It's easy to knock Kevin Rudd’s Australia 2020 summit as nothing more than a talkfest.

But there was one statement that Rudd made on the weekend, borrowed from the pages of a book hundreds of years old, that is just as true today as it was when it was first uttered.

And that is, without a vision the people perish. As a nation, it is time we come together and establish exactly what sort of country we want in 20, 50 and 100 years’ time.

Do we want a republic? Should the states be abolished? What should our population levels be? What values should we enshrine? What level of education and health should we expect? How do we promote real sustainability without creating unaffordable housing and unnecessary imposts on business and industry?

While the Canberra summit is a good starting point, if it produces nothing more than just ideas it will be a national disaster.

We have an enormous opportunity to take the ideas emerging out of this gathering and to ensure that they are fully developed and explored – but more importantly, implemented.

And it’s a process that should not just be embraced by those attending but also the wider community.

Already, schools and community groups have been involved in feeding ideas into the 10 summit streams that were established.

That must continue, as should rigorous community debate about the pros and cons of each idea.

I, for one, believe one of the biggest challenges facing Australia, apart from sustainability, climate change and the economy, is what shape our government should take in the next 20 to 50 years.

With the establishment of strong, regional councils in Queensland, one must question whether we need a state government here or indeed elsewhere.

For a nation the size of Australia, we have an awfully bureaucratic system of government – resulting in a level of taxation that is higher than many other western countries.

When workplaces are being required to run even more “lean and mean” than they have ever had in the past, it is surely time to consider how many layers of bureaucracy we need in this country.

While bigger is not necessary better, it makes little sense to have federal and state governments running police, health, education and fundamental services in duplicate.

As we know, too often the state and federal government have been able to pass the buck on issues like funding for our roads and infrastructure for fast-growing regions like the Sunshine Coast.

On the weekend, delegates to the summit overwhelmingly endorsed plans to become a republic, calls for a charter of rights, and a massive shake-up of federalism.

Mr Rudd said the overwhelming mood of the summit was for long-term planning for the future and not to simply react to the short-term.

And clearly that is one of the real challenges for us here on the Coast.
We need to consider what sort of future we want to leave not just our children, but our children’s children.

We have to come together as a region, under the direction of the new council, and provide a clear vision as to what that future direction should take.

Already, the Daily’s survey of what Coast residents want to see has provided a framework for a sustainable future – as has the outcome of the recent council election.

Will fines work?
The state government’s announcement it will fine parents up to $6000 for supplying teens with alcohol has been met with one valid question: who is going to police it?

Each weekend, young people are supplied with alcohol from older friends and siblings and even parents – to the point that our local bottle shops can become a bigger source of drunks on the streets than our nightclubs.

Too often, young people are drunk before they even go into clubs – meaning that by the time they leave, they become a real problem.

And of course, there are those who choose to party at home, creating a nightmare for neighbours seeking peace and quiet.

The reality is that until we change the underlying culture that says it is okay to binge drink – and in fact its even “cool” for some – than no law, especially if it is not backed up with resources, is going to change the problem.

Of course, in the short term, those running bottle shops and liquor outlets need to ensure they are vigilant with checking IDs.

But that alone is not going to stop the problem.

What we need is a real increase in police and liquor licensing resources on our streets, together with decent education campaigns in our schools highlighting the real dangers of binge drinking and the associated violence that often stems from it.

And we need our courts to start reflecting community concerns on this issue.

Until then, more laws will prove ineffective and will only result in greater levels of frustration and cynicism in the wider community.