Melissa Sweet writes:
The development of a National Urban Policy brings potentially significant opportunities for promoting health and wellbeing, and for addressing health inequities.
Many Croakey readers may be interested in providing feedback on a related consultation paper (submissions due 3 July), especially as there are some gaps to address.
The policy aims to support United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, sustainable cities and communities, and links with other SDGs, including Goal 3, good health and wellbeing, Goal 9, industry, innovation and infrastructure, and Goal 13, climate action.
“Implementation of the policy is intended to address urgent challenges facing our cities, such as housing, productivity, social cohesion, disaster resilience and climate action,” says the consultation document.
“As population growth places more pressure on our cities, effective urban planning and the provision of high-quality housing will be critical to promoting liveability, productivity and good community health.
“Urban infrastructure, suburbs, and precincts that are designed sustainably and are resilient to climate impacts will also be increasingly important as our cities experience more frequent climate events and population growth.”
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts leads Australia’s work towards SDG Goal 11, and the Department’s new Cities and Suburbs Unit has developed the consultation paper.
The Federal Government has consulted on the draft policy with state, territory and local governments. Murawin, a First Nations owned consultancy, led engagement with more than 100 First Nations stakeholders to inform the draft policy.
Through these consultations, First Nations people identified culture, housing and climate change as key topics for the policy.
The goals, objectives and principles informing the policy development are below:
Health focus
Health-related issues identified in the consultation paper include the importance of First Nations peoples’ knowledges, connection to Country and its care, which “should inspire all of us to work towards a more sustainable future”.
The paper notes that many First Nations people live in urban areas, and acknowledges the cultural significance of ancestral lands that now lie in city and suburban areas. “The interests and aspirations of First Nations people are integral to shaping the future of our cities,” it says.
Other health-related topics include addressing climate impacts such as heat and flooding, safety, active living, social connections, socially inclusive environments, housing that is affordable and of high quality, digital connectivity and infrastructure, and water and air quality.
The paper says achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is a priority for cities, requiring emissions reduction in transport and buildings, and says that “cities can lead the climate solution by promoting sustainable transport”.
A shift to active transport, such as cycling and walking, and public transport and electric vehicles can significantly lower emissions and improve air quality, the paper says.
It recommends governments work together to support strategic development, transport and land use planning systems that encourage walking and cycling, and support the development of safe and well-designed community infrastructure.
Social infrastructure such as community centres, gardens, parks and public spaces should foster social cohesion, inclusion and identity within urban communities, with access to grocer and food markets integrated as an essential service.
The paper warns against the development of ‘food deserts’, particularly in outer suburbs, saying these are of particular concern for “people living in suburbs with poor transport options who would need to travel greater distances to access healthy food options”.
Circular economies
The consultation paper puts a big focus on the importance of transitioning to circular economies, saying this is essential for urban sustainability and climate resilience.
It recommends that federal, state, territory and local governments collaborate to support the strategic coordination of the circular economy to guide Australia’s regulatory, policy, research and industry landscapes and to better integrate and incentivise circular economy principles in urban planning.
“Like many developed nations, Australia has largely adopted linear models of production since industrialisation, meaning materials have been sourced, made, used and then discarded. This model places significant strain on our finite resources and is unsustainable, as demand for resources exceeds what the environment can provide,” the paper says.
“Embracing principles of waste reduction, recycling, and material reuse can minimise resource consumption and waste generation. By transitioning towards circular models of production and consumption, including in building design, cities can promote resource efficiency, environmental conservation, and reduce emissions.”
The document says cities must address climate challenges, such as flooding, through improved planning, infrastructure standards, and urban design, and recommends development of a national standard for considering disaster and climate risk in land use planning.
As well, a national approach is needed for developing urban areas that addresses current and projected climate risks. The paper warns that continued outward growth from cities contributes to sustainability concerns, loss of agricultural land, increased greenhouse gas emissions, urban heat island effect, high material footprint and greater infrastructure investment needs.
Green and blue spaces
The consultation paper also highlights wide ranging benefits of ensuring equitable access to green spaces, such as parks, bushland and canopies, and to blue spaces, such as lakes, oceans, wetlands and rivers. Amongst other things, they support biodiversity and help to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
Noting the “history of exclusion, trauma and lack of cultural safety” experienced by many First Nations people, the consultation paper stresses the importance of equity, and says that everyone should have “fair access to resources, opportunities and amenities, no matter where they live or their socio-economic status”.
“To create equitable urban areas where everyone feels safe and secure, access to housing, infrastructure, education and jobs is essential,” says the paper.
Gaps
While the document raises many important health issues, it does not once mention primary healthcare, let alone its importance for resilient, sustainable communities. By contrast, hospitals are mentioned as important infrastructure and services a number of times.
This is a notable oversight, and speaks to an important gap in understanding about health policy generally.
It is also notable that the paper does not mention the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach, although in many ways it is demonstrating health in all policies thinking.
Instead, it seeks to “better integrate an urban lens across policy-making to ensure future Australian Government policies, programs and investment are supporting sustainable growth in urban places. This will be facilitated by cross-portfolio engagement on urban policy matters.”
This raises questions about parallel policy processes – urban vs health lenses across policy making.
The National Health and Climate Strategy and the National Preventive Health Strategy are among the dozens of relevant government initiatives that are listed at the end of the document. It could be interesting to contrast and compare these strategies with the recommendations in the National Urban Policy consultation paper.
Meanwhile, ‘public health’ receives the briefest of mentions, with no detailed examination of the intersections between the work of the public health sector and liveable, equitable, productive, sustainable and resilient cities.
While concerns about ‘food deserts’ are raised, there is no mention of tackling the proliferation of unhealthy industry advertising in city environments, whether for gambling, junk foods or alcohol.
It is also interesting that ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’ do not rate a mention (although identified as significant areas of concern for local governments and cities, both in Australia and globally). Nor is there any detailed consideration of the importance of the news and communications environment in relation to the type of changes suggested in the proposed policy.
Fortunately, there are still a few weeks for submission-making. If any Croakey readers are making a submission, please also consider sending them to us.
We are particularly keen to hear your thoughts on implementation – what might it take to ensure these National Urban Policy wish-lists translate into real action, especially for those areas and communities in cities that so often miss out.
See Croakey’s archive of articles on Health in All Policies
