Scoping study: supporting northern Australia’s regional planning

Despite ongoing government commitment to a sustainable-development agenda, a range of challenges and obstacles have so far limited the ability of private and public decision-makers to make headway.

Approach and findings

Approach

By analysing regional planning processes and practices in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, this project built a better understanding of the challenges and obstacles, and recommended a way forward. It examined current planning frameworks; interviewed planners and others with specific interests; identified information deficits; assessed data storage and access issues; and, reviewed planning case studies.

Findings

Barriers to best-practice development planning were identified as:

• limited emphasis on the development of durable, adaptive, planning partnerships;
• poorly defined planning and regulatory processes and lack of alignment between agencies;
• ill-defined outcome standards at the national scale;
• planning and development assessment laws that are not always fit-for-purpose;
• inadequate capacity among government agencies, stakeholders, developers and researchers;
• large gaps in the data needed for decision-making; and
• limited data sharing between agencies and stakeholders.

Conclusions

Analysis of these barriers allowed the identification of the following ‘preconditions’ necessary for successful development planning:

• aligned standards and aspirations: Commonwealth, State/Territory and local government;
• consistent, strong and well-defined national development planning process standards;
• clear national standards for social, economic, cultural and environmental outcomes;
• the development of stable, long-term, place-based partnerships between stakeholders;
• well-managed, maintained and integrated knowledge and data management systems.
• information support systems at national and state/territory scales; and
• independent monitoring of governance systems for improved place-based partnerships.

The project team are now in a strong position to progress the evolution of these factors though: events and activities that build a community of practice and generate knowledge; collaborative design, participation in, and analysis of sentinel case studies; consultation with practitioners and stakeholders to collate ideas and experience; and, by providing input into the design of knowledge management systems.

Outcomes

• A roadmap to improve regional planning.
• Innovative planning approaches developed.
• Improved outcomes for northern communities supported.

Project location