Incoming Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should refocus the Federal Government onto the importance of Australia’s cities, says the Urban Taskforce.
“With over 80% of Australian’s living in cities the Federal Government has a key role to play in how our cities develop,” says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. “Malcolm Turnbull, as the new Prime Minister, has an opportunity to refocus how Federal Government expenditure on infrastructure projects can stimulate the growth of Australia’s cities.”
“The Urban Taskforce believes that State Governments must have the major responsibility for managing cities but the Federal Government which collects most of the taxes needs to allocate funds to urban infrastructure projects. This must include public transport projects as well as major road projects.”
“Sydney is leading the way in urban density driven by preferences for apartment living in cosmopolitan environments and this higher density is ideal for new public transport projects. Across Australia all urban areas will be moving towards denser environments related to apartment living. The Federal Government can give incentives to State and Local Governments that support greater densities by funding key infrastructure projects.
“The current review of Federation and the relative roles of State and Federal Governments must have cities and their growth as a key issue.”
“Malcolm Turnbull has a good understanding of the importance of encouraging density in our cities, supported by infrastructure as outlined in a presentation in 2013,” says Mr. Johnson
“…The truth is density is not the problem, density is the solution. But density without infrastructure lacks amenity, and density without amenity is congestion, and is very unpleasant. The great failure of planning in this city (Sydney), and many others in Australia, is that we’ve had a growing population without the investment in infrastructure, whether it is parks or facilities, but above all transport, to enable you to get the benefits of the density.” (May 2013 article in The Fifth Estate)