Population growth has ballooned in Australia with no sign of slowing: the Australian Bureau of Statistics projects 30 million people by 2033, and our biggest cities are absorbing the bulk of this growth.
This fuels rapid expansion in the suburbs that flank capital cities, with communities like Camden in New South Wales seeing growth rates nearly four times the national average, according to the ABS.
On one hand, it can be exciting to watch unassuming libraries morph into bustling community centres. On the other, infrastructure challenges spawned by swift growth can be even fiercer in these communities.
Since local governments are often the chief stewards of infrastructure assets — a role both citizens and council leaders overwhelmingly agree is their foremost priority — councils carry an outsized duty to meet these challenges. And, as ideas like smart cities gain steam, leaders are wrestling with these urgent needs amid calls for innovation.
So how can councils and their citizens build long-term sustainability and liveability when growth makes it more difficult to meet the need for basic government services?
