Urban Planning Goes National

In December 2010, the Australian government released Our Cities - building a productive, sustainable and liveable future, a discussion paper which sets out the framework for a national approach to urban development and the challenges that must be addressed for Australian cities to become more productive, sustainable and liveable.

It’s planned that a new National Urban Policy will be released in 2011 and the Our Cities framework is open for public comment until 1 March 2011.

The National Urban Policy will be focused on the following things.

Achieving the Australian government’s aspirations for realising the productive capacity of cities by supporting long-term and strategic planning in conjunction with the State, Territories and Local Government, the private sector and communities, and investing in quality, efficient infrastructure including transport, communications and smart infrastructure in terms of which critical infrastructure corridors, sites and buffers will be provided.

Improve sustainability by encouraging planning and development of more energy efficient, low carbon urban forms of transport and a sustainable transport system; encouraging investment and innovation in renewable energy; leading regulator reforms for more efficient use of resources including energy and water; establishing sustainability standards for buildings and infrastructure;  providing national data and best practice examples for resource consumption reduction and for managing risks such as climate change and security of water, energy and food; supporting updated and nationally consistent design standards and performance criteria to reflect the need to adapt to climate change; and investing in sustainable technology and smart infrastructure.

Improving livability by requiring future integrated long-term (15-30 year) strategic plans for capital cities, supported by medium (5-15 year) prioritised infrastructure and land-use plans. Additionally, the Australian government will link government investments to planning systems for the design of liveable cities, pursue regulatory reform to deliver secure, appropriate and affordable housing, and foster urban planning and design of the built form to encourage active lifestyles and social interaction while reducing dependence on motor vehicles in urban areas.

Reform urban planning operation and governance by working with COAG to create less ‘cumbersome’ administrative processes to minimise time and costs for proponent and administrative bodies, while still having regard to the need for community consultation. And, possible amalgamation of local councils areas to create larger entities that can plan, finance and coordinate larger population areas, and achieve greater economies of scale in service delivery and asset management.

This is happening in the following context –

• the Australian government’s State of Australian Cities 2010 report which points to challenges from population ageing; population growth; and climate change and the environment
• the 2010 Intergenerational Report which states that Australia’s population will grow from 22 million today to 36 million by 2020
• the National Housing Supply Council’s State of Supply 2010 report, which estimates that this will create a need for 3.2 million additional homes by 2029 and there is likely to be a shortfall of 640,000 dwellings if the market fails to respond
• the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE 2007), which estimates that the avoidable cost of road congestion is in excess of $10 million per annum which will continue to rise to $20 billion per year under a ‘business as usual scenario’.
• with regard to climate change and the environment, Our Cities notes that growing urban populations place pressure on land, water and energy while increasing waste. It also acknowledged that Australia’s cities, including their housing and infrastructure are at risk from climate change including through higher temperatures, changed rainfall patterns, increased storm events and rising sea levels. Climate change impacts on infrastructure alone could reduce GNP by 1.2% by 2050 and by 2.4% by 2100.

Australian National Urban Policy complements the government’s Sustainable Population Strategy, which will also be released in 2011, and builds on the 2009 COAG agreement on cities reforms. The COAG agreement requires that by 2012, Australian States and Territories have in place capital city planning systems that are consistent with agreed criteria. The National Urban Policy will apply to 18 Australian cities with populations of over 100,000 people.

So, it’s clear from this latest initiative and the COAG agreement that the Australian government will be playing a greater role in directing the future profile of cities with respect to the built environment, housing, infrastructure, transport, sustainability, and the resilience of cities to climate change. Major streamlining of State and Local Government planning and assessment processes is also likely.

Medium and high density is a critical part of this debate so make sure you’re experience, views and preferences are heard and make a submission.

Francesco …