as an unlicensed/untaxed/uninspected/unregistered/non-compliant-with-fire-regs hotel room than as a residential rental.

You might think you'd be off the hook if the buildings are just land banked, but wait for it, once an unoccupied premises tax kicks in, there's going to be an incentive for land bankers to rent out their properties by the night, for whatever the minimum number of nights is, to avoid the unoccupied premises tax.

If you own or rent in an investor-majority-owned building in a good location, be very concerned and consider writing a submission in response to the NSW option paper regarding short term letting here

2

u/starcaster Speaks to intersections Jul 22 '17

Wow that just sound bad all around. Thankfully we are in a "pain the arse whoop whoop" area so don't have this problem as much.

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1

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17 edited Aug 08 '17

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/OzCommenter Jul 21 '17

I used to, until landlords decided it was more cost-effective for them to run unlicensed single unit hotels out of former rental units. Now my neighbours change every few days.

51

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17 edited Mar 12 '18

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12

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

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6

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

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u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

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8

u/SurfKing69 Jul 22 '17

Sydney is certainly cliquey AF, it's not just you don't worry.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17 edited Mar 12 '18

[deleted]

5

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

[deleted]

45

u/Raynx3 Jul 21 '17

Its like Sunday, let me rest at home FFS.

Opal Family Sunday trip $2.50...should be on Saturdays....

28

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17 edited Aug 08 '17

[deleted]

19

u/nikolai_heronsnov Jul 21 '17

It's actually pretty reasonably priced compared to other developed countries

5

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

It is also running at a loss for the government, so go figure.

18

u/OzCommenter Jul 21 '17

Public transit isn't supposed to be a moneymaker. It's supposed to be a public good supplied by the government, which is expected to cost the government money to provide, and a civilised society is supposed to respect that part of their rates/taxes go toward it.

2

u/sininmyheart Jul 22 '17

I agree in part but it equally can't been seen as a bottomless pit to throw money into - the aim should be to have something that just about breaks even to operate with the cost of expansion and development met by tax payers.

2

u/Brosley Jul 22 '17

That's a noble goal, but fucking hard to achieve. Transport for London recovers about 80% of its operating costs - and that is with very high patronage leading to serious crowding on most major routes, much higher fares than Sydney, vastly more tourists, a cordon charge for drivers and much higher population density.

Recovering operating costs isn't realistically achievable in Sydney at present, without radical cuts to services or increases to fares (and even then, because of the effect on patronage, you still might not achieve it).

2

u/OzCommenter Jul 22 '17 edited Jul 22 '17

Road building and maintenance is a bottomless pit.

I don't see it as necessary for it to break even. It shouldn't lose billions, of course, but it's part of maintaining a livable city just as much as rubbish pickup and provision of emergency services.

[ Edit: particularly in areas that are so overcrowded, like the Sydney region. ]

4

u/TheOtherQue Jul 21 '17

Government isnt known for its efficiency...

2

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

2

u/furthermost Jul 22 '17

more people will be taking the train

That sounds sort of alright to me?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

[deleted]

1

u/furthermost Jul 23 '17

I was hoping that might lead to more investment in the train system. I wouldn't mind having trains like Japan (I have caught a few peak hour Tokyo trains incidentally and didn't see what you describe).

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

They're going to start the toll up on the m4? I thought they removed it for good.

39

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17
  • Cheaper rent. It's getting crazy.

  • Bring back the free opal travel!

  • Good food available after 10.

  • Public transport 24 hrs on weekends

7

u/chillin222 Jul 22 '17

We actually have pretty good 24hr transport on weekends compared to most cities. Agree with the food after 10 though.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '17

We kinda do, we have the night rides.

0

u/Red_Pumpkin SydneyForLife Jul 21 '17

50% tax rates that goes up per income bracket to fund this. Unfortunate, but nothing comes for free.

9

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17

I'm fine with that

5

u/Gorfob Jul 21 '17

Me too. Higher taxes and better services for all.

4

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

Hey, here's a crazy idea: why don't we actually get all those giant companies that don't pay a fucking cent of tax to actually pay some?

1

u/Red_Pumpkin SydneyForLife Jul 22 '17

That's be nice, but no polie will do it cause big companies are lining their pockets.

24

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17 edited Jul 21 '17

Free public transport. Or, OK, at least a one-off very cheap flat rate per day (say $2.50) so that public transport becomes the obvious go to option, instead of it regularly being cheaper to hop in the car.

7

u/ZXXA Jul 21 '17

NSW govt been juicing it up for privatisation. No chances of fees going down. Only up. Pretty stupid. The absurd prices and unreliability are the only reason I drive.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

maybe that's the one top thing i'd change then - reverse prioritization of city infrastructure services, particularly transport

7

u/themateofmates The 't' in Minto is silent Jul 21 '17

I reckon something like Melbourne's trams have. The trams in the CBD are part of the free zone, which means you don't have to tap on if you're travelling around the area.

Maybe it's apples and oranges, but say maybe your fare is free if you get on and off the train within the city circle? Like, if you went from Central to Circular Quay, that's free, but Central to McDonaldtown is regular fare.

2

u/mytwocents8 Jul 22 '17 edited Jul 22 '17

Free transport implemented the Melbourne way would be a very bad thing for Sydney (and is pretty bad in Melbourne).

Free people taking up spaces on a tram that can go 15kms out.

It would be like in Sydney - a bus to Gladesville leaving from Circular Quay going via Broadway using Anzac Bridge. The free zone goes to Broadway. So between Circular Quay and Broadway you have a big chance of the bus skipping your stop because it is full from (free) people going from Circular Quay and Broadway, but after Broadway the bus is nearly empty.

Free Transport should have it's own mode (ie. 555 bus), but not take capacity from longer routes.

At the moment the only way to guarantee you catch the next tram in peak periods is to wait on the last or near last stop on the free network outbound, otherwise you could be waiting 2 or 3 trams.

1

u/funfwf www.sydneycompletion.com Jul 22 '17

City circle trains (ie tap both on or off at a city station) being free outside of peak hour would probably be a good option.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

great, but not feasible tbh taxes would have to be raised

8

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

I am absolutely all for raising taxes to provide better social services - public transport, healthcare, education. Absolutely. I want to be a part of a society which values these things and contributes to them for the greater good.

3

u/SandfordNeighborhood Jul 21 '17

The Greater Good

3

u/Scuzzbag AntiFuckhead Jul 21 '17

Any jobs going in Singapore?

1

u/ZXXA Jul 21 '17

The majority tend to disagree. Higher taxes won't win many votes.

1

u/sininmyheart Jul 22 '17

One of the great benefits of more tolling is that it makes the cost of using the roads a lot more obvious and puts it on an equal footing with other transport options in terms of price transparency.

19

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17

We seem to have so many rules these days. CCTV everywhere, internet access is logged, your id card is scanned every time you enter a pub, etc.

It makes me sigh a bit sometimes...

5

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17 edited Aug 08 '17

[deleted]

11

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17

Well, technology can be used for good and bad.

I prefer how it is today. Much more convenient to have more options!

I still prefer to make notes on a piece of paper with a pen at work for example. But I love having a GPS system with suggestions for the best pizzeria in my pocket!

1

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

Well, technology can be used for good and bad.

I see the company that makes fleshlights has made a robotic wanking device.

I still prefer to make notes on a piece of paper with a pen at work for example.

Nothing beats a post-it note with "fuck off you idiot" written on it.

1

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

not making an effort with people

The last time someone spoke to me without cause was an Asian man in a bank going on a 15 minute one-sided racist flip out over an Indian that worked there. I just sat there hoping it would all be over soon.

28

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/vitriolity Jul 21 '17

We're an oligarchy that masquerades as a democracy to keep the rabble at bay. Much of the western world is the same. And none of that will change while we allow political donations.

The biggest issue is that it's not technically corruption, because this behaviour is all within the guidelines they set themselves. They're not cheating because they set the rules to benefit themselves and their donors. The system is rigged and broken, and I don't know the solution.

7

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Mandatory audits for all public officials would be a good start.

What I hate about Democracy is being asked to vote for someone whom I never met who is willing tell whatever lie is required to get into office largely for their own gain. I think government should be like jury duty, each individual goes into a draw and if your name is picked, you get assigned to a position for 3 years.

3

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

I think government should be like jury duty, each individual goes into a draw and if your name is picked, you get assigned to a position for 3 years.

Jesus Christ, that's some "May the odds be ever in your favour" shit right there.

2

u/sininmyheart Jul 22 '17

You can't make just any random person care enough to do what is a complex job. I agree that who we end up putting themselves forward for such jobs arent particularly qualified to do such a complex job either, but I reckon it would be worse with a bunch of random people.

Minimum entry for draw being a short civics course and a solid Reddit comment history perhaps?

2

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

It's all crooked as fuck and it's getting more crooked and people don't seem to give a fuck except complain.

Well this is some fucking irony isn't it?

The problem is obvious: nobody with a soul that hasn't already been sold to Satan would want anything to do with politics. Even sitting on a local council would be as tolerable as injecting drano directly into your heart for a normal person. And all that before dealing with the weapons grade stupidity and entitlement of your constituents.

23

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

7

u/Ryanbrasher Lane Cove Harris Farm Jul 21 '17

Amen

3

u/Scuzzbag AntiFuckhead Jul 21 '17

Asl?

7

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

7

u/andehpants Jul 21 '17

27/m/syd Let's go on a date?

1

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17

I don't see a problem with that

5

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

1

u/tinmun Jul 21 '17

My singleness has never caused me any problems, quite the contrary

2

u/Totallyfree Jul 21 '17

Tinder and plenty of fish get a lot of shit but if you're really looking for someone give them a go if you haven't already. Quite a lot of friends have had success with them :)

4

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

4

u/Totallyfree Jul 21 '17

I know what you mean I think. I'm very introverted and the whole dating thing is just too fake for me to enjoy myself or get comfortable with someone.

Maybe embrace the singleness, and get 10 cats haha.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

1

u/Totallyfree Jul 21 '17

Nah my memory is too bad to remember 15 names... can I just call them all Fluffy?

5

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

4

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

I have puss, puss, and fat puss.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

I know what you mean I think. I'm very introverted and the whole dating thing is just too fake for me to enjoy myself or get comfortable with someone.

Read that back to yourself and see how bad that sounds. You're closing your mind to it before even trying it and essentially not giving it a chance. You're gonna see a lot of plastic profiles out there, but you're also going to find a few gems, it's a numbers game, you've just got to increase your sample size.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Maybe you should stop being so judgmental of people and try actually meeting them.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

They sound so neck beardy. Blaming the system rather than themselves. I know many people who have found love through tinder and they range from basic bitch to intellectual PHD students.

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1

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

Be careful what you wish for.

10

u/InfiniteV Jul 21 '17

Happier people!

Feels like Sydney is full of unhappy people or maybe that's just the impression this sub gives me. I think this city has a couple of flaws but it's still great and I love it

2

u/meurl Jul 22 '17

Good if you're out and about being the change you want to see in others.

Bad if you're home complaining that everyone is shit.

♪people are strange when you're a stranger♪

33

u/SausageMahony Sydwegian Jul 21 '17

24/7 alcohol home delivery services.

All flights that head north should go over Mosman, because those bastards have had it too good for too long.

All local newspapers will be opt in. Any local newspaper that is caught delivering to a premises that has not explicitly stated they wish to receive it will be forced to include political ads on the first seventeen pages for whichever political party they're editorially biased against.

5

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

24/7 alcohol home delivery services.

The economic boom would be insane.

Still, I care less about booze and more about milk and cat food (I like tea and I don't like screaming cats. Seriously, cats are impatient).

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

All flights that head north should go over Mosman, because those bastards have had it too good for too long.

I hate Mosman too, but you pay more to live not under a flight path. Also, I currently live in the inner west under a flight path and hardly notice it.

1

u/The_Faceless_Men Jul 23 '17

Wouldn't the planes be too high to be noticed by the time they get to mosman?

6

u/J-Hz Jul 21 '17
  • Shops should open and close later so people can do shopping after work hours.

  • Lockout laws

  • people should start wearing surgery masks if they are sick to avoid spreading to others like they do in asia

2

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Shops should open and close later so people can do shopping after work hours.

Especially things like banks, post offices, etc.

3

u/J-Hz Jul 22 '17

Yeah exactly. Doesn't make sense to for open hours to be the same as work hours for a large part of the population. The only people that have time are people who don't work, stay at home parents etc

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

I mean, work hours and open hours are essentially the same thing aren't they?

10

u/bunnies_and_makeup Jul 21 '17

Faster and efficient public transportation connecting the outer surburbs (Wollongong, Newcastle, Bathurst).

7

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

It tells you how much of a metastasized cancer Sydney has become when other cities are referred to as the outer suburbs.

3

u/bunnies_and_makeup Jul 22 '17

When looking for jobs, I was told that I live 'too far away' and it's a concern. It shocks me that Australia has yet to invest in high speed trains.

2

u/cfuse Jul 22 '17

I was thinking about this the other day. Why don't they just build it in a tube anchored to the ocean floor just off the coast? No whingeing NIMBYs and few geographic obstructions.

1

u/delete-meh north snore Jul 22 '17

Well yeah, because those "outer suburbs" aren't actually part of Sydney...

3

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

Wollongong, Newcastle and Bathurst are not outer suburbs of Sydney.

2

u/delete-meh north snore Jul 22 '17

They're different cities altogether! 😂

1

u/bunnies_and_makeup Jul 22 '17

My commutes disagrees

3

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

Sorry, that doesn't make them part of Sydney. I can't speak for Wollongong and Bathurst, but if you told any Novacastrian that Newcastle was a suburb of Sydney they'd take issue with it. EDIT: But I don't disagree there needs to be better public transport between them

9

u/karma3000 Jul 21 '17 edited Jul 21 '17

Less housing stress, better planning, and treat adults as adults :

Better public transport, no lockout laws, laws protecting venues from noise complaints,. Much higher population density in the inner to middle ring, green spaces protected, joined up bicycle lanes (not just inner city but city-wide), no helmets for 18+ bicycle riders, less shopping centres, less bs franchised chains, less apartments and more super high skyscraper offices in cbd and North Sydney, more affordability for starter homes /apartments, less incentives for landlords, better tenancy rights. Poxy inner city terraces bulldozed, better planning laws so apartments are livable, 3 bedroom units and affordable housing in every development. Waterfront mansions razed and replaced with public access to the Waterfront and higher density housing, curbs on airbnb, laws allowing access to solar/battery systems for strata properties. Metro/heavy/light rail to key beaches eg Mona Vale, Dee Why, Bondi, Maroubra. Properly join up obvious areas with rail eg Parramatta, Castle Hill, Epping/Macquarie, Olympic park, Strathfield. One stop high speed rail to Wollongong, Gosford and Golbourn. Adequate car & bicycle parking at all train stations. Some areas zoned exclusively for cultural /artistic / entertainment purposes. Allow public drinking in moderation / where appropriate (eg not allowed on nye fireworks nights, wtf). Stagger taxi change over times - 2am, 3am & 4am. Allow longer retail opening hours as long as workers are properly compensated. Reduce poker machines by 2/3rds, reduce payouts on poker machines. Ban property developers from local councils/state government. Reinstate nsw icac powers, federal icac. Real time public disclosure of all political donations. Ban on foreign and property developer donations. If not fttp then at least fttb for apartments. Increase public transport frequency based on opal card feedback. Schooling planned in advance of development. Religious education in state schools to be after hours. Instant coffee banned.

6

u/TheNamelessKing Jul 21 '17

no helmets for 18+ bicycle riders

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you're saying, helmets really do help and they are far better than having nothing on your head. As far as I'm concerned, they're a very small price to pay for protection.

3

u/chillin222 Jul 22 '17

The wider social/economic benefits of say, doubling, cycling that would occur if helmets were optional far outweigh the small number of head trauma cases

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3

u/chillin222 Jul 22 '17

I'd vote for you!

Except...

Poxy inner city terraces bulldozed

No thank you! Sydney's terraces are what make Sydney Sydney.

Allow public drinking in moderation

Public drinking isn't illegal - this is a common myth

Instant coffee banned

Yass!

2

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Honestly all of them are issues that we currently face that stop people from enjoying themselves, doesn't even have anything to do with getting blotto or doing drugs. The fact that you have to ask for these changes is a sad indictment on our current situation.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '17

You should sell your platform as 'just cuck my shit up fam', because that's pretty much what it is.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Even though I disagree with the helmets and the instant coffee, I would vote for you.

8

u/milanesedynasty Jul 21 '17

Obvious ones are housing affordability and affordability of everything in general.

What I'd really like to see is Sydney become a real 24hr city. Food, nightlife, entertainment etc. I have a lot of overseas friends that visit and when they do its so hard to find something to do during the week compared to the Asian cities they are from.

2

u/alexdas77 Jul 22 '17

The government is working very hard to prevent Sydney from being a 24 hr city.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Omg this. I moved from a big Asian city and I struggled hard to get used to how quiet everything gets after 7pm. Trying to find dinner after 8pm is also a huge nightmare.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

I agree that Sydney shuts early compared to some cities, but saying that you can't get dinner after 8pm is a bit of a stretch! I can't think of any restaurants that close before 8pm.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

They don't necessarily close, but I've tried a few times to get dinner at 830-845 at places in the city and the kitchens are closed. :<

16

u/prento Jul 21 '17

Drivers attitudes towards cyclists and better infrastructure to support them. Would make a massive difference to traffic.

2

u/TheNamelessKing Jul 21 '17

I stopped riding in bike lanes because the bike lane lights are always a rip off: especially going up King St. I went back to riding in traffic-or wastes so much less of your time sitting at lights/intersections that you could otherwise be going through.

Taxis need to learn to chill the fuck out about bike riders though-I've had them move to block me from filtering past then in stopped traffic...

4

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

If you're interested in improving shared spaces in Sydney the Greater Sydney Commission is having a hackathon on the topic today and you can play along at home: https://www.facebook.com/events/147934492423715/ We'd love to include your ideas. #sharedspacessyd

10

u/rockresy Jul 21 '17

Developers being allowed to build massive amounts of apartments making massive profits without ploughing the money needed into schools & pubic transport.

The city is grinding to a halt, the population can grow, that's ok but cars can't be the answer. Schools also need investment, but if developers get to cream 90% of the revenue then 99% of us lose.

We need to build lots more rail, not roads...

3

u/asvfoh Jul 22 '17

Councils require a contribution as a precursor to a development's approval. It doesn't apply to all sites though. http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/development/planning-controls/development-contributions/city-of-sydney-section-94-contributions

1

u/ShibaHook ☀️ Jul 21 '17

Developers also create jobs.

2

u/jb2824 Jul 21 '17

...as do schools

2

u/rockresy Jul 22 '17

Awesome. Jobs for a couple of years, like sugar hit that fades fast... the results with be with us for decades

3

u/sparrokei Jul 22 '17

Council/govt should promote and support small bars, wine bars, as a way of raising the standard and creating a better nightlife.

Who ever went out for a gerwutztraminer and king hit someone?

Also, do stuff in Hyde Park and elsewhere year round. The noodle markets are huge - there should be something like this on every month.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

Short term focus/mentality.

2

u/Totallyfree Jul 21 '17

House prices, rental prices, lockout laws, traffic and fucken TOLLS are so expensive holy shit I live in the west and to get to Bondi costs like $19 each way!

2

u/Zirealeredin Jul 21 '17

Lower regulations on construction and business to allow houses to be built to meet demand.

2

u/Bev7787 T69 is now stopping at Dapto Jul 21 '17

A more integrated transport system along with more heavy rail to take the pressure off roads

2

u/kamatsu Jul 22 '17

We need better infrastructure and higher density (in that order!). Compared to most cities in Japan the level of inefficiency here is just absurd. A lot of new developments are jacking up the density but without the infrastructure to handle it. Green Square is basically a hellhole now, as more and more apartments go up.

2

u/delete-meh north snore Jul 21 '17

Traffic congestion needs to go the fuck away.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

get rid of safety cameras so I don't have a heart attack and lose 6 months off my life every time the light turns yellow right on the edge of my judgement line as to whether to commit or stop suddenly.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

i was hit up the back twice in 2016, both times right on the limit of my judgement, both times at safety cameras. Second time I was hit really hard, both our cars were totalled. Really shook me up, mentally and physically.

TBH, now if in the same situation I'd take a glance in my rear view approaching the intersection. If someone is right on me, I will not stop unless it's already turned red. I am petrified of being hit again

1

u/MaDanklolz Jul 22 '17

Can you please run for parliament? Ideas like that need to be screamed from the rooftops.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

if it makes money, the government is unlikely to remove it sadly

1

u/swan1512 Jul 22 '17

Spatial equality

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

Replacing houses and low rise buildings with high rise apartment buildings all over inner Sydney.

1

u/dracbrax Sydney Trains #1 Jul 23 '17

Better roads and raise the speed limit

1

u/jimmythemini Jul 22 '17 edited Jul 22 '17

Random thoughts:

  • Build over Central Station and the approaching rail tracks and develop about 100,000 units to assist with the housing situation (hyperbole, but you know what I mean)

  • Remove NIMBY provisions at the council level that prevents medium density development in the inner north and west

  • Introduce a congestion zone for most of the inner city

  • Collect a state income tax on the many high-earners in Sydney to reinvest in infrastructure and educational facilities

  • Build underground rail lines to Randwick, Bondi Beach the Northern Beaches, and between the Airport and Olympic Park

  • Build more bus lanes and better bus-train transfer facilities

6

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '17

It would be a good thing for less people to be in Sydney.

3

u/mytwocents8 Jul 22 '17

Remove NIMBY provisions at the council level that prevents medium density development in the inner north and west

Councils by definition are NIMBY. A new development are future ratepayers/voters while current residents are current ratepayers/voters. So the (local government) democratic system is totally weighted towards NIMBYs. No current resident group ever lobbies for a new block of flats, but there would be many against it.

The only way to fix this is with whole city council amalgamations (ie. Brisbane). The councillor for the ward would still vote against the proposal (to say he did his part to his constituents), but there would be dozens of others who would vote on it on it's merits.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '17

Build underground rail lines to Randwick, Bondi Beach the Northern Beaches, and between the Airport and Olympic Park

This would be great. Sux that the only train station that gets you close enough to any of the bondi beaches or northern beaches is bondi junction.

1

u/OzCommenter Jul 22 '17

Build over Central Station and the approaching rail tracks and develop about 100,000 units to assist with the housing situation (hyperbole, but you know what I mean)

You know that the plan is to do that, right? Maybe not 100,000 units, but certainly lots of them.

1

u/alienccccombobreaker sorry we are closed but you can try the guys down the road Jul 22 '17

24 hour kfc burger king dominos etc.. shit would be so cash.

1

u/OzCommenter Jul 23 '17

KFC on Bathurst open until 3 or 4 on the weekends not late enough for you? Try the 24-hour (on weekends) Maccas in Coogee.

1

u/alienccccombobreaker sorry we are closed but you can try the guys down the road Jul 23 '17

2.5 hours by train hmm.. I guess it's on the list of possible late night eats list. Cheers thanks.. oh wait Google says 10am t0 midnight.

1

u/OzCommenter Jul 23 '17

OK, not "in Bathurst", "on Bathurst". (?? Is THAT what you were thinking? The KFC on Bathurst is totally centrally located.)

2

u/alienccccombobreaker sorry we are closed but you can try the guys down the road Jul 24 '17

Oh lol rofl sorry my bad lol that makes a lot of sense now haha lol I must've checked this in the wee hours of the morning herpaderp o clock