Landmark Cities Report Sparks Call for Collaboration

Professional planners are calling for greater collaboration among governments at all levels to
ensure Australian cities are liveable, productive and sustainable.

The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) says a landmark study has uncovered a lack of
cooperation and communication among governments when it comes to planning for land use,
infrastructure and the economies of our cities.

PIA Chief Executive Officer Kirsty Kelly said the future of Australian cities is too important to be
left to the whim of the political cycle.

“Cities need bipartisan support and we are calling on all sides of politics to recognise their
enormous value,” Ms Kelly said.

“Capital cities generate nearly 80 per cent of Australia’s GDP and they are home to about 75
per cent of the population.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to initiate long term plans, performance measures
and targets and better coordination with state and territory governments.”

An examination of the planning performance of Australia’s capital cities was carried out by the
Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council.

The review of 8 capital city strategic planning systems was done with the assistance of an
Expert Advisory Panel chaired Professor Brian Howe AO and included former PIA National
President Sue Holliday.

It found none of their systems to be completely consistent with COAG’s agreed criteria to better
plan our capital cities.

The assessment noted that governments share a number of common goals, issues and
challenges with no one government having all the policy levers and expertise to deal with them.

Ms Kelly said governments need to share their experiences rather than each jurisdiction trying
to reinvent the wheel.

“Jurisdictions might have the local planning powers but the Commonwealth has the key levers
that impact on our cities.

“It can direct funding to infrastructure, transport, health, education, defence, trade and
technology. Government decisions on these portfolios impact on the shape and function of our
cities and they can’t be considered in isolation.

“We are now in the privileged position of having a National Urban Policy, but we have to make
sure we use it to guide decisions and processes. That is needed as much within the
commonwealth as it is with the states and territories.

“We applaud the COAG Reform Council for acknowledging that the Commonwealth has a major
role in cities. But government and industry need to engage the community to give people a
better picture of the completed puzzle so they can see what we are trying to reach.

“The State of Australian Cities report has been a valuable tool in helping understand our cities
and we commend the Australian Government for its introduction.

“PIA supports the continued development of this tool in conjunction with investment in research
programs to continue to better inform decision making for better cities.”
Planning Institute Australia