Planning professionals Australia wide have welcomed the Federal Government’s release of
the latest insight into the State of Australia Cities.
The 2012 edition of the report which takes an annual pulse check of our major cities was
released today by the Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese.
The State of Australian Cities document has attracted overwhelming interest from the
general public and the planning fraternity during the past year.
The 2011 edition has been downloaded more than 800,000 times from the Federal
Government web site since its release October last year at State of Commonwealth Cities
Symposium hosted by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).
PIA President Dyan Currie said the Federal Government is to be congratulated on the way it
has monitored the progress of Australian Cities since the benchmark report was first
released in March 2010.
“Our cities are the engine rooms of our economy and our society. It is important to maintain
a careful watch on emerging trends that impact on planning issues in our growing urban
centres,” Ms Currie said.
“The 2012 report not only builds on the knowledge contained in the first report but it also
contains the latest data that compares city with city nationally and internationally and sets
out the steps needed to make our cities better places to live and work.
“The State of Australia Cities 2012 provides the evidence base to support the National
Urban Policy – Our Cities, Our Future and is a necessary ingredient in good planning.”
The latest edition includes data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing which
outlines a comprehensive understanding of what’s happening.
It is the third in a series of annual Australian Government publications reporting on the
progress of Australian cities and together the 2010 and 2011 editions have been
downloaded close to 2 million times.
The 2012 edition follows the structure of the previous two and details changes in urban
population and settlement and examines productivity, sustainability and liveability indicators.
Ms Currie said the 2012 report also included an evaluation of the progress in the
implementation of the National Urban Policy.
“Good planning has to be evidence based and the State of Australian Cities 2012 report will
provide the planning profession with vital information needed to help make our cities better
in every way.
“The Federal Government is to be congratulated not only for maintaining this initiative but
also in giving the public the opportunity of providing feedback through the Government web
site.
“Detail contained in the State of Australian Cities Report 2012 is vital to ensure we are able
to plan long term.
“For instance this latest report shows employment is becoming more centralised and
housing supply is not keeping pace with the growing population. This is the sort of data we
need to make good planning decisions.”
Planning Institute Australia
