Opinion piece – CEO Eamon Waterford

There’s an old adage – if you fail to plan, plan to fail.

Last week, the NSW Government quietly moved to erase references to the Six Cities framework from planning legislation. Six Cities was the plan to update Sydney’s only long-term housing and infrastructure strategy A Metropolis of Three Cities.

This plan was what set the vision for Sydney as three harbour, river and parkland cities – it’s part of the reason why Parramatta has grown into the CBD it is today, and an airport will be opening in Bradfield next year.

The newer Six Cities concept was introduced by former Premier Dominic Perrottet to connect the cities of the Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle, Central Coast, Greater Sydney and Illawarra-Shoalhaven.

Sydney is growing fast, but without a clear plan and long-term vision, we are setting ourselves up for failure. This means we fail for families who want cheaper energy bills, lower transport costs, or a good school for their kids to be able to walk to, or businesses who are looking to grow but are unsure where to invest.  And failing to protect the very thing that defines us to many around the world – our natural environment. Finally, and possibly the most heartbreaking, failing future generations who will want to call Sydney home.

In our rush to tackle the housing crisis, we risk repeating past mistakes – rolling out new suburbs without the infrastructure to support families. No footpaths, no local schools, no transport, no parks, no nearby jobs. We don’t want The Truman Show: all facade, no foundation. Housing targets alone won’t deliver a great city.

So not only was the reference removed, but requirements to renew strategic plans every five years were also watered down. This sends a troubling signal – there is no longer appetite for a comprehensive plan for Sydney’s future.

I strongly support the NSW Government’s push for housing reform. But a housing plan is not enough. Where is the strategy to ensure that schools are being built at the same time as homes, not five years later? Where is the plan for transport investments to match housing growth so people can easily get to work or to school?

When people move into suburbs, how can we ensure there are good local jobs nearby? That the industries like bio-medical technology and advanced manufacturing that will drive Sydney’s future prosperity can take root and grow? Without an integrated approach, we risk a disconnected and unliveable city, that can’t realise it’s immense potential.

Indeed, we must also grapple with multiple, long-term challenges beyond the immediate affordability crisis like climate change. This means having a strategic plan that prioritises putting more people as far away from climate and hazard risks as possible, while also helping them to adapt – think tree canopy targets to cool our streets or planning for more places for people to swim.

Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t have to be a Six Cities vision either – in fact, I’ve got an even better idea. What if instead of having separate land use, economic, waste, environmental, transport, health, education and water infrastructure plans, we just had one plan to rule them all?

We got close in 2018 with the first Greater Sydney Commission plan that included both transport and land-use – but what if we aimed even higher?

This isn’t some far-flung, impossible task. It’s common practice amongst global cities. Take New York City’s OneNYC 2050 plan, a 25-year strategy to guide important decisions on where to housing, transport, health and education, parks and economic investment goes with a focus on fair and sustainable outcomes. New York is certainly a city that in many respects Sydney would love to emulate.

The plan sets a clear vision for the city, allowing all players in its future know what’s important and valued by government, and the direction we all should be heading in.

Having a comprehensive strategic plan for Sydney means the multitude of departments who deliver the infrastructure and services we rely on aren’t just operating in their own silos, but can all sing from the same song-sheet.

It means getting more of what we want – at the same time. I want more affordable homes for people to live in. I want a city that is resilient to floods and fires. I want Sydneysiders to have more ways to get around the city quickly and easily. I want a future-proofed economy that sustains our prosperity in a changing global environment. I want a fun city that fosters creativity and culture.

Wanting all these things, all at the same time, isn’t actually an unreasonable desire. A unified strategic plan for Sydney is the roadmap to get us there. It must be long-term, and above politics – because many of these things take patient work over multiple political cycles. The government that funds a new metro rail line rarely gets to cut the ribbon on it – so a plan must ensure investment in these areas continues and doesn’t lose out to short-term political manoeuvring.

We call on the NSW Government to be ambitious and restart strategic planning for Sydney as a matter of urgency.  Without a long-term strategy, we will solve one crisis by creating another.

Every great global city operates with a bold, long-term vision – typically 20 years or more – identifying clear priorities, guiding its growth and evolution. Failing to plan for the future we want, means we are flying blind.