The first ever ‘Parliamentary Friends of Cities’ will be launched today, a multi-partisan group to advance long-term, place-based urban policy within the Australian Parliament.

Announced today, this landmark collaboration brings together:

• The Committee for Capital Cities (Committee for Sydney, Greater Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane) and the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM)
• Founding co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Cities: The Hon. Simon Kennedy MP (Member for Cook), The Hon. Kate Chaney MP (Member for Curtin) and Senator Richard Dowling (Senator for Tasmania).

Home to two-in-three people and jobs, and contributing approximately 70 per cent of Australia’s GDP, Australia’s cities do the heavy lifting on housing targets, serving as gateways for global talent, incubating innovation, concentrating capital, and fostering deep, highly skilled labour markets.

Despite this, urban policy remains fragmented and is often activated or legislated without thoughtful consideration of how it will land in place.

The proudly multi-partisan Parliamentary Friends of Cities has been launched to help solve this, bringing together the many political views in our parliament to support development of effective place-based policy for Australia’s cities.

Simon Kennedy MP, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Cities, Shadow Assistant Minister for AI, Shadow Assistant Minister for Digital Economy, Shadow Assistant Minister for Scrutiny of Government Waste, and Member for Cook:

“Our cities are where Australians live, work and raise their families – they are the heartbeat of our communities and the powerhouse of our economy.

“The Parliamentary Friends of Cities is about practical collaboration, not politics. It’s about making our cities more productive, more connected and better places to live and work.

“At the same time, we know our cities face real challenges — from housing affordability to congestion and overcrowding. This group will work together to explore smart, innovative solutions that improve people’s lives and strengthen our communities.

“By harnessing technology, cutting red tape and focusing on outcomes, we can build cities that drive national growth and secure Australia’s future.”

Kate Chaney MP, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Cities and Member for Curtin:

“As our cities grow, we need long-term planning to ensure our communities are set up to thrive. Building sustainable, liveable cities of the future requires working together across all tiers of government and listening to the needs of our communities.

“I am excited by the opportunity to bring together people and visions for prosperous and thriving cities or all sizes.”

Senator Richard Dowling, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Cities and Senator for Tasmania:

“Hobart has culture, lifestyle and scenery. Now let’s unlock its next stage to make it more liveable, more connected, with more opportunity.

“Cities drive jobs and innovation. The Parliamentary Friends of Cities group will knit policy across the map, backing local strengths with national coordination.

“I’ve lived and worked in some of the world’s great and historic cities and that experience fuels my passion to make Australian cities as vibrant, fair and future-ready as they can be.”

Eamon Waterford, CEO of the Committee for Sydney, and Chair of the Committee for Capital Cities:

“Until now, place-based policy has been far too siloed. If we want to achieve an Australia that is economically prosperous, innovative and globally competitive our cities have to do a better job of working together.

“The Parliamentary Friends of Cities is an opportunity for our MPs to work together in a productive and collaborative way – no matter their political affiliation – to help future-proof our country.”

Clover Moore AO, Lord Mayor, City of Sydney, and Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors:

“Cities are the beating heart of our nation. They generate the majority of Australia’s economic output, host most of our jobs and are the heart of our education, culture and innovation.

“Strong, sustainable cities are essential not just for the two thirds of us who live and work in them, but for every Australian who depends on the ideas, goods and opportunities they produce.”

“To continue thriving, our cities need genuine partnership with the federal government. It’s wonderful to see federal champions recognise that investing in great cities is investing in Australia’s future, and working to ensure we are supported with the funding, programs and infrastructure we need to thrive.”

Notes for editors:

Founding signatories of the Parliamentary Friends of Cities are:  

• Allegra Spender MP, Federal Member for Wentworth, Independent (NSW)
• The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Federal Member for Mitchell, Liberal Party of Australia (NSW)
• Sharon Claydon MP, Deputy Speaker, Federal Member for Newcastle, Australian Labor Party (NSW)
• Zhi Soon MP, Federal Member for Banks, Australian Labor Party (NSW)
• Dan Repacholi MP, Federal Member for Hunter, Australian Labor Party (NSW)
• Senator Deborah O’Neill, Senator for NSW, Australian Labor Party (NSW)
• Nicolette Boele MP, Federal Member for Bradfield, Independent (NSW)
• Simon Kennedy MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Shadow Assistant Minister for the Digital Economy and Shadow Assistant Minister for Scrutiny of Government Waste, Federal Member for Cook, Liberal Party of Australia (NSW)
• Dr Sophie Scamps MP, Federal Member for Mackellar, Independent (NSW)
• Senator Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation; Minister for Science, Senator for NSW, Australian Labor Party (NSW)
• Zali Steggall OAM MP, Federal Member for Warringah, Independent (NSW)
• Melissa McIntosh MP, Federal Member for Lindsay, Liberal Party of Australia (NSW)
• Cameron Caldwell MP, Federal Member for Fadden, Liberal National Party of Queensland (QLD)
• Senator Corinne Mulholland, Senator for Queensland, Australian Labor Party (QLD)
• Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP, Federal Member for Ryan, Australian Greens (QLD)
• Henry Pike MP, Federal Member for Bowman, Liberal National Party of Queensland (QLD)
• Leon Rebello MP, Federal Member for McPherson, Liberal National Party of Queensland (QLD)
• Matt Smith MP, Federal Member for Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party (QLD)
• Ted O’Brien MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Liberal National Party of Queensland (QLD)
• Jess Teesdale MP, Federal Member for Bass, Australian Labor Party (TAS)
• Senator Josh Dolega, Senator for Tasmania, Australian Labor Party (TAS)
• Senator Richard Dowling, Senator for Tasmania, Australian Labor Party (TAS)
• Aaron Violi MP, Federal Member for Casey, Liberal Party of Australia (VIC)
• Joanne Ryan MP, Federal Member for Lalor, Australian Labor Party (VIC)
• Lisa Chesters MP, Federal Member for Bendigo, Australian Labor Party (VIC)
• Matt Gregg MP, Federal Member for Deakin, Australian Labor Party (VIC)
• Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Senator for Victoria, Australian Labor Party (VIC)
• Dr Monique Ryan MP, Federal Member for Kooyong, Independent (VIC)
• Sarah Witty MP, Federal Member for Melbourne, Australian Labor Party (VIC)
• Senator Dorinda Cox, Senator for WA, Australian Labor Party (WA)
• Senator Ellie Whiteaker, Senator for Western Australia, Australian Labor Party (WA)
• Kate Chaney MP, Federal Member for Curtin, Independent (WA)
• Tom French MP, Federal Member for Moore, Australian Labor Party (WA)

Members of the Committee for Capital Cities are:

• Eamon Waterford – CEO of the Committee for Sydney & Chair of the Committee for Capital Cities
• Sam Dighton – Chief Executive, Committee for Adelaide
• Jen Williams – CEO, Committee for Brisbane
• Cam Crawford – CEO, Committee for Greater Hobart
• Scott Veenker – CEO, Committee for Melbourne
• Paula Rogers – CEO, Committee for Perth

About the Parliamentary Friends of Cities:

Australia’s capital cities are the critical engines that drive forward our nation’s economy. Home to two-in-three people and jobs, and contributing approximately 70 per cent of Australia’s GDP, our cities will do the heavy lifting on delivering housing targets, serving as gateways for global talent, incubating innovation, concentrating capital, and fostering deep, highly skilled labour markets.

The future of Australia’s cities impacts the whole country. Thriving, economically productive cities do not come at the expense of Australia’s regions, rather they elevate our country’s global connectedness and are home to world-leading technologies and inventions.

Despite this, urban policy remains fragmented and is often activated or legislated without thoughtful consideration of how it will land in place. The Parliamentary Friends of Cities has been launched to help solve this.

‘Place-based policy’ isn’t new but is finally gaining traction. Whether it’s industry, skills, or infrastructure, policies only succeed if they work on the ground – where industries cluster, ideas scale, and the biggest challenges and opportunities converge. National policy must reflect this complexity.

Australia is on the cusp of a major shift in how it builds economic strength – from resource extraction to strategic capability, from boom-bust cycles to long-term resilience. Cities will be central to this shift.

Australia’s cities and states must be respectfully competitive, but better outcomes will arise when all levels of government align on national priorities and regional strengths. This requires coordination and collaboration at a federal level and is why this group is critical to the success of Australia’s economy.

The Parliamentary Friends of Cities Group is dedicated to aligning policy efforts across parliament that impact cities and the diverse set of Australians who live in them. Through constructive dialogue, policy alignment, and increased public awareness, the group will ensure that a place-based lens is applied to policy where it is pragmatic to do so.

This initiative is proudly multi-partisan, uniting different political views to enrich place-based policy discussions with diverse perspectives. We are grateful for the support of numerous Members of Parliament and Senators who have signed up for this important cause.

About the Committee for Capital Cities:

The Committee for Capital Cities is a network of the key civic advocacy groups across Australia’s Capital Cities. As advocates for Australia’s capital cities, we work together to comprehensively advocate for local, state and federal policy settings that enable our cities to thrive and prosper.

About the Council of Capital Cities Lord Mayors:

The Council of Capital City Lord Mayors is a peak body advocating for the interests of Australia’s eight capital cities. Priorities include addressing climate change, tacking the housing and homelessness challenges in our cities, economic development and infrastructure delivery.