The government of New South Wales in Australia feels that not enough housing is being built by private interests, so it is proposing to compulsorily take land from individuals to meet the demand.
Government bureaucrats say they need 25,000 homes per year to be built, but only 14,000 are being built. Thus the proposal to seize land. The proposal has a self-fulfilling prophecy nature to it. Since the city’s long-range plan predicts a certain amount of growth, then, by God, they have to prepare for it:
While the proposal is likely to be contentious, developer groups say it is the only practical way to meet the housing construction targets contained in the principal planning document for Sydney, the Metropolitan Strategy.
Here’s an idea: If people desire housing, then the market will provide it. Simple as that. Don’t take people’s land just to meet the growth projections you put on paper while flipping a bureaucratic coin.
The article ends with the sound of private property disappearing for the benefit of the collective:
“Developers are taking the risk … these landowners are not taking risk. Government has decided for the good of the city, for the good of the community, development must occur.
”The rationale behind the authority and the compulsory acquisition provision is community benefit.
”It’s the same as acquiring land for a road or a railway.”
