Federal policies impacting cities

THE impact of Australian Government policies on the development of cities is opaque and may be resulting in unintended consequences according to the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).

The PIA will recommend that the Australian Government evaluates the impact of its taxation, investment and immigration policies on the performance of cities when it appears before the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities during a public hearing on Monday.

The PIA believes that the Australian Government’s impact on cities is broader than those policies specifically targeting settlements. “Our members [have] highlighted the need for the Commonwealth to show clearer insight on how spending, taxation and immigration policy is having a real effect on the differential performance of our cities,” the Institute stated. “One commentator observed that the Commonwealth’s impact is ‘spatially blind’”.

The public hearing in Parramatta Town Hall is part of the Committee’s inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities.

Committee Chair, John Alexander MP, said the Committee’s inquiry seeks to identify opportunities to refine Australian Government support for the development of smart cities.

“The Australian Government acknowledges the importance of cities as the engine room of the national economy and home to the majority of Australians,” Mr Alexander said.

“It has begun negotiating City Deals and launched a Smart Cities Plan identifying the opportunities and challenges facing Australian cities. But we think it could do more to prepare our cities to accommodate much larger populations and enhance the environmental sustainability of our settlements.”

 

Public hearing details:

10.10 am – 3.30 pm, Monday, 13 November 2017
Jubilee Room, Parramatta Town Hall, 182 Church St, Parramatta, NSW

10.10 am: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
​11.10 am: City of Parramatta
11.50 am: Association Professor Philip Laird
1.30 pm: The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering Ltd
2.10 pm: Homelessness NSW
2.50 pm: Planning Institute of Australia
3.30 pm: Close

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

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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