Perth next in line for City Deal

Perth next in line for City DealPerth is vying to be top of the list for a new City Deal, as the federal government looks to support transport-oriented housing and jobs in a city primed for growth.Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation Angus Taylor met with the McGowan Government last week, presenting the federal government’s vision for funding tied to “better urban outcomes”.In an interview with The West Australian, Taylor said the Turnbull Government was “putting money on the table” on the proviso that it gains cooperation from state and local governments.City Deals bring together three tiers of government, the private sector and the community to deliver a coordinated investment plan for cities. The ink is dry on deals for Townsville and Launceston, and the federal government is working through the detail on a City Deal for Western Sydney.Funding for Perth’s City Deal could come from the $1 billion national housing infrastructure facility and the $10 billion rail infrastructure fund – both of which were announced in the May federal budget. Further funds could come from the $1.6 billion already allocated to WA rail and road projects.A City Deal would enable the state government to fund election promises, such as the METRONET transport plan and the proposed Ellenbrook rail line.”It’s about time,” says the Property Council’s executive director in WA, Lino Iacomella.”For too long WA has missed out on federal funding for infrastructure because we were not prepared. There’s an opportunity under the newly elected state government to do a positive deal for Perth.”These projects would create thousands of jobs as well as vibrant communities in the hubs that will surround the new transport nodes.”The 2016 census revealed a 12.4 per cent growth rate over the last five years, taking Perth’s population to nearly two million. In comparison, the national growth rate was 8.8 per cent.Despite projects to modernise freight and road networks in recent years, large-scale investment in public transport systems is needed to ease growing congestion.A national snapshot released by the Australian Automobile Association in June found that outer-suburban Perth residents spend more than 600 hours a year commuting to and from work in the CBD. Without action, seven of the nation’s 10 most congested roads will be in Perth by 2031, the report finds, with the economic cost rising to more than $16 billion a year.Iacomella says the are a few “important steps” that the state government must take quickly to achieve a City Deal agreement. These include fast-tracking the establishment of Infrastructure WA and modernising local government planning rules.”Property Council research has found that most local governments in Perth do not have up-to-date local planning strategies which stalls development and deters much-needed investment in our state,” Iacomella adds.