Six keys to unlock six city strategy success
Smart, interconnected and innovative cities with a 15-minute commute. Globally competitive hubs on the world-stage.
They are phrases we have all heard before.
Last week the Greater Sydney Commission became the Greater Cities Commission, a big leap forward to deliver on this mission.
A new 6-city strategy is officially underway to bring the Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra alongside the Eastern Harbour, Central Rivers and Western Parklands of Greater Sydney.
In other words, the north-south corridor is combining with the east-west in a new governance model.
This new mega-region project is being led by the inaugural Minister for Cities Rob Stokes, a person of intellect and vision.
Here are six things he must do.
Firstly, the new blueprint must capitalise on and not cannibalise existing plans.
For regions like the Hunter, Illawarra and Western Sydney, strategic regional plans are a competitive advantage; they are in the DNA. The new greater cities model must integrate with and support local agencies where appropriate.
There is no point reinventing the wheel whilst recognising better calibration and alignment with the rest of chassis is usually possible.
Secondly, government must recognise regional subtleties and strengths.
The new ‘mega-region’ will contain more than five airports, nine universities and ten million residents by 20 – yet none are the same.
Locally appointed district commissioners must come from their regions and speak frankly and fearlessly at the decision-making table.
This new operating model will be effective only if stakeholders share strategic and tactical intel in a way never seen before.
Thirdly, effective delivery must back genuine consultation.
A six-city discussion paper is due for release in coming months with a broader plan to be handed down at the end of 2023.
But red-tape reduction and removal of bottlenecks must remain daily bread for anyone serious about thriving cities. Long-term aspiration should not preclude short-term perspiration.
Fourthly, binding targets are required to provide accountability.
As they say in the classics, you can only manage what you measure.
Housing affordability has become a regional crisis with strains on housing stock and rental vacancy rates almost at zero, the need for greater housing supply has hit fever pitch.
With only one metropolitan council on-track to meet their housing supply targets we are in the midst of a crisis.
The new Greater Cities Commission presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to work with local councils to set housing targets that keep them accountable.
Fifth, government must put its money where its mouth is.
Bold plans require bold investment into enabling infrastructure, resourcing and technical expertise. A 15-minute city does not come for free.
Both the Hunter and Illawarra regions need more than $0 million in infrastructure, whilst the new Western Parklands City will require between $60 to $120 billion over fifteen years.
Finally, the new 6-city plan must leverage the strengths of industry.
No master plan has been successfully achieved by government alone. The property industry – responsible for one in four wage earners in New South Wales – already has a huge footprint across this mega-region and intuitively understands the benefits and synergies on offer.
To capitalise on the potential economies of scale and scope provided by the six-city strategy, industry must be empowered to build and deliver.
This requires ongoing engagement to ensure industry is provided certainty around planning and approval processes.
If these six principles are followed there is no doubt the six-city strategy can achieve greatness in showcasing this special region to the world.
As we recover from COVID, the world’s brightest and quality capital are looking for a long-term place to call home. International borders have reopened and the opportunity to secure our economic future is in front of us.
The pursuit of this new mega region is one of the boldest reforms in recent urban planning history.
If done right, the pursuit of this mega region can place our part of the world on the global stage amongst the company of places like the San Francisco Bay Area, the Texas Triangle and the Randstad in Holland.
Luke Achterstraat – NSW Executive Director, Property Council of Australia