Can't agree that affordable housing means that they are going to a lower socio economic group. Young couples are finding it very hard to get on the property ladder because housing is very expensive. As are young families.

I doubt very much that the sort of housing provided will be that much affordable anyway. What are the costs of the units in Waitara?

Is social isolation really the cause of all those problems? Sounds a very simplistic argument to me. Lack of money, eductaional facilities, encouragement, facilities what about those then? Isn't what you are proposing social isolation anyway. Keep them down in the Ghetto?

I suspect there are a lot of blue collar workers living in Normanhurst who may take offence to this argument, and rightly so. I come from a blue collar working family myself. First in my family to attend University. If that attitude was applied to me then I should have stayed in the slums where I belong?

Yes agree the final statement we need infastructure to support the growing population.

And there I was thinking that Australians did not suffer from the same sort of class prejudices that we have in the UK

That's right! This comment is for the most part very silly and also quite disturbing. We are like tectonic plates and massive tsunamis will happen if we get anywhere near each other????

What century is this? Where are we? This country has grown and thrived by virtue of the very simple fact that it has traditionally provided opportunities for individuals to reach their potential. Even people from humble working class families. Some of our most noted citizens had humble origins such Paul Keating and Justice Michael Kirby.

anyway, so called higher socio economic groups do actually live in more humble areas. People such as doctors and lawyers who work within those communities. I doubt that they would say they feel isolated.

A big problem is the fact that there is not enough done to prevent the problems in the first place and also not enough done to help people when they need help

This is pretty much a load snobbish garbage.

Leaving that aside for the moment - however difficult that is - affordable housing is about making sure that people who work in and service an area have reasonably opportunity to live in the area; teachers, police, retail workers, cleaners.... the list goes on and on and on. Your wealthy Chief Executive would not have much of a life without someone to mow lawns, clean the house, make them a cup of coffee at the local cafe, maintain the car, keep them safe... and so it goes.

Then there's the issue of older long time residents of an area who are ready to move into a smaller home and don't want to leave the area... do they all move into nursing homes! Australia's aging population is driving this need for change, not some government conspiracy theory.

Overall, there should be more gradutation in the mix planned. Too much is planned for high rise, next to standard housing. There should be much more use of townhouses/villas, to give a low maintenance, affordable type of housing. The high rise should be limited to a few key transport and commercial centres.

I live in Asquith, and I would vote for a high rise redevelopment there, as it is the only hope for the complete dump that Asquith shops have become. Plus teh good train service Asquith house, which relates tothe two high schools there. Plus we have a heap of churches, primary schoools etc.

But between the high rise and the standard housing should be town houses.

it is hard to say this is not snobbery, however yes there is truth in this comment. however in this case, it is very hard to define the socio-economic status of Hornsby it self, it seems to be very much a mix. However, further reinforced by census statistics normanhurst is a suburb in which 70% + are from an English speaking background, where as in Hornsby it is around 50%, my point is.. if there are to be units in Normanhurst, a large ammount of the new residents will be from non English speaking backgrounds, and is it fair for them to be exposed to a community which is very much Australia, in comparisson to that of Hornsby and Waitara in which migrants are thriving, of course we can expand this migrant community into Normanhurst, but i do believe the village atmosphere it already has, will have a negative impact on the assimilation of the new residents.

I am completley for the social welfare of migrants, I am just unsure if Normanhurst is able to cater to these people.