With a combined 8 million extra people across Melbourne and Sydney expected over the coming three decades, the expansion of our city boundaries will inevitably continue.

How can we embrace this growth in a way that is sustainable and protects living standards? How can we position Melbourne and Sydney as globally competitive cities with world-class access to high quality jobs, affordable and diverse housing choice, and future-proofed infrastructure?

Both Infrastructure Victoria and the NSW Productivity Commission have recently released reports on the need for compact cities, including the benefits of moving towards greater densification.

In this insight piece, we outline the findings from both Infrastructure Victoria and the NSW Productivity Commission’s reports. We also share our perspective on the challenges of getting compact cities right and what governments must do now to slow urban sprawl, protect living standards and reduce social and economic disadvantage.

There is often a tension between rigorous assessment and projects that are seen as 'strategically important' or 'transformational'. Our team has worked in project assurance and prioritisation at both a federal and state government level and has seen this time and time again

This insight piece explores five ways to tackle common issues for these types of project assessments, based on five national and international prioritisation and assessment frameworks. 

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are place-based partnerships that have had impacts around the world but are only just getting started in NSW. Within the boundaries of a BID, property and/or business owners agree to make a collective contribution to the area’s maintenance, development and promotion.

For business owners, landlords and policy makers, it is worth understanding what makes BIDs work and how they can benefit communities across Australia.

Feel free to reach out to our team for a conversation on how BIDs can be created to support local businesses, address gaps in existing services or programs and encourage economic growth.

‘Neighbourhood Deals’ are partnerships that bring together local community, businesses and councils to develop and transform places. Different types of deals can help secure commitments from stakeholders and enable a wide range of placemaking investments in Australia, from active transport infrastructure to improved public spaces.

As governments are keen to make places more liveable and connected, it is important to understand what makes Neighbourhood Deals work and what questions to ask during the deal-making process.

Feel free to reach out to our team for a conversation on how Neighbourhood Deals can be used to pursue exciting partnerships and create great places.

Placemaking is becoming more important as every day Australians expect a better standard of living and want more from public investments. Recent years have seen a pivot in the way we live, move and interact. Accordingly, governments are redefining their future vision for mobility, with placemaking becoming increasingly integrated.

This report details our engagement with industry professionals across Australia and New Zealand to understand the different approaches for integrating mobility and place, and the challenges they face.

High speed rail is back on the agenda, with the establishment of the High Speed Rail Authority and a $500m commitment from the Australian Government for planning and corridor works between Sydney to Newcastle. 
 
Whilst the challenges of HSR are significant, so too are the benefits, particularly in relation to economic growth and productivity and regional development. 
 
This paper explores our thoughts on why now is the right time to revisit HSR and what needs to be done.

Outcomes Frameworks are an effective tool to support organisations and programs articulate the positive impact they aspire to deliver and track performance. They look across teams and time horizons to provide to guide decision making, promote a common culture, strengthen partnerships, and embed accountability and transparency.

This presentation looks at how outcomes frameworks can be used in different contexts, the benefits they can provide and outlines the key considerations for getting outcomes frameworks right.

Procuring external services is an ongoing, essential requirement for government to be able to leverage expertise and quickly adapt to changing objectives. 

However, it is critical that the process balances integrity with effectiveness.

This report shares four key goals of government procurement and offers potential, practical solutions on how these can be achieved.