Australia does have problems! What needs addressing?

While Australian cities perform relatively well in terms of quality of life and other social issues, they are confronted by significant challenges including population growth and demographic change, transport congestion, living affordability, infrastructure development, productivity growth, climate change and ecological sustainability … The level of car dependency in Australian cities has increased at a faster rate than population growth, creating traffic congestion problems as infrastructure and public transport have failed to keep pace with population growth. Congestion, the bane of urban dwellers, if not addressed will continue to grow as a serious negative not only for lifestyle but also for the negative economic impacts …



Image: Australia's major highways.


The design of urban environments can contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities by supporting active living, active and passive recreation opportunities, public transport and social connectivity. Evidence suggests that well‐designed public open space is restorative for the community, reducing the mental fatigue and stress of urban living …


State and territory governments lay down strategic planning frameworks, and local governments implement planning policies that ideally reflect local aspirations. However, while the eight state or territory governments and 155 local governments will significantly influence the future direction of Australia’s major cities, there is an inherent need for a coordinating and oversight role for the Australian Government, given its primary economic, social welfare and infrastructure roles. Fitting the policies—sometimes allied, sometimes conflicting—of state, territory and local government into a national framework can only be achieved by a national collaborative approach.


There was an emphasis on national efforts to provide a greater degree of efficiency in the delivery of services across the Commonwealth in diverse fields such as transport and communication, the production and transmission of energy and the delivery of human services. As part of this push, the Commonwealth made an effort to promote themes of ecologically sustainable development. However, the major emphasis was on the need for ongoing fiscal restraint and the need to use scarce capital dollars more efficiently.


Source: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sci/CityPlanning.pdf

>>>These are some issues in capital cities that need addressing in today's society. Parliament could be used as a statement/ architectural icon/ solution identifying the impact these problems are having on Australia's society. 


>>>As it says... a solution can only be achieved through a national collaborative approach.