There's much to like in the white paper, particularly the recommendation of the transport infrastructure needs for the duplication of Glenfield Road from Dobney Avenue roundabout to Red Hill Road, including a second railway overpass. 

Taking a much broader perspective, what the C4W has put forward in its short history and what its colleagues in similar organisations throughout Australia have achieved, begs the question: When are our federal government and the states going to realise that change in how we run this country is imperative.

The hotchpotch, disorganised and certainly undemocratic local government disaster being instituted by the State Government confirms the belief of many voters that most MPs are never really concerned about the overall benefits, rather merely looking after themselves. We don't need three tiers of government in this nation. The white paper and its good old fashioned commonsense approach (no million dollar payment to some professional consultant for this document) encouraged the column to propose a new approach to government.

Abolish the state governments first up. Not all State MPs need to panic. Some would be able to nominate for extra seats in a slightly expanded federal government, to meet the needs, particularly in far flung federal seats that are now too big for one MP.

The seat of Farrer springs to mind, which now includes the MIA, worthy of a federal seat in its own right. Indeed, the new Riverina seat should have been split with the newcomers Cowra, Parkes and Forbes much better suited to a seat of their own. 

Instead of separate state and local governments let's have regional governments with a mixture of elected individuals (no parties or tickets) and representatives of organisations such as C4W, business chambers, primary producer organisations, community groups of substance like the CWA and universities. To top this off, as the column has implored federal leaders to do, reorganise the Senate from a states house to regional representation across the nation. 

Maybe there is a modern-day Sir Henry Parkes, the Father of Federation, lurking? We must tap the potential that is available in our communities, not rely on our elected representatives, governments and minders.

At a national forum run by The Financial Review in Sydney last week a survey of attendees asked for the three main impediments to infrastructure. They answered (from the top): Red tape, bureaucracy, layers of government.

When will a national government with real intestinal fortitude eliminate these obstructions? The attendees also voted the most visionary national infrastructure was the high speed rail project; the most important infrastructure, the inland rail freight project.