the major cause of the huge slum of US were formed by

public housing policies...

in australia, it took lesson of the states, to spread all the public housing into different suburbs... therefore you wont't felt so much, but there are there, if you have a look those cheap suburbs in sydney, there must be a housing commission estate there, there are plenty of them in the 'great west'. I just hear some students bought a eastate in Parramata....