"Keith Sayers" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 05:37:41 GMT, "PhilD" wrote:

We've always wondered why some of the same rules are not applied down
south as well.

Probably some result of risk assessment. One in ten, hundred,
thousand year chance of something happening. At what point do you say
'take the risk'? Apparently something of the sort happened here in
Canberra some thirty years ago. There was a proposal to build a new
suburb to be called Duffy on what was then the edge of the city and
against a pine forest. The risk of fire coming down through the
forest was, apparently, foreseen but considered such a low risk that
it was accepted.

Last January ........


It would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

I think that the reason that higher construction standards etc aren't
applied elsewhere has a simple answer in votes. Up here the application of
the cyclone coding had little impact federally on votes, but if applied in
southern capitals I doubt that voters would like the price consequences.
Insurance companies probably wouldn't mind though.

Just heard on our TV news that there's 2km of line to be laid tomorrow to
the end of the line. There's apparently still 6km of line to be done in the
freight yards etc though.

PhilD