National Policy signals New Era in Planning

Australia’s peak planning body has called for a greater investment in the country’s cities to
ensure the Federal Government’s vision for our future is effective.

The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) welcomed today’s launch of a National Urban Policy
(NUP) to outline objectives and directions for cities, but sees the need for extra measures.
PIA National President Dyan Currie said today’s announcement was a first for an Australian
Federal Government.

“A national overarching direction and vision for Australian cities has long been needed and
we commend the Federal Government on its initiative,” Ms Currie said.

“There’s no doubt the initial investment of $181.4 million signals a new era in collaborative
urban planning for Australia but a far greater investment will be needed to secure a
sustainable future for our cities long term.”

The new policy titled ‘Our Cities, Our Future – A National Urban Policy for a productive,
sustainable and liveable future’, was launched today by the Minister for Infrastructure and
Transport the Hon. Anthony Albanese.

It’s designed to set in place the Australian Government’s objectives and directions for our
cities for the decades ahead.

Ms Currie said the document recognises that many decisions made by the Federal
Government impact on urban Australia.

“The NUP promises to recognise the critical roles that all levels of government, the private
sector and individuals play in planning,” she said.

“In order for planning for Australia’s future to be effective, the NUP also needs to work in
conjunction with other Federal Government initiatives.

“We believe the Government needs to better integrate the sustainable population strategy it
launched last week to provide a sufficiently clear direction to inform the NUP.”

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population, and Communities, Tony
Burke launched the Federal Government’s sustainable population strategy last Friday.
‘Sustainable Australia, Sustainable Communities’ seeks to address population change rather
that set arbitrary targets. The aim is to drive growth to regional areas by attracting skilled
workers and housing where there are job opportunities.

“PIA supports steps towards a more sustainable Australia and advocates for all planning
initiatives to work cohesively.

“Disjointed approaches to planning for cities and regions across Australia have been
hindering our future capacity to respond to emerging challenges for too long.

“We want to see success with this new approach of establishing a long-term framework for
making our cities work better.

“PIA commends the Government in taking this important step in taking a more integrated
approach in planning for the future of our cities.

“The NUP is a positive step towards greater coordination and collaboration in planning for
the future of our urban areas and it must go hand in hand with a robust strategy for
addressing our population growth and demographic changes.”
The Planning Institute of Australia