It’s time to get serious about Australia’s cities Mark Birrell
Australia’s cities are at a crossroads. In May, a Mercer survey mentioned both Sydney and Melbourne among the world’s most desirable places to live. Yet it is apparent that without real reform toward targeted, sustained and well-planned investments in the next generation of infrastructure, the desirability of Australia’s major cities will be compromised. 58
futurebuilding
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Our cities are under extraordinary pressure because of often inconsistent planning and an historic absence of integrated infrastructure delivery, twinned with unprecedented growth pressures. Treasury’s recent Intergenerational Report signals that Australia will need to house more than 36 million people in just 40 years’ time. Modelling by Infrastructure Partnerships Australia suggests that 72 per cent of national population growth by 2050 will occur in Australia’s capital cities. Meanwhile, Monash University’s Centre for Population and Urban Research finds that Australia is more likely to be looking at a population exceeding 42 million people, based on recent growth trends. Whichever figure proves to be most accurate, it is generally accepted that Australia is facing a record increase in its population. There is also a broad consensus that Australia’s capital cities will house the lion’s share of this growth. More people will inevitably mean more commuters, more freight and a greater demand on public services. If we are going to ensure a high quality of life for Australians and avoid endless urban sprawl or social disconnection, it will also mean enhanced planning that fully considers density, transport infrastructure and the delivery of social assets and community infrastructure – like schools, hospitals and cultural spaces – in a single, uniting, strategic infrastructure plan for each city.
