List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.67

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in conjunction with State and Territory governments, and in combination with the governance arrangements set out in Recommendation 28, develop a national plan of settlement, providing a national vision for our cities and regions across the next fifty years, providing for:

growth and change in population

growth and change in employment

the economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development of cities and regions

the relationship between cities and regions on a national, regional and local scale

connectivity within and between regions, and between residence and employment

resources for the implementation of the plan.

Recommendation 2

2.73

The Committee recommends that, as part of the development of a national plan of settlement, the Australian Government encourage the development of integrated master plans for States and Territories, regions and communities which link vertically across different levels of government; and horizontally, providing infrastructure, housing, employment and services within a coherent integrated framework. In addition, plans must link the provision of infrastructure with land use to maximise the value of both.

Recommendation 3

3.77

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments, pursues a system of urban planning which promotes:

accessibility and liveability, promoting heath and quality of life

economic, social and environmental sustainability

high quality natural and built environments

access to employment

a more compact urban form

the concept of the 30-minute city.

This planning must incorporate the reality of agglomeration and the need for connectivity and densification, with a focus on the development of polycentric urban forms. Further, the Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments, promotes a system of planning that is focussed on targets and goals, underpinned by a long-term broad-scale vision (the national plan of settlement), informed by comprehensive data collection, modelling and scenario testing.

Recommendation 4

4.97

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop a framework for the development of cities and regions outside the major metropolitan centres, based on the hub-and-spoke concept, within the context of a national planning framework. These Regional Plans would:

Explore connectivity within and between regions

Develop options for investment based on a realistic appreciation of regional characteristics

Explore options for local action and investment, including local government leadership in infrastructure and investment

Explore options for strategic decentralisation of government services in a coordinated way

Explore options for developing opportunities for post-secondary education within the region.

Recommendation 5

4.104

The Committee recommends, that as part of the national plan of settlement, the Australian Government, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments, undertake the development of transport networks which allow for fast transit between cities and regions, and within cities and regions, with a view to developing a more sustainable pattern of settlement based on the principle of accessibility at a local, regional and national level. The Committee further recommends that the development of a fast rail or high speed rail network connecting the principal urban centres along the east coast of Australia be given priority, with a view to opening up the surrounding regions to urban development.

Recommendation 6

4.106

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government consider producing an effective cost of living index, including housing, at the scale of local communities to highlight the economic and lifestyle advantages of living in regional communities.

Recommendation 7

5.140

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of the system of master planning under the national plan of settlement, aligns existing regional infrastructure programs to the objectives of these plans to support investment in:

communities experiencing rapid and sustained population growth; and

regional centres which are strategically placed to expand with catalytic investment in community infrastructure.

Recommendation 8

5.142

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with the States and Territories to ensure that nationally consistent age-inclusive standards for urban development are put in place, informed by:

community consultation; and

reviews of international and Australian best practice.

Recommendation 9

5.148

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in partnership with the States and Territories, establish nationally consistent measureable targets to reduce waste to landfill, incorporates waste indicators into the National Cities Performance Framework, and establishes a grant program to offer once-off financial support to catalyse new businesses focussed on waste recycling or utilisation.

Recommendation 10

5.150

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with the States and Territories to establish nationally consistent guidelines for urban green space and establish a clear trajectory to continued carbon emissions reductions.

Recommendation 11

6.117

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of the system of master planning under the national plan of settlement, ensure that governments at all levels:

Commit to a more sustainable model of urban transport connectivity than currently exists.

Actively promote investment in the development of a public transport network that is capable of meeting the goal of the 30-minute city.

Actively plan for and promote the integration of active transport within the transport network.

Embrace innovation.

Ensure that transport infrastructure planning is consistent with planning for a more sustainable urban form and conforms to integrated planning at local, regional and city levels.

Recommendation 12

6.146

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of the system of master planning under the national plan of settlement:

Require all levels of government provide for the accommodation of and access to dedicated freight facilities, that planning at all levels include freight access as a matter of priority, and that in the planning of areas consideration be given to prioritising the needs of existing and approved freight terminals. This should include provision of Urban Consolidation Centres and shared parcel lockers at a regional and local level.

Give priority to the development of a national freight network, with a view to creating a strong system of multimodal integration based on dedicated freight nodes, prioritising the movement of freight by rail, separating freight and passenger movements where possible, and developing dedicated fast-rail and high-speed-rail passenger rail lines to relieve the congestion of existing networks.

Recommendation 13

6.147

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop incentives, including tax incentives, promoting fleet modernisation to make trucks safer, quieter and cleaner, and proceed with the development of the National Freight Performance Framework.

Recommendation 14

7.83

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

complete a regulatory impact assessment on lowering the participation threshold of the CBD Program;

investigate the feasibility and cost implications of extending the CBD Program’s mandatory disclosure requirements to include information about the energy efficiency of tenanted areas of commercial office buildings above 1000 metres squared.

Recommendation 15

8.78

The Committee recommends that the Prime Minister appoint a senior Minister with responsibility for housing to:

monitor housing affordability issues and lead a joint federal, state and local government response;

ensure all policies considered by cabinet support the provision of more affordable quality housing and strike the right balance between investors and home buyers;

coordinate all government agencies with a role in implementing housing outcomes;

identify and strategically develop Commonwealth land holdings to address housing affordability and amenity issues; and

investigate viability of nationalising and streamlining planning regulation similar to the Australian Building Codes Board model.

Recommendation 16

9.80

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that the development of the NBN is commensurate with the future capacity requirements of intelligent transport systems and the Internet of Things (IoT), and that relevant capacity constraints be identified and addressed.

Recommendation 17

9.82

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government offer additional funding and technical support to local governments by extending the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program and the Future Ready Incubation Package indefinitely. The Committee also recommends that the Future Ready Incubation Package specifically address local governments’ capacity to effectively and efficiently procure smart cities technology.

Recommendation 18

9.84

The Committee recommends that Standards Australia develop a ‘standards roadmap’ for Australia, including:

identifying the standards required in each sector to unlock the benefits of connected Australian cities; and

developing standards in strategic priority areas, including standards to safeguard the interoperability of IoT and other smart cities technologies.

Recommendation 19

9.89

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to expand the performance indicators and cities assessed under the National Cities Performance Framework, including:

enhancing indicators for environmental sustainability and innovation; and

incorporating smaller regional capitals into the framework.

Recommendation 20

9.91

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide ongoing funding to increase the visibility of and enhance data collection and analysis undertaken through AURIN and CSIRO’s urban living labs.

Recommendation 21

10.98

The Committee recommends that the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities and the National Chief Planner apply international best practice approaches to urban development, to:

the development of national settlement plans;

the design of policies and programs;

the provision of funding to support Australian cities and regional centres; and

investigate international companies with proven unique global best practice expertise in infrastructure provision and urban development.

Recommendation 22

10.100

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government maintain the CRC research agenda’s previous focus on urban issues until the nation’s cities have achieved an environmentally and socially sustainable urban form.

Recommendation 23

10.102

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government establishes a national institute for cities research, on the model of the UKCRIC, to enhance collaboration, knowledge and data sharing across research groups and universities; and tasks the new institute for cities research with identifying how international best practice approaches to urban development can best be applied in Australian cities.

Recommendation 24

10.104

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government re-endorse Creating Places for People: An Urban Design Protocol for Australian Cities and provide financial support for the purposes of maintaining and promoting these design principles.

Recommendation 25

10.106

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government support the broader application of rating systems, such as the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star program, to urban regeneration.

Recommendation 26

11.74

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government conduct a review of the spatial impact (distribution of population, housing, employment, industry and services) of its policies in areas of federal responsibility.

Recommendation 27

11.76

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that urban and regional infrastructure is developed giving consideration to potential settlement patterns.

Recommendation 28

11.81

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in pursuit of a sustained, coordinated, holistic vision for the development of Australia’s cities and regions, create:

A Minister for Cities and National Settlement with a place in Cabinet, with responsibility, amongst other things, for the oversight of a national plan of settlement and housing;

The statutory Office of a National Chief Planner, incorporating Infrastructure Australia and the Infrastructure and Project Financing Agency, to provide independent expert advice on urban and regional planning and development;

A COAG Cities & Regional Development Ministerial Council involving representation by state and territory treasurers, housing ministers and planning ministers, and local government; and

A Cities & Regional Development NGO Roundtable to ensure business and community groups have a direct voice to government on issues involving our cities and regions.

Recommendation 29

12.33

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of the system of master planning under the national plan of settlement, provide funding and resources for a significant acceleration of the City Deals program, with a view to creating greater opportunities for cities to engage in the City Deals program, developing more sophisticated interactions between the various levels of government and the private sector—including implementing more sophisticated funding methods such as value capture—and extending the City Deals concept to the regions in the form of Regional Deals, thereby providing a meaningful and sustainable mechanism for promoting urban and regional development across Australia.

Recommendation 30

12.63

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government encourage the State and Territory Governments to investigate city commissions, along the lines of the Greater Sydney Commission.

Recommendation 31

12.76

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate the provision of spatially and industry targeted tax incentives to drive strategic secondary economic agglomeration in major cities.

Recommendation 32

12.79

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of the system of master planning under the national plan of settlement, provide financial support, in the form of grants, to projects with demonstrated potential to generate significant employment growth in the rapidly expanding, outer suburban communities of Australian cities.

Recommendation 33

13.85

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government adopt infrastructure procurement practices that require a ‘whole-of-life’ approach to infrastructure procurement which look at costs and benefits across the service life of any given piece of infrastructure, its place within long-term planning frameworks, and how well it meets objectives in terms of economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Recommendation 34

13.90

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government adopt an approach to infrastructure procurement that:

where appropriate, utilises independent development corporations to manage the procurement and development of infrastructure projects;

promotes technical innovation; and

supports and engages with Tier 2 & 3 contractors.

Recommendation 35

13.91

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments, establish a national training program for public sector infrastructure procurement.

Recommendation 36

13.94

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government should adopt an approach to infrastructure project appraisal that includes assessment of:

wider economic, social and environmental benefits;

costs and returns over the life of the infrastructure; and

cost of the project using a discount rate of 4 per cent.

Recommendation 37

13.98

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop a system of value capture as an organising principle of infrastructure planning and procurement, and progress the reform of the taxation system to match the requirements of value capture, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments, to provide a single, seamless, transparent system of taxes, charges and contributions, which allows for the costs of infrastructure development, where appropriate, to be met on the beneficiary pays principle.

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