This final episode of the Infrastructure Governance Incubator series focuses on a plenary discussion centred around the findings of the ‘Infrastructure Governance Incubator’ - a multidisciplinary collaborative research project across three universities – which took place at the State of Australasian Cities conference in December 2023. This discussion sought to contribute to a renewed research agenda for Australasian infrastructure governance, considering the current state of governance challenges and potential future directions. It draws on findings from the Incubator’s case study of the Western Sydney Parkland City in New South Wales, Australia, across multiple critical issues discussed across this podcast series: planning on unceded First Nations land, accountability and social legitimacy, collaborative governance and integration, and power and politics. Panel members: A/Prof. Tooran Alizadeh, Dr. Rebecca Clements, A/Prof. Glen Searle, A/prof Dallas Rogers, Elle Davidson (University of Sydney), Crystal Legacy (University of Melbourne), Liton Kamruzzaman (Monash University). Discussant: Jago Dodson (RMIT) This podcast series is sponsored by the Infrastructure Governance Incubator, a three-year (2020-2023) collaborative research platform—funded by the Henry Halloran Research Trust—across three universities (The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne and Monash University) and in partnership with Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) NSW & Victoria. Audio recording and editing by Mikayla McGuirk-Scolaro.

Infrastructure planning is intrinsically political – but are there significant differences between how we expect infrastructure planning to occur and the reality of how it plays out? Are our current approaches to the relationship between planning and power working? In this fifth episode, we build on learnings from Victoria and consider the politics behind infrastructure decisions with Dr James Murphy, drawing on the latest book, ‘The Making and Unmaking of East-West Link’. We consider the roles of electoral strategy, the making of political rationale, and community resistance to ask how we might better unpack the way we think about infrastructure politics. Informed by: Murphy, J. C. (2022). The making and unmaking of East-West Link. Melbourne Univ. Publishing. Host: Dallas Rogers (University of Sydney) Guest: James Murphy, Crystal Legacy (University of Melbourne) This podcast series is sponsored by the Infrastructure Governance Incubator, a three-year (2020-2023) collaborative research platform—funded by the Henry Halloran Research Trust—across three universities (The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, and Monash University), and in partnership with Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) NSW & Victoria. Audio recording and editing by Mikayla McGuirk-Scolaro and Dallas Rogers.

The evidence shows that increasing new housing production alone won’t solve the affordability crisis. At this special event, the NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness, the Hon. Rose Jackson MLC and a panel of experts from industry, academia, and community sectors, will outline strategies for unlocking affordable supply, from social housing to the ‘missing middle’. KEYNOTE ADDRESS The Hon. Rose Jackson MLC, Minister for Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health, Youth, the North Coast, and Water PANEL Katie Stevenson, Executive Director Property Council of Australia NSW Mark Degotardi, Chief Executive Officer, Community Housing Industry Association NSW Dr Catherine Gilbert, the University of Sydney Emma Greenhalgh, CEO National Shelter CHAIRED BY Professor Nicole Gurran, Director, Henry Halloran Research Trust

Water security is one of the most contested issues facing urban and regional communities across Australia. For growing inland cities like Canberra, conventional assumptions and approaches to water supply, catchment management, and urban planning must be reimagined in the context of climate change. This special event hosted in partnership with the Planning Institute of Australia examines the increasingly complex debates surrounding water security and asks whether and how inland cities can ever achieve true urban resilience. This event is co-hosted with the Planning Institute of Australia. SPEAKERS Professor Barbara Norman, Foundation Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of Canberra Urban and Regional Futures (CURF), the University of Canberra Danielle Francis, Manager Policy and Strategy, Water Services Australia Dr Jason Alexandra, Research Fellow, Transformational Climate Adaptation and Water, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, ANU Institute for Water Futures. Dr Danswell Starrs, Water Science, Monitoring and Modelling Manager at ACT Government CHAIRED BY Dr Maxine Cooper FPIA, FEIANZ, Adjunct Prof UC, Chair ACT & Region Catchment Management Coordination Group, Chair Landcare ACT, and Deputy Chair National Landcare Network.

We know we must end sprawl and densify our cities, but are tall towers the answer? Can the skyscraper solve our affordable housing problem? Does high density necessarily mean high-rise, and do such developments stack up environmentally – or do they exacerbate issues such as urban heat? What are the wider benefits or disbenefits of hyper-density in terms of urban design, street making, community cohesion or accessibility? Join Saving Sydney author Dr Elizabeth Farrelly and a panel of experts for a robust discussion on whether Sydney should ‘go up or go out’, and whether this is even the right question. PANEL Dr Fiona Foo, Cardiologist Professor Cathy Sherry, Law School and Smart Green Cities, Macquarie University Tim Sneesby, Manager Strategic Planning, Waverley Council  Professor Michael Chapman, Chair of Architecture and Design, University of Western Sydney CHAIRED BY Dr Elizabeth Farrelly, author, journalist and Henry Halloran Research Trust Writer in Residence

How are Australia’s Indigenous and settler histories recognised and confronted in cultural heritage conservation and urban planning practice, alongside wider struggles for native title, land rights, and spatial justice? Join this conversation with a panel of experts across Indigenous history, archaeology, heritage conservation, urban planning and design. SPEAKERS Professor Bronwyn Carlson, Head of Department of Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University Stephen Gapps, Senior Associate Historian, Artefact Heritage Services Seth Dias, PHD Candidate at the USYD school of Architecture, Design and Planning Innez Haua Jess Herder, Senior Associate, Thirriwirri CHAIRED BY Professor Michael Mossman, Associate Dean Indigenous Strategy and Services, the University of Sydney

In recent years a new movement known as ‘YIMBY’ (‘Yes In My Backyard’) has emerged. ‘YIMBIES’ argue that planning and regulatory barriers serving local ‘NIMBY’ (‘Not In My Backyard’ property owners) block new and higher density housing, causing affordability pressures across the market. By contrast, many so called ‘NIMBIES’ reject the proposition that ‘supply’ is the only solution to high cost housing. In this session, housing advocates and experts debate the proposition that supply side barriers are to blame for Australia’s housing crisis and recommend strategies to fix the housing system. SPEAKERS Eamon Waterford, CEO, Committee for Sydney Max Holleran, Lecturer in Social Policy, the University of Melbourne Melissa Neighbour, Principal Planner, Sky Planning Michael Koziol, Sydney editor, The Sydney Morning Herald CHAIRED BY Professor Nicole Gurran, Director Henry Halloran Research Trust, the University of Sydney

Episode 3: Innovating urban governance: the Creative Bureaucrat Does creativity have a place in City Hall? The idea that bureaucracy should or can be creative certainly runs counter to common ideas we have of city government. But recently, that has begun to change. Innovation in city governance is being recast as ‘creative problem solving’. Drawing on stories from city governments around the world, in this third episode of ‘Innovating Cities’, Tom Baker and Pauline McGuirk discuss what it takes to build creative capacity within bureaucracies. Tom Baker is Associate Professor in the School of Environment, University of Auckland. His research focuses on how public policies are made and implemented, addressing social, institutional, ideological and spatial dimensions. Pauline McGuirk is Senior Professor of urban geography and Director of the Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space, University of Wollongong. Her work revolves around critical studies of urban governance, its changing geographies, material practices and politics, and the differential implications for urban places, communities, subjectivities and power. For more information about our podcast series, including transcripts, go to: https://uow.info/innovating-cities Find out more about our research project Innovating urban governance: practices for enhanced urban futures at: https://www.uow.edu.au/the-arts-social-sciences-humanities/research/access/research/rce/ Special guests Anne-Marie Croce, Program Lead, Customer Experience Transformation and Innovation, City of Toronto Brad Badelt, Director of Sustainability, City of Vancouver, CityStudio Vancouver. James Corless, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments Eliza Erickson, former Director of Innovation and Strategy, Office of Innovation and Technology, City of Philadelphia James Wagner, Chief Financial Officer, Office of Performance, Strategy and Innovation, City of Tulsa Arna Ýr Sævarsdóttir, Service and Digital Transformation Manager, Department of Services & Innovation, City of Reykjavik Michele D’Alena, Director, Civic Imagination Office, City of Bologna Kris Carter, former Co-Chair, Boston Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics Terrance Smith, Former Director of the Innovation Unit, City of Mobile This podcast episode was supported by the Australian Research Council under Grant ARCDP200100176 Innovating urban governance: practices for enhanced urban futures, a joint project by the University of Wollongong, the University of Sydney and the University of Auckland. Audio recording and editing by Jennifer Macey. Additional editing by Emily Perkins. Coordination by Laura Goh. Special thanks to Brian Dwyer.

With rising recognition of the health and environmental benefits of active transport, there are increasing struggles between users of footpaths, roads and curbs. Not only are streets important transportation routes, as demonstrated over the Pandemic period, they have also become recognised as important public spaces for social activities, from dining to market stalls or food production. This session interrogates the emerging struggles over street spaces still dominated by roads and parking. SPEAKERS Tegan Mitchell, Manager Major Transport Projects, City of Sydney Dr Rebecca Clements, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the University of Sydney Benjamin Carr, Co-founder, Lug+Carrie e-bike hire CHAIRED BY Dr Jennifer Kent, Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism, the University of Sydney

Australia’s legal frameworks for biodiversity conservation and environmental protection are intended to preserve and enhance the nation’s natural and cultural heritage while enabling appropriate forms of urban development and infrastructure. Yet Commonwealth Environmental Protection & Biodiversity Conservation law has been deemed unfit for purpose, while the states pledge ongoing reforms to make land use systems faster and more responsive to enable residential development and major projects. Key issues include certification and offsetting processes for biodiversity or heritage and whether alternative approaches, from avoiding development altogether to better protecting and enhancing conservation outcomes are possible. PANEL Rachel Walmsley, Head of Policy & Law Reform, Environmental Defenders Office Rowena Welsh-Jarrett, Indigenous Heritage Expert, Bila Group Associate Professor Ed Couzens, Law School, the University of Sydney CHAIRED BY Professor Rosemary Lyster, Climate and Environmental Law, the University of Sydney Hosted in partnership with the Sydney Environment Institute.

Meaningful public accountability in infrastructure governance This episode considers the challenges of, and possibilities for, meaningful accountability in infrastructure governance. Public accountability is often publicly demanded or politically signalled, but much more rarely unpacked or discussed in depth. This episode discusses the importance of accountability in infrastructure and planning governance, and its multiple intersecting social understandings. We discuss the importance of scrutinising our current accountability approaches, power relationships, and contextual challenges in order to build more open and collaborative governance. We also hear insights from Roberta Ryan, the Independent Community Commissioner involved with the Western Parkland City. Researchers present: Rebecca Clements, Tooran Alizadeh Guest: Roberta Ryan This podcast series is sponsored by the Infrastructure Governance Incubator, a three-year (2020-2023) collaborative research platform—funded by the Henry Halloran Research Trust—across three universities (The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, and Monash University), and in partnership with Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) NSW & Victoria. Audio recording and editing by Mikayla Scolaro and Dallas Rogers.