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Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc. |
FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE CITIES
Around 1000 people packed the Sydney Town Hall this week for the City Talk on Sustainable Cities that I hosted with Robert Whitehead of the Sydney Morning Herald, including speakers Professor Peter Newman, NSW Sustainability Commissioner, and Malcolm Turnbull MP, member of the committee that produced the Federal Parliament's "Sustainable Cities" report.
The Report is a welcome sign of Commonwealth interest in our cities—where the majority of Australians live. However, the Federal Government is still to adopt this report, and it is concerning that the Sydney Morning Herald recently reported that the findings of 46 Senate inquiries have been ignored during the past nine years. We need to make sure this one is implemented.
The Sustainable Cities Report is pragmatic, bringing together a compelling case for modest, achievable and coordinated change. While many may argue that it does not go far enough, the fact that it is so sensible and pragmatic means that Governments can't refute the logic and have no excuse to take action on the recommendations.
At the recent meeting of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, we agreed to put sustainable cities at the top of our agenda—particularly transport infrastructure. We are setting up a secretariat in Canberra to promote the needs of our cities to the Federal Government.
In Parliament this week I also asked the Premier about progress on the Metropolitan Strategy, the blueprint for Sydney's sustainability over the next 30 years, particularly in relation to transport. The Premier replied that the strategy will be released before the end of the year, but provided no information on the essential commitment to new transport infrastructure.
The transport recommendations in the Sustainable Cities Report reinforce the critical role of an accessible and sustainable transport system to address Sydney's economic, social and environmental issues.
The Cross City Tunnel controversy has renewed public debate on transport, giving an opportunity to consider new approaches. The tunnel's aim of reducing the number of cars in the Central Business District is desirable, but must be complemented with a new light rail mass transit system.
The controversy has also highlighted the importance of co-ordination and public accountability. Transport planning should be the responsibility of one authority charged with co-ordinating all transport—including roads—as part of a planned and well-integrated transport network.
Any proposal for private sector involvement needs to fit into this network. There's no benefit in the commercial routes being cherry-picked to maximise financial returns if it promotes dysfunctional outcomes, exacerbates existing transport problems, and does not benefit the entire system.
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