Adelaide Futures Project (2007)

Client

Local Government Association of South Australia

Description

The Adelaide Futures project represents a watershed for the work of the Metropolitan Local Government Group. The Project grew out of an understanding that Adelaide faces a number of major challenges if it is to become a truly sustainable city and that local government must play a leading role in responding to these challenges. Analysis of the drivers, challenges and opportunities during an extensive consultation period (including faceto face interviews with all 18 metropolitan Adelaide councils mayor and CEOs) resulted in a number of strategic papers to help local government to address current and future challenges. The areas chosen for more detailed strategic papers were:

• Connecting People and Places
• Housing the Future Population
• Sustainable Use of Urban Water Resources
• Developing a Robust Economy

InfraPlan Involvement

The Adelaide Futures Steering Committee commissioned InfraPlan/ Geoff Anson Consulting and PPS to work with Adelaide’s Mayor's and CEO's to identify the major challenges facing Adelaide. An inclusive and extensive consultation process was developed by the consultants as an information gathering exercise, which included workshops and individual face-to face interviews with the Mayor's and CEO's of all metropolitan Adelaide councils. Based on these interviews the Adelaide Futures steering committee identified four issues where the consultants were asked to provide concrete recommendations on how local government could make a positive difference to the future. These issues were transport, housing, water and economic development.

Strategic Papers with action plans were developed for each of these areas. These plans strongly recommend actions that are co-ordinated and integrated across issues, organisations and geographic areas, while recognising regional and council differences. The précis and the framework in the Adelaide Futures Papers provides a starting point for the development of a new vision for Local Government. The papers identified policies that might be reflected in actions at the local and regional level. These papers also illustrated how the initiatives identified in the papers might influence the types and location of activities across the city.