Peri Urban Councils to help shape national urban policy

Peri Urban Councils Victoria (PUCV) has been invited to join a new Federal Government roundtable tasked with shaping Australia’s new National Urban Policy.
 

PUCV Chair Cr Michael Leaney said Victoria’s peri urban councils had accepted the invitation on behalf of peri uban communities across the country, which was extended by Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government the Hon Catherine King MP to join the Urban Policy Network.
 

The Urban Policy Network is a new initiative to provide advice to the Federal Government on urban policy issues including the development of a National Urban Policy.
 

“We are pleased to see that the unique growth pressures faced by the peri urban regions in Australia will have a voice in this important national forum.

"We will be advocating strongly that peri urban issues need to be front and centre when the Government puts together  its new National Urban Policy” Cr Leaney said.  
 

PUCV will be advocating for key regional issues including:

• The inclusion of peri urban regions in policy and funding mechanisms;
• Managing urban growth while protecting agricultural lands; and
• Safeguarding the unique character and amenity of peri urban towns.

“Nationally, peri urban regions are experiencing some of the most rapid growth in the country, however our policy,  planning and funding systems have not kept pace with what is happening in the fast growing peri urban towns and localities that surround our major capital cities” Cr Leaney explained.

The PUCV member regions are expected to grow by almost 50% or more than 100,000 people by 2036. 

PUCV has been collaborating with other peri urban councils interstate to share the experiences of population growth and to develop a united Australia-wide approach to advocate for government infrastructure investment to ease the squeeze.

“Proactive and timely investment in the peri urban regions is essential to manage urban sprawl and to maintain the lifestyle and character of these growing communities that we so highly value.” Cr Leaney concluded.