The Federal Government has released a draft National Urban Policy which outlines its objectives to create more liveable, equitable, productive, and resilient urban areas, and is calling on the public to provide feedback.
The draft policy has been developed with input from all three levels of government, Federal Government agencies, and members from the Urban Policy Forum, chaired by Professor Barbara Norman.
The Federal Government said that it recognises the importance of community input to build thriving urban areas.
Interested parties can have their say via a survey, providing a submission, or attending consultation sessions.
The government said that it will consider all feedback prior to finalising the National Urban Policy in consultation with the state and territory governments and urban policy experts.
For more information on the National Urban Policy and to have a say, visit www.infrastructure.gov.au/national-urban-policy
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said that Australia’s urban communities are experiencing demographic change, the structure of the economy is shifting, many parts of the country are experiencing extreme weather events and technology is quickly reshaping how Australians go about their day-to-day lives.
“How we manage these challenges and take advantage of these opportunities will have significant implications on the future of our country – economically, socially and environmentally,” Ms King said.
“The National Urban Policy presents a critical chance to create sustainable and adaptive cities and suburbs that meet the needs of the community now and into the future.”
Urban Policy Forum chair, Professor Barbara Norman, said that this policy is a very positive contribution recognising that there can be competing objectives in delivering housing targets, protecting good agricultural land, space for urban infrastructure, managing disaster risk and climate change, renewable energy and more.
“The principles provide a pathway for reconciling these challenges when developing a sustainable urban future,” Ms Norman said.
“The policy opens a conversation on how we can link international to state to local, and better coordinate across governments and ensure that as we face these challenges, we follow a more sustainable pathway.”
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