The Prime Minister tonight announced the membership of the Expert Panel for the review of capital city strategic planning systems, at the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG) dinner held in Parliament House.
Key challenges face Australia's cities including managing population and economic growth, addressing climate change, improving housing affordability and tackling urban congestion.
The Panel's role will be to support the COAG Reform Council, which will review planning systems to ensure they meet the agreed national criteria to make Australia's cities more productive, sustainable and liveable.
The Panel will be Chaired by the Hon Brian Howe, a pioneer of urban development who, through the Building Better Cities program, brought the Commonwealth back into city policy two decades ago.
The Deputy Chair will be Ms Lucy Turnbull who brings real-world local government experience as a former Lord Mayor of Sydney.
Members of the Panel are: Mr Rod Pearse OAM, Ms Jude Munro, Mr John Denton, Ms Sue Holliday, Professor Duncan Maclennan CBE FRSE AcSS, and Ms Meredith Sussex AM. Dr Geoff Gallop, Deputy Chair of the COAG Reform Council, will also take a particular responsibility on behalf of the COAG Reform Council for this initiative. A short biographical note on each member is attached.
The Panel provides a blend of experience, drawing its membership from people with backgrounds from the Commonwealth, state government, local government, academia, the private sector, design and planning.
This Panel has a critical role to play in the implementation of the landmark reform agreed at the December 2009 meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) that will see high quality capital city strategic planning systems by 2012.
High quality city planning systems will also ensure that infrastructure investments - including investments by the Commonwealth in nationally significant infrastructure in our cities - deliver the best possible returns.
The Commonwealth must have confidence in the integrity of a capital city's strategic planning system if it is to continue to invest in that city.
In undertaking its review of strategic capital city strategic planning systems, the COAG Reform Council will consult Local Government.
Local Government are key partners in the governance of our capital cities and this partnership will be extended.
Local Government will have vital roles in the planning of our cities and in ensuring that those plans meet the needs of local communities.
ATTACHMENT A
Chair: Brian Howe
Brian Howe is Professorial Associate at the Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, and former Deputy Prime Minister (1991-95). As a Cabinet Minister in the Hawke and Keating Governments (1984-96), he held responsibility for a range of portfolios including housing, social security, health and defence.
Deputy Chair: Lucy Turnbull
Lucy Turnbull served as the 81st Lord Mayor of Sydney from 2003-4, and prior to this as deputy Lord Mayor from 1999-2003. She was also a former commercial lawyer and investment banker.
Members
Duncan MacLennan
Professor Duncan McLennan, an internationally renowned expert in the areas of cities, neighbourhood renewal and housing economics, is the Director of the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He has held senior government and academic positions in Australia and Canada and advised governments on housing policy in UK, Poland, France, Sweden, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
Meredith Sussex AM
Meredith Sussex AM is an administrator of Brimbank City Council (Vic) and has extensive experience in land use and planning issues at senior levels in the Victorian Government and in local government. From 2002 to 2006 Ms Sussex led the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination.
Rod Pearse OAM
Rod Pearse retired in 2009 after ten years as the managing director and CEO of Boral. He was also the Chair of the Business Council of Australia's Sustainable Growth Taskforce which delivered its report on Australia's infrastructure challenges in October 2009.
Jude Munro
Jude Munro is the outgoing CEO of Brisbane City Council (she is leaving the position on 18 June 2010), a position she has held since 2000. She has extensive experience in local government, having previously served as the CEO of the City of Adelaide, the interim CEO of the City of Moreland (Vic), and CEO of the City of St Kilda (Vic).
John Denton
John Denton is a leading architect and urban designer renowned for his work on major landmark buildings and urban projects, both in Australia and internationally. He formerly served in an advisory role to the Victorian Government as State Government Architect.
Sue Holliday
Sue Holliday is a private consultant in the area of urban change and has extensive experience in academic and public sector roles in urban planning and development. She is the immediate past president of the Planning Institute of Australia and was the Director-General of NSW Planning from 1997 to 2003.