Graham Sansom and Jeremy Dawkins

UTS Centre for Local Government

22.5m population;Growth 1.5-2%pa;60% in 6 major metro regions; GDP US$60,000 per capita

StateMetropolitan

region

Population

of state

2010

Population of

Metropolitan

region

2008/09

Population of

‘central city’ local

government

2008/09

New South

WalesSydney 7,238,819 5,316,379

City of Sydney:

177,000

Tasmania Hobart 507,626 205,566City of Hobart:

49,887

QueenslandSouth East

Queensland4,516,361 2,706,302

Brisbane City:

1,052,458

Western

AustraliaPerth 2,296,411 1,519,510

City of Perth:

17,093

Victoria Melbourne 5,547,527 4,014,361City of Melbourne:

89,759

South

AustraliaAdelaide 1,644,642 1,275,041

City of Adelaide:

19,444

Metropolitan Region

(Statistical Divisions

included)

Population

1996

Population

2006

Absolute

Growth

1996 - 2006

Percentage

Growth

1996 - 2006

Sydney

(Sydney SD, Hunter SD,

Illawarra SD)

4,808,237 5,316,379 508,142 10.57%

Melbourne

(Melbourne SD, Barwon

SD)

3,522,797 4,014,361 491,564 13.95%

South East Queensland

(Brisbane SD, Gold Coast

SD, Sunshine Coast SD,

West Moreton SD)

2,138,215 2,706,302 568,087 26.57%

Perth

(Perth SD)1,295,092 1,519,510 224,418 17.33%

Adelaide

(Adelaide SD, Outer

Adelaide SD)

1,182,768 1,275,041 92,273 7.80%

Hobart

(Greater Hobart SD)195,718 205,566 9,846 5.03%

Selected regions Both typical and distinctive

Dominant population centres in their states (SEQ somewhat less so)

Mostly developed in last 30-50 years: car-based ‘sprawl’ but recent focus on increased densities and inner suburban renewal with apartment living

Perth: longstanding metropolitan planning arrangements

SEQ: stable but evolving arrangements over past 20 years; dominant central local government and now very large suburban local governments too

The ‘Australian model’ Dominant federal government now re-engaging with major cities

(Infrastructure Australia, Major Cities Unit, strategic planning guidelines, national urban policy)

Well-developed (but not legislated) IGR with peak Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and >20 ministerial councils (Mincos)

LG is not in federal constitution and is a ‘creature of the States’, but has strong links with federal government – and is a member of COAG/Mincos

Larger local governments are (or could be) financially autonomous, but still limited functions

States are legally all-powerful in metro management but depend on federal funding and LG support

‘Model’ is state metro (and hinterland) management, typically without specialist metro agency, plus single-tier LG with varying degrees of ‘fragmentation’ and mostly small (but influential) central cities

No special roles or (for the most part) legislation for metro LG or central cities

Metropolitan region

(State)

Current Metropolitan Plan

(date of release)Prepared by

Sydney

(New South Wales)

City of Cities - A Plan for

Sydney’s Future (2005, revised

2010 )

Department of Planning,

NSW Government.

Melbourne

(Victoria)

Melbourne 2030: Planning for

sustainable growth (2002)

Department of

Infrastructure, Victoria

South East

Queensland

South East Queensland

Regional Plan 2009 – 2031

(2009)

Department of Infrastructure

and Planning, Queensland

Perth

(Western Australia)Directions 2031 (2010) Department of Planning, WA

Adelaide

(South Australia)

Planning Strategy for

Metropolitan Adelaide (2007)

Department of Planning and

Local Government, SA.

Hobart

(Tasmania)

Hobart 2025: A Strategic

Framework (2007)Hobart City Council

Current metro strategies: will they meet the COAG guidelines?

Perth metro region 75% of WA population (next largest centre only 60,000) 30 local governments: small in centre, large on fringe First Town Planning Act in Australia (1928) ‘Stephenson-Hepburn’ metro plan 1955 Metropolitan Region Planning Authority 1960 (later became

WA Planning Commission): state body (department heads) with LG representatives

Statutory regional planning scheme Metropolitan Improvement Fund (special rates levy) Infrastructure Coordination Committee Other committees with external advisers State dominance and leadership (eg Perth waterfront)

South East Queensland 11 local governments (effectively 7): relatively strong, well

resourced: all popularly elected mayors Brisbane City established 1926 – merger of 20 councils: directly

elected lord mayor plus 26 full-time councillors from single member wards (unique)

Council of Mayors: developing role SEQ Regional Planning Committee: political as much as

technical (evolved from non-statutory, collaborative approach) Statutory regional plan ‘made’ by minister Department of Infrastructure and Planning (Growth

Management Queensland; Coordinator General; 20 year Infrastructure Plan)

Urban Lands Development Authority; Translink Transit Authority

South East Queensland 2009

Queensland Government Revenues 2010-11

Comparative taxation effort of Australian states and territories

Population Taxes

Per

capita

User

Fees

Per

capita

Other

Own

Source

Revenue

Per

capita

Total

Own

Source

Revenue

$ m

Total

Own

Source

Revenue

Per

capita

Grants/

Subsidies

$ m

Grants/

Subsidies

Per capita

Total

Revenue

$ m

Total

Revenue

Per

capita

Brisbane 1,052,458 $563 $626 $377 $1,648 $1,566 $186 $177 $1,835 $1,743

Gold Coast 515,157 $618 $712 $161 $768 $1,491 $71 $139 $839 $1,629

Sunshine

Coast 323,423 $515 $711 $69 $419 $1,295 $99 $307 $518 $1,602

Ipswich 162,383 $471 $694 $137 $211 $1,302 $42 $258 $253 $1,560

Moreton Bay 371,162 $382 $542 $73 $370 $998 $176 $475 $547 $1,473

Redland 140,691 $454 $673 $54 $166 $1,181 $30 $212 $196 $1,393

Logan 277,568 $387 $502 $28 $254 $917 $51 $185 $306 $1,102

Revenues of SEQ Local Governments 2008-09

Population Transport

(inc

roads,

buses,

ferries)

$m

Public

safety

and order

$m

Environ-

ment

(inc

waste,

street

lighting)

$m

Education

and social

services

$m

Parks

and

recre-

ation

$m

Urban

Planning

(inc

building

control,

business

develop-

ment)

$m

Other

$m

Total

$m

Total

per

capita

$

Brisbane 1,052,458 435 10 141 2 82 79 918 1,666 1,583

Gold Coast 515,157 124 26 90 5 115 47 312 721 1,399

Ipswich 162,383 35 5 15 5 44 15 69 188 1,157

Logan 277,568 52 9 30 2 32 15 82 220 794

Moreton Bay 371,162 48 6 34 15 76 39 95 313 843

Redland 140,691 31 3 30 8 32 15 42 162 1,151

Sunshine

Coast 323,423 94 16 52 5 68 37 105 377 1,166

Total 2,842,842 819 75 392 41 450 246 1,624 3,647 1,283

Expenditure of SEQ Local Governments 2008-09

2008-09

Taxes

User

fees

Oth

er

ow

n

sourc

e r

evenue

Tota

l ow

n

sourc

e r

evenue

Inte

rgovern

menta

l

transfe

rs

Tota

l revenue

state revenue

$ m$5,706 $1,410 $3,818 $10,934 $8,500 $19,434

state revenue per capita

$$2,542 $628 $1,701 $4,870 $3,786 $8,656

pro rata state govt revenue

in Perth $ m$4,216 $1,042 $2,821 $8,080 $6,281 $14,361

LG revenue, Perth region

$ m$799 $325 $81 $1,205 $261 $1,466

LG revenue, Perth region

per capita $$482 $196 $49 $726 $158 $884

State and Local Government Revenues for Perth

2008-09

Tota

l

Tra

nsp

ort

Pro

tect

ion

Envi

ron

men

t

Edu

cati

on

Soci

al S

ervi

ces

Pa

rks

an

d R

ec

Deb

t C

ha

rges

Oth

er

$m $/pop $/pop $/pop

$/po

p $/pop

$/po

p $/pop $/pop

08/09 total state govt

expenditure $m19,118

Rate of state govt

expenditure $/pop711 974 292 2,175 3,436 276 651

Pro rata state govt

expenditure in Perth $m314,127

LG expenditure in the

Perth region1,562 232 31 71 2 64 222 6 313

Total LG for WA5 2,494 368 38 17 3 252 268 8

State and Local Government Expenditures for Perth

Lessons and challenges Growing concerns re lifestyle and environment in metro regions:

pressure on major services and infrastructure due to growth Agenda is therefore growth plus improvement (impossible?) ‘Australian model’ offers a workable platform if States and LG can

improve their capacity and structures – useful lessons from Perth and SEQ

At present States lack adequate resources – calls for federal ‘intervention’ but Canberra ambivalent (competition from regional development)

Current COAG review and national urban policy may point ways forward

Scope for LG amalgamations in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart –but does it matter? Yes, in terms of ‘strategic capacity’ and complementary ‘place shaping’ role at least