Population Growth Challenges Capital Cities
14.06.10

A KPMG report, to be released today, urges the federal government to take on an expanded role in urban policy, as cities are considered the engine rooms of future productivity. It also recommends a cabinet minister be made directly responsible for urban affairs.

Commissioned by a coalition of business groups including the Property Council of Australia, the Australian Institute of Architects and the Planning Institute of Australia, KPMG rated capital cities using criteria adopted last year by the Council of Australian Governments for effective planning.

The criteria included land-release policies, urban design, integration of nationally significant infrastructure, the clarity of future planning measures and policies to encourage investment.

"Melbourne is ranked first because it has the strongest representation of a capital strategic planning system supported by a metropolitan plan, a transport plan, land supply program and the recently released Integrated Housing Strategy," says the report, Spotlight on Australia|s Capital Cities.

"The key challenge for Melbourne is how it continues to implement its plans in the face of strong population and economic growth."

In contrast, Sydney is marked down because of "poor implementation" of programs, including specific reference to recent changes to major transport infrastructure projects the North West Rail link, CBD Metro and West Metro.

"These changes indicate a lack of predictability and certainty in the way the Sydney strategic planning system operates and tends to suggest a breakdown in the way the system delivers strategic priorities," the report says.

How cities cope with substantially bigger populations has become a hot political issue in the wake of Treasury|s third Intergenerational Report, which projected the nation|s population would rise to 36 million by 2050, with most of the increase occurring in major cities.

Kevin Rudd has endorsed what he called a "Big Australia", but the Coalition has expressed doubts about the big cities| capacity to carry the extra numbers.

Property Council of Australia chief executive Peter Verwer said it was critical to the nation|s future to get the planning of big cities right. Mr Verwer said Sydney ranked low because it had an "anti-planning culture".

"There is no one in charge," he said. "It|s typical of most cities, but with Sydney being bigger, it|s more important to have someone in charge. Sydney needs a clearer blueprint."

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said population growth within the capital cities was a big challenge to infrastructure and planning. "It drives our policy decision-making and that|s what we|ve focused on here in Melbourne: sustainability, attracting investment, streamlining planning processes," he said.

"We will be Australia|s biggest city by about 2036, so we are working to be smarter about what and where we build and how we . . . integrate our urban infrastructure."

www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/population-growth-challenges-capital-cities/story-e6frg6nf-1225879194354