2016-06-19
Chris Johansen
A general perception of The Greens is that are "against" this or that status quo policy. Their vision of a better way, and how to actually get there, usually does not come across. Not that the other major parties convincingly portray their vision of the future, other than it should be merely a continuation of days gone by. WA 2.0 is an attempt to redress The Greens perceived vision deficit for WA at least. It seeks to paint a picture of how things might be into the future if Greens' policies are implemented.
The initial version of WA 2.0 was developed by Scott Ludlum and his team for the 2013 federal election. He was motivated into developing such future scenarios by Bob Brown who previously asked him to imagine what his street might look like into the future if Greens' policies were adopted. Three years on, and another election, and this vision has been rebooted; as visions of the future should never remain static in any case. This time Rachel Siewert jumped on board by incorporating the sociological perspective. She notes that WA has the second highest rate of inequality in Australia, and this that discrepancy is growing. Social inequality is a precursor to social unrest that would likely derail any dreams of a brighter future.
The 2016 reboot was first presented by Scott and Rachel at Victoria Hall, Fremantle on 23rd May. This was a rehearsal for the main public presentation on 2 June at His Majesty's Theatre, Perth. Unfortunately, Scott could not be present at the Perth presentation but Richard di Natale was in town, and he introduced Rachel who gave the full presentation.
The aim of WA 2.0 is to encourage Western Australians to imagine what their state might actually look like in a decade or two if we directed investments into things that actually matter. To achieve this vision a series of detailed studies and policy initiatives were outlined by Rachel and are available on The Greens (WA) website. The graphic design skills of Scott and his team offer plausible visualizations of what could be, if there was the political will to proceed. The vision provides for a tangible, costed transition to a truly sustainable, prosperous and connected WA. It is presented under the categories of:
• Healthy regions ‒ a prosperous regional WA that offers high quality services, and clean, green agricultural products while preserving the wonders of a unique environment.
• #DesignPerth ‒ showcasing what could be possible with world class urban design as an alternative to the current urban sprawl.
• Transit City – providing public transport opportunities to go from anywhere to anywhere efficiently and conveniently.
• Bike Vision ‒ a plan to make Perth one of the world's best cities for cyclists.
• Equality and Opportunity - where everyone can get world-class public health care, education and services
• Transforming Perth ‒ accommodating Perth's anticipated population growth, without sacrificing our heritage treasures, green spaces and character.
• Perth's Urban Forest – how to keep the city cool, biodiverse and beautiful with a protected network of Urban Forests.
• Renew WA – how to cost effectively transfer to renewable energy by 2030.
Additional to the visualizations, financial plans are given of how to actually achieve that vision. It would require redirecting funds from the present penchant for ever further urban sprawl, more freeways, fossil fuel reliance, etc. Underlying the proposed physical modifications would be the objective of creating a fairer society with basic services available to all and able to better enjoy fulfilling livelihoods in the unique environment of WA.
But what is on offer vision-wise from the other major parties? For the conservative Coalition "vision" is not really in their lexicon as their fundamental philosophy is to preserve the status quo. If anything, their vision points in a reverse direction, back to times when gas guzzlers swarmed over a spider web of freeways, when hierarchy was more acceptable and the lesser classes better knew their place, when pollution was not a worry, when natural resources were up for short-term exploitation ... and so on.
And what about Labor? They have recently released their 10 year plan, which is really a set of policies. There is no vision of what things might actually look like after ten years, if these policies are indeed implemented. It seems to be predicated on the societal structure of the late 20th century, with society still neatly divided into working, middle and upper classes and the consequences of rapidly evolving technology on society not considered.
Most people seem to harbour a vision of their own future, whether realistic or not, and should therefore be interested in any political visions on offer. The challenge is to spread The Greens' vision as widely as possible, certainly before the upcoming election but also continuing into the future. And we need to keep evolving that vision as technologies change.
Photo: Rachel presenting WA2.0 at His Majestys Theatre Niloufer Johansen