Those were the halcyon days to which the many critics of the significant disruptions to traffic movements and public transport networks caused by the roll out of light rail, and the expansion of road networks to service developing areas, often hark back to when turning up the heat on the current ACT Government.

While their concerns are quite genuine and often well-founded, neither the overarching criticism of the Barr administration, nor the stern comparisons with another era, are always fair.

Whether we like it or not the current growth in the ACT is broadly in line with what is occurring at the national level and lags behind the population explosions in Sydney and Melbourne.

Debates over whether or not growth is necessary or desirable cannot alter the fact the Barr government is on notice to start providing all of the services a city of about 500,000 will need by 2030.

It is, to its credit, engaging in some long term development and planning at a time when the leaders of other jurisdictions are often under fire for kicking their problems down the road for the next government to sort out.

That said, there is much not to like about what is headed our way.

The thousands of citizens who have lived with the "10 minute city", in which it has always been possible to get from almost anywhere to Civic or the Parliamentary Triangle in little more time than it takes to poach an egg and make a cup of coffee, were never going to be happy about commutes double and even triple what they were used to.

Talk of 40km/h speed limits on unsignposted residential streets, even tougher policing of school speed restriction zones and changes to bus services that mean some residents have to walk almost a kilometre to get to their nearest stop have all aroused the ire of many Canberrans.

Then there is the prospect of significantly longer trip times during the years, and possibly decades, of traffic disruption arising from light rail and road construction.

Unfortunately the alternatives, given the decision to stick with the spoke-and-hub decentralised suburb model that has resulted in the approval of high density tower blocks capable of housing thousands of people for Belconnen, Gungahlin and elsewhere, are far and few between.

Yes, light rail will eventually make it easier for the outliers to shuttle to and from the city centre, but it is not something than can be done overnight. Can there ever be a guarantee the tram will have reached Tuggeranong by the end of the next decade? Will it ever get to Belconnen? What about the dormitory suburbs across the border at Googong and Jerrabomberra?

Building the Canberra of tomorrow is not something that can happen overnight, nor without cost.

The government, on the one hand, needs to plan ahead and the public, on the other, needs to be patient. We will always be a better place to get around in than Melbourne or Sydney.