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PRIME MINISTER
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON PJ KEATING MP
AUSTRALIA AWARD FOR URBAN DESIGN
I am pleased to announce today the detailed conditions of entry for the
Australia Award for Urban Design and at the same time to invite nominations
for the 1995 award.
The award is a prestigious addition to the national awards system for urban
design. It will recognise multi disciplinary urban design excellence which
brings long-term benefits.
Entries for the award will need to show clearly how they are making life better
for Australians. The gains will need to be in the three key areas of social,
environmental and economic well-being.
Outstanding achievement will be measured against a range of criteria.
Categories include design excellence, community function and benefit,
ehnvironmental health, social equity, relevance to today's lifestyle ( including
the ability to adapt to changing lifestyle needs), innovationi and application to
other sites.-
The establishment of the award follows the 18-month review of urban design
carried out by the Government's Urban Design Task Force. It is the
first-stage of the Government's response to the Task Force Report, which is
being co-ordinated by the Minister for Housing anid Regional Development,
the Hon Brian Howe MP.
The annual award will alternate between two types of urban design initiative.
In 1995 it will be for projects which have already created a built environment
which people can visit. Nominations close on Tuesday, 29 August 1995 and
the award will be presented in November 1995.
In 1996 the award will be for ideas which significantly influence the built
environment. The ' idea' might be a project which is at detailed planning
stage and is likely to become a physical reality. It might be a piece of
innovative legislation which will have far-reaching impact on urban design. It
might also be a design project which, through promotion that occurs because
of the Australia Award for Urban Design, has a significant impact on urban
design elsewhere in Australia even though the project itself does not come to
fruition. The award will make a major contribution to design excellence in Australia by
recognising urban design in the broadest sense.
Judging will be by a panel of eminent jurors which will make
recommendations to the Government. The 1995 jury will be announced
shortly. The award is the urban design equivalent of the Australia Prize, the national
science award introduced in the mid-1980s by the Government and now an
internationally recognised award.
The Australia Award for Urban Design will be a perpetual trophy which will be
unveiled at the 1995 presentation. In addition to the trophy, there will be a
range of promotional activities linked to the award, to encourage debate
within the professions and the community about the contribution which urban
design excellence can make to Australia's heritage.
CANBERRA
4 July 1995