Editor:
The current crisis with our water supplies has focused attention on what, if any, are the limits to growth in our communities. I have been visiting the Sunshine Coast for 39 years; the limitations of our water supply and distribution systems have been known for many years. All services have finite resources – all levels within our health system, care homes for the elderly, resources for mental health and special needs, ferry capacity (particularly at this time of the year), social, affordable housing and so on. All communities have resource and service limitations and I’ve always asked the same simple questions: What are the limits to growth and what is your long-term plan to accommodate the growth in population?
The answer of course is that there are NO limits to growth and NO coordination between all service providers. I cannot remember planning applications for “major projects” being denied. We have phase one of the Graypointe/Sangara housing project over 60 per cent complete with ultimately 2,300 homes and perhaps 5,000 people. Just one project amongst many. Phase one of Sangara is in for consideration and there have been at least a couple of hotels proposed for the Sechelt area alone. To sustain jobs, create new jobs, pay down various debts and stimulate the retail sector then I assume that no limits at all will be applied to the population, not only here on the Coast but in all communities. Makes a mockery, though, of our OCP which insists that Sechelt’s rural character will be maintained and that there will be no urban sprawl.
Paul Rhodes,
West Sechelt
