Opposition Leader and Member for Maribyrnong Bill Shorten today announced that Labor will sharpen its focus on achieving sustainable and liveable cities, a necessity exemplified by the Maribyrnong electorate, he said.

 

Mr Shorten announced the appointment of Anthony Albanese as Shadow Minister for Cities, as well as a new National Urban Policy Dialogue to contribute to the urban debate in Australia.

 

“It’s time that federal governments took a more proactive approach to urban policy,” he said.

 

“As the Member for Maribyrnong, I have seen how much we need an integrated approach to deliver efficient, sustainable and liveable communities.”

 

“We need long term planning for public transport and roads, for connections to education, employment and housing. We need to promote jobs growth, ensure sustainability of planning and support for social cohesion.”

 

“The experiences of this community are the experiences of communities across Australia.  I intend to bring the lessons learnt locally to the table.”

 

Mr Shorten said that the Abbott Government had been content to leave the challenges of Australia’s urban future in the hands of state governments.

 

“This government has simply failed to tackle the big issues when it comes to cities,” he said.

 

“Since taking office, Mr Abbott has abolished the Major Cities Unit, slashed billions of dollars’ for urban public transport and failed to convene a single meeting of the Urban Policy Forum.”