Page 1648 - Week 06 - Thursday, 20 May 1993
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Nearly 300,000 people now call Canberra home. We must be sure that, as those numbers grow, Canberrans continue to enjoy the same social, economic and environmental advantages that we have today. Canberra is a special place quite unlike any other city. Its sense of structure, its landscape qualities, its easy access to employment, public transport and community facilities, conveniently located shops and first-rate schools, and the opportunities for recreation activities, both indoor and outdoor, give Canberra residents an enviable lifestyle. This lifestyle has been achieved by the consistent application of well thought out planning policies. These policies have been successful in accommodating change and providing for the growing city by planning well in advance, reviewing progress as the city grew, anticipating future needs, and adapting its structure to avoid problems before they were encountered.
The difficulties of peripheral growth, coupled with congestion in the central areas, that have hampered other cities were addressed by adopting the strategy of new towns. The need for efficient transport was met by the road hierarchy and the parkway system. Demographic, environmental and economic trends are changing the way we need to view the structure and style of this city. As the city matures, planning is focusing as much on change within existing urban areas as it does on outward growth. The major demographic changes are continued growth and more diversity within the population. Taking into account natural increases, as well as migration in or out, the population grows by more than 6,000 people per year. This growth will continue for the foreseeable future. At the same time, we have more older people, a reduction in the number of children per family, and more one- and two-person households. We also need to provide job opportunities for our citizens. There has been a shift in emphasis from the public to the private sector in providing the impetus for growth. There has also emerged a growing need to be more efficient and innovative in the use of resources.
These changes impose a new set of demands on the decision makers - demands for employment creation, the provision of sites for housing and commercial enterprise, the protection of existing natural environments, conservation of our heritage, and better consultation with the community. Meeting these challenges of the future is a task we can approach with some confidence. We have been successful to date as an actively involved community. We all share the credit for work well done. With careful planning, we can continue to provide the qualities that make Canberra so different from other cities. We have the opportunity to provide for growth while maintaining the city's special features. For example, this means nurturing Canberra's landscape image as the bush capital, maintaining access to community facilities, and protecting the city's clean air and water supply. We can maintain these important values and help Canberra become a model city for the twenty-first century.
With the support of the community and the right planning decisions, the future Canberra will be one which accommodates growth and demographic change and provides for a wide range of lifestyle and housing opportunities, but facilitates growth and diversification of the Territory's economy and expanded employment opportunities in all districts; promotes conservation of natural resources, energy efficient urban development and cost-effective provision of infrastructure and services; maintains and enhances residents' quality of life, safety, health and well-being; secures equitable access to employment, housing, community services
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