Article: Melbourne's growing nightmare

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Melbourne's growing nightmare

Melbourne's growing nightmare

    * Karen Collier
    * From: Herald Sun
    * June 14, 2010 12:00AM

CLOGGED roads, crowded public transport and unaffordable housing are threatening Melbourne's liveability as its growth outstrips the rest of Australia, experts warn.

An audit to find the nation's most "functional" city found Melbourne has the best planning policies.

But we fell behind Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Brisbane and Darwin in the overall survey.

It measured management of population growth, traffic congestion, housing affordability and spending on projects.

Melbourne at least fared better than Sydney, which finished last in the KPMG audit commissioned by an alliance including the Property Council of Australia and the Australian Institute of Architects.

PCA chief Peter Verwer said Melbourne risked more traffic snarls and runaway house prices without a more co-ordinated planning approach.

The city's population is expected to hit eight million by 2056.

Mr Verwer said a woeful track record of forecasting population increases across Australia had put a huge strain on water and energy supplies, roads, housing and transport.

"Without strategies that are actually implemented, housing will become more expensive and traffic congestion even worse," he said.

The capitals were also not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the face of climate change, the report said. The "Built Environment Meets Parliament" alliance, which commissioned it, said it was a wake-up call to the Federal Government to get more involved with capital city planning.

Canberra should set a national urban policy with targets, streamline planning approval and get involved in land release, the group said. BEMP will hold a summit at Parliament House, Canberra on Wednesday.

Victoria's Deputy Premier, Rob Hulls, has previously said rapid population growth was not affecting the quality of life enjoyed by Victorians.

But Opposition Leader Ted Bailleu has warned that rampant population growth and poor planning is fuelling crime and urban sprawl.

- with AAP