A government development proposal for South East Queensland is a game changer for the region and an essential momentum-builder towards a national network of city deals that will be beneficial to the nation’s urban landscape, according to the Property Council of Australia.
The Morrison government has already committed to work with the Queensland government, as well as local councils in South East Queensland, to create the South East Queensland (SEQ) City Deal. City Deals are partnerships between the three levels of government and the community to work towards a shared vision for productive and liveable cities.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new deal would help attract more investments on top of the federal government’s billions of dollars of funding for congestion-busting roads and rail projects.
“In one of the most urbanised countries in the world, City Deals are the ‘real deal’ in driving productivity and investment for our growing cities and regions,” said Ken Morrison, chief executive of the Property Council. “The SEQ City Deal is a substantial piece of work that focuses the big economic drivers of the region.”
The Property Council head said it’s particularly important that the government’s City Deal framework expands to include the major capital cities where most people live and which are growing the fastest.
“Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with fast-growing cities which are magnets for talent, investment and jobs. The way we plan and invest for the future of our cities will have a huge impact on the Australian economy and our future opportunities,” he said.
To date, City Deals have been developed for Western Sydney, Townsville and Launceston, and others are under development for Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Geelong. The South East Queensland (SEQ) City will be the second City Deal for Queensland following the policy being first established in Townsville.
