Cities’ prosperity anchored in regional success

TRADITIONAL, low density and car-orientated development in Australian cities and regional centres has given rise to a range of issues which inhibit economic growth and liveability.

The Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities believes the development of nation’s settlements needs to be set on a more sustainable trajectory and is inquiring into the potential for Australian Government action.

Committee Chair, John Alexander OAM MP, said the Committee will conduct roundtable discussions in Brisbane this Friday to identify a role for the Australian Government in driving sustainability, liveability and productivity gains in the nation’s cities and regional centres.

“Although our inquiry has a split focus on cities and regional centres, we cannot consider these different types of settlements as separate or in competition,” Mr Alexander said.

“The development of cities and regional centres is interdependent. We’re looking at how the Australian Government can facilitate stronger transport, economic and social links between the two.”

“Closer relationships between our cities and regional centres will support population rebalancing and improve liveability generally.”

Roundtable participant, Tweed Heads Council echoed this sentiment. The Council said, “many regions are recognised as a resource-base for metropolitan economies, and equally for their natural and cultural heritage assets that serve as a source of creativity, wellbeing and respite for city-dwellers”.

“Development programs can recognise and build on current and potential specialisation roles of regional areas, not to compete with, but to support the resourcing and value sharing of growing cities.”

Public hearing details: 9.00 am – 2.30 pm, Friday, 29 September 2017, Speaker’s Hall, lvl 4, Parliamentary Annexe, Alice Street, Brisbane

9.00 am:
Property Council Queensland
Floth Sustainable Building Consultants
Mr Warren Rowe, Planner in Residence, University of Queensland
Professor Paul Burton, Griffith University
Associate Professor Matthew Burke, Griffith University

10.50 am: 
Professor Marcus Foth, Urban Informatics, Queensland University of Technology
Dr Jaz Hee-jeong Choi, Urban Informatics, Queensland University of Technology
Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand
Deloitte Access Economics

1.10 pm:
Tweed Heads Council 
Southern Downs Regional Council

1.50 pm:
Dr Andrew Sharam, RMIT University
Property Collectives

2.30 pm: Close

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

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

Interested members of the public may wish to track the inquiry via the Committee’s website.

ends