4J ~ UST RALIA PRESS STATEMENT NO. 118
21 August 1973
METROPOLITAN AREA IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WESTERN SECTORS OF SYDNEY
AND MELBOU1kNE
JOINT STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. E. G. WHITLAM, M. P.,
THE PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES, SIR ROBERT ASKIN AND THE PREMIER OF
VICTORIA, MR. R. HAMER
The Australian Government and the State Governments of
New South Wales and Victoria have agreed upon a program to improve
the standards of living and opportunities available to residents,
in the Western Sectors of Sydney and Melbourne.
This was announced in Canberra today in a joint statement
by the Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, and the Premiers of New South
Wales and Victoria, Sir Robert Askin and Mr. R. Hamer.
They said that the scheme which will begin a five-year
" Metropolitan Area ' Improvement Program" will be aimed at bringing
the western sectors of each city up to a standard of services
comparable with that of the metropolitan area generally. Similar
programs may be considered in other sectors of these and other
Australian cities as part of a national program of urban area
improvement. Australian Government finance for the scheme will be
provided by an allocation in the Budget of the Department of
Urban and Regional Development which will be announced tomorrow
( 21 August). The Australian Government will co-operate with
State and local governments, together with local interest groups
in carrying out the program.
Vario us projects will be undertaken to improve physical'
and social resources and to increase the administrative and planning
skills available.., o both sectors.
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Mr. Whitlam said that it was generally recognised
that the Western sectors of Sydney and Melbourne had faced
rapid population growth in environmentally deprived areas:
" It is the policy of the Australian Government to try to
eliminate the inequalities existing in the cities and rural
regions throughout the nation; we also want to be involved
as the National Government in making our cities and towns more
stimulating and pleasant places in which to live", he said.
" We have chosen the Western sectors of Sydney and
Melbourne as the first in a series of urban projects because
it is in these areas that the problems of inequality and
deprivation are more obviously observed. Experience gained
will be useful in solving problems in other areas resulting
from similar processes of rapid urbanisation."
There are a number of reasons why the Western sectors
stand out as needing Government assistance, the Prime Minister
and the Premiers said.
These areas have a rapid growth rate, and a high
proportion of children and lower income families. They also have
a large percentage of migrants. These are the groups which place
a heavy demand on public facilities, such as education, social
welfare and public transport.
Both sectors have suffered because, while housing has
usually been available, there has not been a corresponding
development of community facilities and social opportunities.
Councils in the areas have found they do not have adequate
finance to provide these facilities in step with demand, without
help from State and Federal Governments.
The main deficiencies appear to be in health, education,
transport, employmqnt and community welfare services.
Submissions received by the Department of Urban and
Regio nal Development from councils in both western sectors
showed that the problems emphasised were similar. Councils
stressed the need for more and better physical facilities, improved
levels of community services, additional-skilled personnel and a
wider range of opportunities for residents in-the area. These
included specifically, more hospital beds, special medical and
health facilities, more schools and better teachers, and increased
job opportunities. The submissions have come from Councils in the western
spctors who have voluntarily joined together to identify problem
areas and implement appropriate solutions with the help of the
Australian and the State Governments.
The local government areas involved in these initial
Area Improvement Programs will include:
Melbourne: Werribee, Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Bulla
Keilor,' Essendon, Sunshine, Altona, Williamstown
and Footscray.
Sydney: Colb, Windsor, Penrith, Blue Mountains,
Elacktown, Fairfield, Holyroyd, Parramatta,
Auburn and Baulkham Hills.
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In Melbourne, eight of the Councils have formed a
group called the Western Region Commission, and it is
understood that consideration is currently being given to the
inclusion of the two remaining Councils0 Bacchus Marsh and Bulla.
In Sydney, two groups of five councils have grouped
together and prepared submissions on some of the principal
deficiencies of their area.
The Metropolitan Area Improvement Program has the
broad aim of building up physical facilities and community
resources to an appropriate standard over a five-year period.
The Department of Urban and Regional Development will assist
in co-ordinating Federal financial and technical support through
these programs. As part of the Metropolitan Area Improvement Program,
the Department of Urban and Regional Development also proposes
to set up a small expert Task Force to advise the Australian
Government and both States concerned on how Federal funds might
best be allocated. There are a number of different measures whereby the
Area Improvement Programs could be implemented. To improve
the physical resources of each sector there is a need to improve
transport services, to undertake environmental improvement projects
and to assist in the construction of capital works, such as
distributor roads, bridges, sewerage, drainage and flood
mitigation works, and community facilities associated with housing
and employment. There will be an analysis of the potenti.' use
of strategic areas of Australian Gove-i'-Yaent lando To deveiop the
social resources of the region there will be: studies of manpower
planning and employment promotion, the establishment of a regional
library and information '-irvice, research inco needs of
housebound women and cieatornstration p:: oject si-' h a'dventure playgrounds.
To increase * Li, administ.. . tive an;' plar1ing resources
available to the region, assistanw c-uli provided to
metropolitan and State planning , t noyities iA their sector
planning and satellite city deve'. opulent, as well as to groups
of local councils. The Prime Minister and the Premiers welcomed the
Metropolitan Area Improvement Program as a significant step
towards solving some of our major urban problems and involving
local people in planning for the improvement of their areas.
CANBERRA, A. C. T. 0: