URBAN PLANNING
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The policy
The Smart Cities Plan incorporates and connects with several policies including Digital Transformation and City Deals . Both are important to our sector and will directly impact many of our members .
So , let ’ s start with City Deals . To get a better understanding of how local government could play a role in defining , accessing and deploying City Deals , last November , we held a City Deals Showcase at Old Parliament House in Canberra , to talk about the policy , how local government can collaborate with other levels of government to maximise outcomes for communities , and to find out more about the current deals under negotiation including how the process is likely to play out in future . Representatives of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Members , LG Professionals Australia Board members , other senior local government professionals , respected academics – including Professors Gerry Stoker , Mark Evans and Graham Sansom , who have studied the impacts of City Deals in the UK , which is what our own City Deals are based on – all came together and discussed frameworks that can make City Deals successful .
Many aspects of the policy , such as deal negotiation , the social aspects and impacts , the decisionmaking nexus within Australia ’ s federated system of government , how to engage the community , and how to translate the policy vision into procedures and processes that live up to that potential were covered .
This was a great opportunity this was to come together and make the most of the expertise within our sector so that local government can participate in the rollout of City Deals effectively .
Digital Transformation Agency is overseeing another essential Smart Cities policy vehicle , the Digital Marketplace , which was tested by Victoria ’ s City of Casey within days of its launch ( still in Beta ). Local government buyers will be able to access digital expertise quickly and easily , whereas this may previously have been harder without the established networks of a bigger organisation .
What ’ s next ?
This year , new process guidelines will be released to enable City Deal applications , and a new Cities Reference Group will be formed to answer questions on City Deals and the Smart Cities Plan , which should be a useful resource for local government . We also look forward to watching how the City Deals progress in Launceston , Townsville and Western Sydney . According to ? Assistant Minister for Cities , Angus Taylor , a wide variety of cutting-edge projects will be supported under the program , such as collaborative design of solutions to complex urban problems , pilots of emerging technologies , the implementation of technologies at scale , and business case development . An example of this is already underway in Townsville : the Clean Energy Finance Corporation ( CEFC ) is investing $ 20 million in the Ross River Solar Farm to boost energy productivity and establish Townsville as a leader in renewable energy . The deal between the CEFC , Townsville City Council and Queensland Government aims to increase energy resilience and provide capacity for Townsville ’ s future growth , as a lack of local energy supply was choking industry development .
Under the Smart Cities umbrella at National Congress
The LG Professionals Australia National Congress will feature several presenters who will speak on aspects of both the Smart Cities Plan and City Deals , including representatives of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ; following on from last November ’ s Canberra Showcase .
State of the Sector Launch
Regional areas with a thriving city centre are growing steadily , however without a strong heart , regional areas struggle to make headway , as we are seeing in the numbers in our State of the Sector Report we are releasing in partnership with . id , the population experts , during Congress . The report will provide an excellent benchmark of where cities and LGAs across the country are placed , and over time provide tangible comparisons .
GOVLINK » ISSUE 1 2017