Sydney Essentials

Did many people read this supplement with the Herald on Monday? The stated goal of this booklet is to provide information for decision-makers, community groups and citizens so that they can make the city a better place.

I will admit to getting a little over-excited about finding this supplement, as it fit in so nicely with my current mission statement of rediscovering Sydney, so I read it cover to cover. Mostly it's statistics about things like population, social indicators, transport, pollution.

Sydney's biggest problems? Water shortages, public transport between the new suburban hubs and promoting growth around these new centres. Nothing there that you didn't know about, I'm sure. I'm feel a schizophrenic mix of fascination and repulsion towards the hubs: Hornsby, Campbelltown, Blacktown etc. On one hand, this is where the biggest opporunities are. Parramatta City is getting the extreme makeover in the next ten years. But it's going to be such a long process to change the vibe of these places. Someone cites the example of the Tate Modern in London and how it transformed the South Bank. But I think about where I grew up in suburban Sydney, and I don't think even three Tate Moderns would do the job there.

The "No way!" "Way." interesting stat award goes to Foreign Born Population. According to this, 40% of people who live in the Eastern Core of Sydney were born overseas.

The lies, damn lies and statistics award goes to the World Theatre and Musical Performance Index, where Sydney scores a 10, the same as London, and that other epicentre of global culture, Washington DC.

They say they're trying to emulate New York's Long Island Index. So, good start, but I reckon we've still got a bit of a way to go.