Ministry for the future elevates city productivity

“Ministry for the future” elevates city productivityThe new-look Coalition ministry and a new Minister for Cities look set to tackle the productivity, liveability and sustainability of Australia’s cities.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s new-look ministry puts in place a team with the skills, expertise and experience in key policy areas for the property industry. It resets the national agenda to focus on productivity and city policy, housing affordability and tax reform, dovetailing with the property industry’s key advocacy priorities.Turnbull has said cities have been “long-overlooked”, and that the new ministry will ensure that federal, state and local governments adopt a coordinated approach to city development and management. “Infrastructure should be assessed rationally and sensibly on its merits,” the Prime Minister said.Jamie Briggs’ appointment as Australia’s first ever federal Minister for Cities and the Built Environment has been widely applauded.Property Council chief executive Ken Morrison told the The Australian that the move “recognises that in the most urbanised country in the world Australia’s productivity challenges are going to be need to be met in our cities.”Morrison says Briggs is a “smart” appointment, given his record in securing the government’s $ billion infrastructure commitment in last year’s budget.The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, of which the Property Council is a founding member, says Briggs’ elevation recognises the federal government’s role in good urban policy.”The Prime Minister has resoundingly articulated the value of cities and their vital contribution to Australia’s productivity and prosperity,” says ASBEC’s President, Ken Maher.”The appointment of a Minister for Cities and Built Environment recognises the importance of integrating city policy planning and transport, and the significance of affordable housing,” Maher adds.Briggs says his focus will be firmly focused on the government’s agenda to “deliver lower taxes, more productive cities and a stronger economy”.The Property Council has also congratulated Scott Morrison – a former head of research for the organisation in the 1990s – on his appointment as Federal Treasurer.The new Treasurer has a “razor sharp policy brain” and understands the property industry and its importance to the economy “like no other”, Morrison says.Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer has been appointed as what the Prime Minister has called “the minister for revenue”, and is expected to play a vital role in overhauling the tax system.The Prime Minister has said tax policy is central to Australia’s economic future, a declaration warmly welcomed by the property industry.