The Case for a Unified Urban Policy: Insights from Bronwen Clark at UDIA WA
Recently our CEO, Bronwen Clark, was invited to speak at the Urban Development Institute of Australia Western Australia (UDIA WA) event in Perth. Themed A Shared Vision for Urban Growth in our Cities: Understanding the Draft National Urban Policy and What It Means for Perth, this event brought together 200 WA town planners and developers from the private and public sectors.
The panel of speakers included Deputy Secretary at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts David MacKay, UDIA WA Chief Executive Tanya Steinbeck, AHURI Managing Director Michael Fotheringham and Hatch RobertsDay founder Mike Day. Each shared insights on the draft National Urban Policy and its implications for Perth.
Bronwen shared the importance of having a National Urban Policy, especially for Australia’s fastest growing outer cities and suburbs, which recognises we need to learn from the past to make better decisions that will shape the future of our communities.
Local governments, as the closest level of government to the people, play a vital role in this process. However, past approaches and lack of coordination across all levels of government have left growth areas with challenges that must be addressed head-on.
To ensure the success of this policy, Bronwen spoke about NGAA’s view that three focus areas are needed: involving local government, learning from our past by working together, and consciously choosing the legacy to leave for future generations.
1. Involve local government.
Local governments are the experts of their communities. They possess in-depth knowledge of the long-term strategies, transport and infrastructure needs, and community requirements. Yet, this expertise is often overlooked in state and federal policies and funding decisions.
There must be better coordination across all levels of government.
It is counterproductive to have a 10-year federal infrastructure pipeline that doesn't align with National Housing Accord Targets or the priorities of state governments with differing infrastructure delivery approaches.
Despite infill targets, growth areas will inevitably continue to accommodate the majority of the population increase in the short to medium term.
2. Stop doing the same thing and expecting different results.
The nation is facing multiple crises: housing, cost of living, climate change, and an infrastructure backlog that has led to overcrowded facilities and congestion.
It’s clear that something must change, starting with ways of working. Old, siloed approaches have contributed to the situation being experienced today.
Instead, there needs to be national leadership, a unified national vision, and a comprehensive national evaluation framework.
3. Choose what legacy we want to leave.
The NGAA was established to address the legacy of rapid development characterised by poor design, lack of sustainability, ineffective developer contribution models, and a disconnect between policy ideology and the realities of rapid greenfield growth.
While councils don’t build houses, they are left to manage the consequences.
Today’s reality is the result of poor intergovernmental planning, which has left residents without public transport options, created heat islands, and increased the demand for community support, development, youth services, and maternal and child health facilities.
Looking ahead, all levels of government and stakeholders need to consciously consider how future communities are cared for. The goal is that the new National Urban Policy will create more sustainable and equitable cities and suburbs than we curently live in.
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