A place for everyone - the future of Australia’s cities

THE Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities has commenced a new inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities.

It will examine city planning and sustainable urban development, focusing on how to transition existing capital cities, and how to develop new and existing regional centres.

Committee Chair, John Alexander MP, said collaborative and flexible urban planning is essential to Australia’s future.

“Australia’s population is expected to double by 2075. Existing cities cannot continue to absorb this growth without affecting our high standard of living,” Mr Alexander said.

“We need options for adapting infrastructure and services in existing cities to sustainably accommodate much larger populations. We also have to examine opportunities to develop new or existing regional centres.

“Our inquiry will investigate potential for the Commonwealth Government to provide leadership and coordinate longer term national city planning to address these issues.”

The inquiry will be split into two sub-inquiries:

1)      Sustainability transitions in existing cities

• Identifying how the trajectories of existing cities can be directed towards a more sustainable urban form that enhances urban liveability and quality of life and reduces energy, water, and resource consumption;
• Considering what regulation and barriers exist that the Commonwealth could influence, and opportunities to cut red tape; and
• Examining the national benefits of being a global ‘best practice’ leader in sustainable urban development.

2)      Growing new and transitioning regional cities and towns

• Promoting the development of regional centres, including promoting master planning of regional communities;
• Promoting private investment in regional centres and regional infrastructure;
• Promoting the competitive advantages of regional location for businesses;
• Examining ways urbanisation can be redirected to achieve more balanced regional development; and
• Identifying the infrastructure requirements for reliable and affordable transport, clean energy, water and waste in a new settlement of reasonable size, located away from existing infrastructure.

Submissions are open until Monday 31 July 2017.  People are welcome to make submissions to either or both sub-inquiries, but should clearly indicate which part of the terms of reference they address. For more information about how to make a submission, contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Further information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Committee website.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

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