1. SoE Report
SETTLEMENTS
500 TERSE WORDS FOR ELAINE ON “GLOBALISATION”
Globalisation is listed in the issues draft 25 April 01 with regard to financial condition. It has been mentioned
variously during committee with regard to culture, physical character of place economy and liveability.
We pounce on Globalisation far more readily than we pounce on either;
* The imperialism and racism that destroyed an indigenous lifestyle that nestled very comfortably in the ecology
of this island (and it would be appropriate to acknowledge this in this forum; particularly as comparatively our
own humanist society is critically failing the ecology).
* Or the Nationalism, Statism and parochialism that also undesirably impact settled community.
Of course probably all of those isms are positive forces; but they impact variously and often negatively due to
human nature – be it greed, misunderstanding or crassness.
SETTLEMENT AS ENVIRONMENT. We have spoken about the aspects of community, identity, cohesive
locale and lifestyle. These isms are shaking the foundation of traditional secure cultural identity and livelihood
of the small towns, regions, cities and the state. Through self interest communities contribute to the shaking of
other communities (a manufacturing plant that, for State balances, might be better placed in St Marys would be
selfishly held by whatever city to which it was offered) ; Tasmania Together is one response to this.
The principles in Globalisation are inherent in our local attitudes. In the ‘indicator’ of physical-character-of-
place we see the evidence of cultural cringe and the ill health of traditional culture, high profile foreign
enterprise taking key architectural position, hamburgers, fuel, credit and so on (far more prominent than concert
halls). Like the Aboriginals have done already the Tasmanians face a bogey, powerful trans-national
corporations – coming behind powerful national corporations. The bogy is changing our state settlement pattern;
towns are paling away.
We value the ‘townships-in-a-beautiful-island’ establishment that we have, for both practical and aesthetic
reasons. It is valuable infrastructure for our few hundred thousand people and it is key to a new strategy that will
give us a footing to face the Globalisation; clean, green, cosy and rosy.
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. I guess it is best that globalisation (along with those other isms) is placed in an
economics based chapter; but my concern is the centralisation aspect and its impact on our state settlement
potentials. As globalisation tends to weaken local culture it also weakens local internal trading. Instead of
facing each other we begin to face only the horizon. Our internal economy needs to be self sustaining to the
2. point of food and shelter for all, regardless of foreign trade. All this indicates that we are frail and searching
desperately in a global/national onslaught. This is our indicated condition.
I think a sustainable internal economy is highly critical in the SoE picture. The obvious way of business for
large corporations is an indicator showing that without internal fortitude we will become a woodchip and potato
farm, ultimately far more serf-like than our current condition.
Globalisation just might wake us up to the home we value, but our current condition is desperately insecure
overall.
COMMUNITY ATTITUDES. I spoke up on globalisation also because it tends to over-ride the awareness of
other corporate adversity perpetrated by national and local business and in fact our original British settlers.
Parochialism too is very big in our attitudes not only for settlements but also for our political environment with
regard to self interest of parties.
SETTLEMENT AS ENVIRONMENT. When all is said and done State settlement planning is critical to our
moderation of all Globalisation, ecology, liveability, health, citizenship, infrastructure economy and heritage.
WHOLISTIC SETTLEMENT OF THE ISLAND. An issue – a combination of serendipity and state
coordination, we must make comment on this. This is the point of my professional interest in the issue of
globalisation (local context in settlement architecture) as it arose at the last committee meeting prompting this
memo. What does the current state planning management indicate, and what will the local governments do with
their parochialisms without some state matrix? Woops 663 words, I had better stop.
For the discretion of the Chairperson,
John Latham 6 Aug 01
/
M John Latham AAA R C H I T E C T
/ Urban Community Townscape and Building Architecture
P O B 54
Sorell
Tasmania 7172
03 6265 1420 urbarc@eisa.net.au Portfolio on www.functioningcontraptions.zibyrich.com
