Property Council welcomes Federal Government’s National Cities Performance Framework
The announcement by the Assistant Minister for Cities that the Federal Government will develop a National Cities Performance Framework and establish a Cities Reference Group are two solid developments in building rigorous cities policy.
“The penny is dropping and policy makers are understanding that our cities are the crucible for productivity, social interaction and prosperity and cities policy is vital to most government policy settings”, said Ken Morrison, Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia.
“Getting our cities right isn’t just about growing the economy – is about ensuring our cities contribute to our health, education and development.
“It’s about building cities that are liveable, affordable, equitable and prosperous. This is about shifting the focus of cities policy from being reactive to proactive, and from short-term to long-term.
“The Minister correctly recognises that ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it’. We should be measuring how our cities are performing in terms of everything from congestion to unemployment to air quality to crime and educational outcomes.
“Benchmarking and measuring progress is a useful means to better target cities policy.
“The framework will also allow governments to better target City Deals to the economic needs of the city. No two cities are the same and no two cities will have the same goals, but we need meaningful indicators to help policy makers, businesses as well as residents make informed decisions.
Mr Morrison said the establishment of a Cities Reference Group will assist the government to road-test policy settings with industry, academia, community groups and experts.
“The broader the buy-in and the stronger the stress-testing of policies, the more likely they will be effective and enduring.”
“We look forward to working with Minister Taylor and ensuring these developments are bedded-in for the long term.”
Media contact: Paul Ritchie | E [email protected]