News

Councils from across Australia joined a national call for better access to roads, transport, local jobs and community facilities in fast growing outer suburbs with the launch of the Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs campaign in Canberra this week.

The National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA), a group of 21 councils from fast growing suburbs on the outskirts of our capital cities, launched the Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs campaign at Parliament House in the lead up to the next Federal Election. The campaign calls on federal politicians to Catch Up with population growth in the outer suburbs and give residents access to the same essential services and infrastructure as inner city residents enjoy.

The Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development Anthony Albanese attended, along with other Members of Parliament from electorates in fast growing areas around the country.

“People move to new suburbs to create a better life for themselves and their family. But fast growing outer suburbs already are home to 5 million people, with more new residents each year and the essential services and infrastructure we need are stretched and unable to keep up with this unprecedented level of growth,” said Mayor Glenn Docherty of Playford, NGAA Chair.

“Our residents have the right to fair levels of infrastructure investment that will enable our new and established communities to thrive.”

Mayor Docherty said “Councils in growth areas are doing all we can to help our residents live in safe, healthy and connected communities. But we cannot achieve that outcome on our own. This is a national issue.”

‘Catch Up with the outer suburbs’ has three common sense recommendations for the federal government:

• Get 5 million people to work, study or home on time
• Create jobs where the workforce lives
• Build the facilities to build communities.

For further information on the Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs campaign, please visit: www.catchup.org.au