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Victoria's urban planners told their role will be critical
BEFORE the devastating bushfires, Victoria’s first official “State of the Environment” report had reached the sobering conclusion that “Victorian society is unsustainable” and as a consequence the State now faces a “biodiversity crisis”.
According to the report, even without climate change Victoria is living on an environmental knife-edge. In fact the authors calculate that the State’s ecological footprint is so big that if everyone else in the world lived like Victorians they would need almost four Earth-type planets to keep them supplied.*
Add climate change to the equation and the report finds by 2050 Victoria’s farmers will be unable to supply all the food needed to feed the State’s growing population. At the same time, severe drought, fierce bush fires and “extreme climatic events” will have become so common that many of Victoria’s plant and animal species will be facing extinction.
The report’s prescription is to move Victoria to a “post-carbon economy”, coordinate long-term planning, transport, roads and biodiversity through a new strategic agency. It also wants new farming practices established, the landscape reinvigorated with the “strategic expansion” of remnant vegetation, introduction of new energy policies (currently Victoria generates 95% of its electricity from highly polluting brown coal) and a re-write of the State’s water management policy. (The report fears that under current practice Victoria’s river flows will halve by 2070.)
A key recommendation is to slow population growth (mainly though changes to overseas migration) and at the same time put public transport infrastructure “if not ahead of, at least in step with need”.
By 2050 the report’s authors want to see Melbourne itself made capable of being “a greater contributor to energy and water production”. That would mean the widespread use of solar domestic energy and rainwater tanks, plus turning the city’s organic waste into “feedstock for manufacturing and agriculture”.
The report envisages “urban food production” becoming an important factor in relieving pressure on the State’s rural environment.
The net result would be that by 2050, “rather than being seen as a resource sink and a burden on Victoria’s natural environment, Melbourne (would be) seen as actively contributing resources to improving the environment of Victoria”.
The report recommends a switch to clean, renewable energy accompanied by government encouragement of electric cars and the downsizing of the current fleet of government cars. Road pricing would be introduced to end congestion and expand the use of public transport. “Trams, trains and buses of the most advanced designs (would be) integrated seamlessly with walking and cycling, using intuitive timetabling and wayfinding,” says the report.
All buildings occupied by the State Government - whether government-owned or not - would be expected to be of the “highest possible environmental performance rating”.
The report envisages the State’s Department of Transport becoming responsible for creating a “proper though dynamic balance between road and public transport provision”. Under such direction the report envisages that by 2050, Victoria will have achieved “significant urban efficiencies” by encouraging high-density mixed-use, transit-orientated “activity centres”.
The report believes it critical that environmental management is moved to the centre of government policy analysis and consideration. It offers as a prime example, management of the built environment.
“Residential housing design and standards largely fall outside the influence of ‘environmental’ managers yet dwellings are an important component of achieving greater energy and water efficiency,” the report says.
“Urban planners and architects are therefore amongst the most critical groups who will influence environmental health in the State, and strategic urban governance for sustainability is urgent and vital.”
The report recommends greater coordination between federal, State and local government departments and agencies concerned with roads, public transport, metropolitan planning, primary industry and biodiversity planning. Where there are conflicting policies, they must be overcome, the report says.
“The creation of strategic statutory bodies that are capable of holistic and long-term sustainability decision-making should be thoroughly explored,” the report said.
