Community feedback is being sought on the Government’s new Smart Cities Plan for regional cities and metropolitan cities.

The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, today released the Smart Cities Plan to deliver jobs closer to homes, more affordable housing, better transport connections and healthy environments.

A renewed national focus on Australian cities, metropolitan and regional, will help build an innovative and prosperous nation. Smart cities will grow the innovation economy.

Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley encouraged Farrer residents to provide input on jobs closer to homes, more affordable housing, commutes to and from work and technology solutions to improve sustainability.

“Regional centres deserve the same attention as inner CBDs and outer suburbs and have different issues to those in bigger centres and capitals. These will be an area of focus of the Smart Cities Plan.
“While congestion and affordability are critical issues in capital and major cities, many regional centres need greater access to jobs, and provide enormous potential as liveable and vibrant communities. The Smart Cities Plan provides a strategy for the future of our regions, maximising their unique advantages and supporting their long term growth,” said Ms Ley.
The Smart Cities Plan prioritises smart investment, smart policy and smart technology to improve our cities. It includes:

• establishment of an infrastructure financing unit to work closely with the private sector on innovative financing solutions
• committing $50 million to accelerate planning and development works on major infrastructure projects to develop business cases and investment options
Assistant Minister for Cities Angus Taylor said more and more of the new jobs were at the skilled end of the service economy and those jobs tended to cluster in areas where there were ‘like’ organisations and skillsets.

“Regional cities, and suburban centres, which have been traditionally regarded as second tier cities, have a huge potential to break open the clustering in our capital cities and attract rapid jobs growth.”

He said City Deals would be at the heart of smart policy for regional cities.

City Deals will provide common goals across levels of government – local, state and federal. They will support industry and employment centres and infrastructure investment linked to broader reforms.

“The global lesson is that cities collaborate to compete, and success requires commitment from all tiers of government, the private sector and the local community. There’s a great incentive here for everyone to work together.”

Feedback on the #SmartCitiesPlan is welcome through the cities website www.dpmc.gov.au/cities