As children we drove to visit
family in our little city and
nearby scattered villages.
Crossing farmland we visited
great aunts at the forest’s edge
near our city’s southern harbour.
We crossed the northern harbour
by car ferry visiting friends
on farms, family at beaches
further north, camping in tents
and caravans by the shore.
Until the juggernaut of change
bridged the long inlet of our
northern harbour sending out
broad arterial routes northwards,
subdivisions swallowing farmland
beach cottages, camping grounds.
A new bridge over our southern
harbour’s inlets sent arterial
routes southwards as mushrooming
subdivisions and town centres
swallowed farmland, villages.
Vast throngs flocked from round
the country, from overseas, to
fill apartment blocks, subdivisions.
Businesses, office blocks, shopping
malls, apartments condos soar
skywards in endless canyons.
Vehicles belching smoking fumes
clog up the widening roads.
Our little city is now buried
under this sprawling monster.
lifecameos 
So much power and emotion in the last line, Glenys. It must be hard to see an area you loved and enjoyed transformed in such a grasping, unattractive way.
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Thank you. It is. I left almost 26 years ago, and have not been back for 11 years.
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‘Progress’ can be cancerous the way in which it spreads its tentacles. A nostalgic piece – I enjoyed it.
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Thank you. It can indeed be cancerous. A major issue being raised here by horticulturalists just now is the use of rich fertile soil for building on – building up ? or out ? We could lose good growing soil if we are not careful.
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Farmlands are being squandered here too. For coal seam gas, mining and housing developments. So short sighted.
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My father worked as an auctioneer for city vegetable & fruit markets here back in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was worried even back then that fertile soil needed for market gardens and orchards was being built on.
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He would be horrified now
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He would !
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