The impact of urbanisation and

changing lifestyles

Urbanisation

• Related to the development of towns and cities ( including residential areas).

• 2% of Australia is urbanised

• Effects of the processes since European settlement have been enormous.

• Australia is rural.

• We prefer to live in towns and cities

In the Past

• Access to inland Australia is limited.

• Cities have more opportunities.

• 1840 1/3rd of the population lived in Sydney.

• Today: 90% of the population live in cities.

• Settlers migrated to Aust with the hope of owing land.

• Rapid growth in the 1880’s

Growth

• Growth caused:

• development of extensive housing estates

• Building frenzies

• Extinguishing nearly all the signs of the natural environment.

• Good agriculture land was used for urban development

• No planning

• Situated around railway stations.

• Public amenities: running water, sewage treatment were in scant supply ( or non-existent)

• Up until 1830’s water had to be collect from heavily polluted streams.

• In Melbourne waste was carried along open gutters into the Yarra River.

• Continued into the 20th Century.

Impacts

• Habitat loss – through clearing of vegetation and excavation.

• Land clearing

• Mining

• Erosion of creeks and other watercourses

• Lack of dead wood and other forest little

• Introduction of weeds

• Loss of topsoil

Impacts

• Local waterways were dumping grounds for waste.

• Decline of species

• Increased siltation

• Rising salt levels

• Loss of stream vegetation

• Chemical run-off such as pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides

• Water was undrinkable

Research exercise

• When was your town or suburb established?

• What groups initially inhabited the area?

• What is the major industry or employer in the area?

• How has the population changed over time?

• What issues have influenced this change?

• What natural features remain in the area?

• Where does the town’s water supply come from?

• Where does wastewater and other refuse go to be treated?