Sydney's rail infrastructure boom could shape great precincts and deliver nearly half the city's housing needs over the next 20 years shows the Committee for Sydney report "Rethinking Station Precincts" which uses analysis by SGS Economics and Planning.

Australia needs a radically different approach on national urban policy. The Commonwealth needs to avoid areas where it has no, or dubious, competence, such as grant programs for sports sheds or deciding which rail projects the states and territories should build. Rather, it needs to sharply define national targets for the economic, social and environmental sustainability of our cities, then share the tax dividends...

Come federal election time many in the urban policy community search for signs that an incoming Commonwealth Government will show stronger leadership on cities...

Over the last few decades, Australia has seen population growth largely concentrated in and around a few major capital cities, as people were attracted to increasing economic and service opportunities. This has placed huge pressure on these cities to keep up with growth and provide adequate infrastructure and services for the new residents.

Social and affordable housing should be seen as essential infrastructure for successful communities and developers have an important role to play. When the now abandoned Social and Affordable Housing Contribution was announced in Victoria, respected property players who in other forums had freely acknowledged that development contributions for social housing had a part to play went to ground. Instead, we heard the party line from the peaks that social housing is a community-wide problem demanding a community-wide response and not an opportunistic tax on those who build the houses we need.