For the five million Australians already living in the outer suburbs of our major cities, the simple act of being able to get to work, home or school on time is a far-off dream.
The lack of a planned and coordinated approach to federal infrastructure spending over the past decade has seen hundreds of new suburbs built without core fundamentals - including the train stations, arterial roads and community infrastructure – that they need to thrive.
In response, on 18 February the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA), made up of a group of 21 councils, will be heading to Canberra to launch the Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs campaign to encourage federal politicians to keep pace with the needs and opportunities of these communities through better funded and coordinated infrastructure projects.
As part of the campaign launch, Mayors and Councillors from NGAA councils will be meeting with key politicians, including Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten, Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development Anthony Albanese.
NGAA Chair and Mayor of the City of Playford in Adelaide’s north, Mayor Glenn Docherty, said that governments are failing residents of new suburbs by not providing the same basic infrastructure expected in other metropolitan areas.
“Since 2011, over 35% of Australia’s population growth has been accommodated by our outer suburbs – that’s one million new residents in just eight years,” Mayor Docherty said.
“Despite accommodating over one third of population growth, only 13% of federal infrastructure funding has been directed to our outer suburbs.
“Population projections show that a further 2.5 million new residents will be moving into our outer suburbs over the coming 15 years, bringing the total population to over 7.5 million.
“It’s time for the Federal Government to recognise the significant potential of the outer suburbs to be this nation’s future economic powerhouse and to catch up with the infrastructure needs of these communities before the opportunity is lost.
Priyam Shah, a resident in the Mernda/Aurora estate in North Melbourne, said: “I cannot remember the last time I got home from work in time to have dinner with my family. I sit in traffic for 90 minutes every morning and night. I leave before my daughter is awake in the morning and see her for a very short time before she is tucked into bed each night.
“There is no time for sporting activities or socialising after work. By the time I get home and unwind it is time for bed ready for my early rise the next morning. Traffic congestion is having a huge impact on my personal health and the quality of family life.”
Mayor Docherty says this is just tapping at the surface of the promise of the outer suburbs. “There is an unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit within these communities. Business growth rates here were double the national average between 2014-16 and contribute over 11% of GDP. It is critical the federal government finds a way to embrace and harness this spirit, not only for the benefit of the outer suburbs but for Australia as a whole.”
Without a serious significant shift in public policy, there will be a $70 billion backlog in funding for infrastructure within these fast-growing outer suburbs within 15 years, according to research commissioned by the NGAA.
“In the end, it comes down to common sense. Focus on creating jobs where the workforce exists, invest in facilities that build communities and ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to get all Australians to work, study or home on time.”
NOTES
Fund Congestion Busting Transport: The following projects are urgently required to help address immediate gaps in key infrastructure.
Adelaide’s North Freight and passenger vehicles face a daily traffic battle in Adelaide’s north as they travel between key industrial and employments hubs on a single carriageway arterial road.
- Upgrade 4km of Curtis Road in Munno Para to dual carriageway.
South East Melbourne More than 60% of residents travel outside South East Melbourne to work. Roads are largely congested and unsuitable, with no access to trains restricting job growth in Officer South and Pakenham West. Congestion hampers economic development in the Casey Cardinia region and keeps people in their cars for up to two hours a day.
- Build eight intersections on the Princes Highway between Pakenham and Beaconsfield (Federal announcement made, contingent on State Government funding)
- Extend Thompsons Road with a 30km high-capacity route linking employment, freight and residential areas
- Complete the Southern Dandenong Bypass and upgrade Glasscocks Road to connect people to jobs in the nearby National Employment and Innovation Cluster
- Extend the rail network from Cranbourne to Clyde.
Melbourne’s West
Key road and rail projects are vital to link residential and employment growth areas, including a fast rail link between Sunshine and Geelong, a region that is home to more than 500,000 people.
The Western Highway is a critical arterial road link and an important economic driver at a National, State and Metropolitan levels. By 2021, another 6 new estates will be built adjacent to the Highway with 55,100 new dwellings and an estimated population of 153,400.
- Upgrade the Western Highway to an Urban Freeway Standard from Melton to Deer Park including interchanges, additional lanes and replacing direct access points and bus stops
- Help fund the fast rail link between Sunshine and Geelong via Wyndham
- Add capacity and four new stations on the Regional Rail Link line to Wyndham Vale and further capacity on the Werribee Line.
Melbourne’s North Melbourne’s northern metropolitan boundaries are growing faster than transport infrastructure can cope. Dedicated urban congestion funding is needed for road upgrades and transport corridors. Jobs and activity centres underway will not deliver outcomes if residents can’t access them.
- Duplicate key arterial roads - Mickleham, Somerton and Sunbury Roads
- Bring forward the delivery of the E6 Freeway connecting the Hume Freeway to the M80 Ring Road. The current timeframe of 15 to 30 years is too long to wait.
- Fund a study into the Wollert Transport Corridor to improve public transport services for the booming
- population, activity and employment areas.
Perth’s North The 800-hectare Neerabup Industrial Area will create thousands of local jobs in the City of Wanneroo. It is accessed via the single carriageway of Flynn Drive.
Upgrading Flynn Drive is a critical connector to Northlink WA, Mitchell Freeway and the future intermodal terminal at Bullsbrook.
- Upgrade 2.4km of Flynn Drive to dual carriageway
Sydney’s West More investment will maximise outcomes from future population growth in Western Sydney and investment in the Western Sydney Airport and surrounding aerotropolis. Cater for more North South and East West movement - not all journeys are into the city.
- Commit to and construct the flood evacuation grade Castlereagh Connection in the corridor first identified in 1951
- Plan and fund future stages of Mulgoa-Castlereagh Road across the Penrith City Centre, between Glenmore Parkway and Andrews Road.
- Deliver Stage 1 of North South Rail by 2026 and fund the entire line from Macarthur to Tallawong
- Expand and modernise public transport in Greater Macarthur before the population reaches 150,000.
FAQ
- What is the National Growth Areas Alliance?
The National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA) is an alliance of councils who advocate for the millions of people who live on the outskirts of Australia's capital cities.
From Penrith in Sydney’s west through to Wanneroo in Perth’s north, the residents of our outer suburbs do not have the same access to infrastructure that other Australians enjoy. Residents living in these outer suburbs do not have access to critical infrastructure and essential services that transform developments into thriving communities.
With a projected 2.5 million people moving to the outer suburbs in the next fifteen years, urgent action is required to improve the quality of life for these communities now and in the future.
United by a shared vision of growing communities that are resilient, liveable and productive places, the NGAA advocates for better Federal Government outcomes for the outer suburbs and the five million people living there, including funding for critical infrastructure and essential services.
- What is Catch Up?
‘Catch Up with the outer suburbs’ is a campaign being launched by the NGAA on Monday 18 February 2019, in the lead up to the May 2019 federal election.
The campaign will highlight the extraordinary prospects for Australia’s growing outer suburbs to drive economic growth, while calling on the federal government to address longstanding issues around planning and funding for critical infrastructure and services which is preventing the full potential of these communities from being reached.
Major objectives of this campaign include building awareness around:
- The urgent need to invest in essential infrastructure for Australia’s outer suburbs
- The amazing potential of Australia’s growth suburbs.
- What is meant by the ‘outer suburbs’?
Places you may consider ‘country towns’ are these days operating as outer suburbs. They are located beyond where established transport routes can reach, for example:
- The new suburb of Wilton in the Shire of Wollondilly is located 84km from Sydney’s GPO
- New estates on the Pakenham in Cardinia Shire are 65km from Melbourne’s GPO
- The major growth area of Yanchep in Perth’s north is 55km from the city
- The town of Gawler in Adelaide’s north is 50km from the CBD
- Brassall, on the outskirts of Ipswich in south east Queensland, now functions as an outer suburb area of Brisbane, nearly 50km away from the city centre.
- How many people live in Australia’s outer suburbs?
One in five Australians live in the outer suburbs – that’s five million people.
Communities in outer suburbs are growing at double the national rate and have the highest birth rates in Australia. In other words, just 31 of Australia’s 537 councils (less than 6%) have accommodated 35% of recent population growth.
- Australia has enjoyed a 27 years economic growth without a recession, with our cities
the driving powerhouse behind this. What contribution do the outer suburbs make in economic terms?
Outer suburbs are pulling above their weight when it comes to share of jobs and are now a major driver of economic and employment growth in Australia, contributing over 11% of GDP despite only making up 5.7% of all municipalities. What’s more, industries are in transition in outer suburbs, with higher than national average growth in high technology jobs.
There is an unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit within these communities. Business growth rates here were double the national average between 2014-16. It is critical the federal government finds a way to embrace and harness this spirit, not only for the benefit of the outer suburbs but for Australia as a whole.
- Hasn’t there been big push on and investment in developments in the outer suburbs in
the past decade? Why is more funding needed for these areas?
The outer suburbs currently receive disproportional funding from government considering the suburbs’ population and job growths. While there has been good work in terms of property development, Australia’s outer suburbs received only 13% of federal infrastructure investment in the same period that they generated 35% of population growth and 25% of jobs growth (2011-2016). Furthermore, they have 20% less infrastructure provision than the metropolitan average.
While many people have realised their dreams of home ownership, Catch Up is campaigning to show that the other components that impact quality of life, such as solid transport networks, hospitals, schools and other facilities Australians, are lacking and to urge federal government to address this.
- Do you represent all Australian outer suburbs?
The NGAA currently represents 21 local government areas across NSW, VIC, WA and SA. We recognise that the challenges faced by our members are national issues and we advocate for change to Federal policies that will have a positive impact on all fast growing outer suburban areas.
- Is the NGAA politically aligned?
The NGAA is politically neutral and does not affiliate to any particular pollical party.
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