Developing a City Transport Plan in an Urban Growth Area – Lessons Learnt Feature Article
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49 DEVELOPING A CITY TRANSPORT PLAN IN AN URBAN GROWTH AREA – LESSONS LEARNT FEATURE ARTICLE An integrated local transport plan has recently been developed for the City of Ipswich in Queensland. This paper outlines 26 key ‘lessons learnt’ from its production that can be used by others when preparing a strategic planning document. Nick Prasser Tony Dileo Introduction The City of Ipswich is located Principal Transport Planner Infrastructure Planning Manager to the west of Brisbane and is Ipswich City Council, Queensland Ipswich City Council, Queensland Queensland’s first regional city. [email protected] [email protected] The current Ipswich population of 190,000 is forecast to more than Nick is an urban planner with 20 Tony Dileo holds a Bachelor of double over the coming decades. years of experience in the fields Engineering (Civil) and Masters of As a response to this growth, of transport system planning, Engineering Science (Civil) with Ipswich City Council has recently investment programming and over 25 years of experience in both developed a citywide transport management - most of which State and Local Government. He plan (branded as ‘iGO’). iGO has been in a high growth local has worked in the areas of traffic outlines Council’s aspirations to government environment. Nick operations, road safety, transport advance Ipswich’s transport system currently leads Ipswich City planning, road maintenance and to guide future transport Council’s transport planning team and asset management. Tony policy, resourcing and investment and was the project director and is currently the Infrastructure decision making processes. primary author of the recently Planning Manager at Ipswich City finalised City of Ipswich Transport Council where he leads a branch This paper outlines the ‘lessons Plan called ‘iGO’. of municipal professionals in the learnt’ through the development fields of transport, traffic, road of iGO. These lessons can readily pavement, drainage, open space be followed by others for the and facility planning at both the successful production of a strategic level and the project strategic planning document identification, specification and in a public sector organisation scoping level. (not just in a local government transport realm). Aspects include drivers, branding, scoping and DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors, not necessarily Ipswich City Council. They do not form part of formal Council policy or corporate thinking. governance. Engineering for Public Works | December 2016 50 Background “master-planned” communities The key outcomes of iGO are: at Springfield and Ripley with (1) Facilitating travel mode CITY OF IPSWICH a combined planned future choices The City of Ipswich (‘Ipswich’) population of 200,000 residents Reducing Ipswich resident’s is centrally located in the urban and 75,000 jobs. dependency on the car by growth region of South East facilitating competitive, Queensland (SEQ). To the north- The geographical position between attractive and sustainable travel east is Brisbane (the capital city the Brisbane and Ipswich CBDs has mode choices (particularly for of Queensland) and to the west similarities to that of the Sydney commuter trips) through the are the agricultural areas of the and Parramatta CBDs (refer Figure provision of quality transport Brisbane, Lockyer and Fassifern 1). In fact, some market analysts infrastructure and incentives/ Valleys. call Ipswich the “new Parramatta” disincentives. from a property development and The city is located on the Bremer demographic perspective. (2) Transport and land use and Brisbane Rivers and is integration positioned on the confluence of The future of Ipswich is bright Fostering the development three national highways (Warrego with many opportunities for of strong, compact and Highway, Cunningham Highway economic growth and community connected mixed use activity and Ipswich Motorway) and development. centres and complete a major railway line (which is communities. included in the SEQ passenger FIGURE 1 railway system). Ipswich is GEOGRAPHICAL COMPARISON (3) Culture Shift approximately a 40 minute drive BRISBANE & IPSWICH → SYDNEY & Clever new thinking and strong to/from the Brisbane Central PARAMATTA Business District (CBD) and a one hour drive to/from the northern beaches of the Gold Coast. Ipswich offers all the modern facilities and services of a progressive mid-sized city and is renowned for its architectural heritage (being first settled in 1820). The Australian Government operates a large Airforce and Army base in Ipswich (located at Amberley) that is considered Australia’s premier defence facility. Ipswich comprises an area of 1000km2 with a population of approximately 190,000 people and is one of the fastest growing local government areas in Australia. CITY OF IPSWICH TRANSPORT leadership to make sustainable It contains 42% of the SEQ’s PLAN (iGO) transport decisions. This industrial land stock, two regional Ipswich City Council has developed includes new ‘non-traditional’ ‘activity’ centres (at Ipswich the City of Ipswich Transport Plan attitudes such as: Central and Springfield Central) (branded as ‘iGO’) that outlines • Promoting travel behaviour and a number of sub-regional Council’s aspirations to advance change for certain trips; and district activity centres to Ipswich’s transport system and to • Taking a demand management provide employment opportunities guide future policy, resourcing and approach to car use, parking, for residents in the future. The investment decision making. road network performance and city also contains two large Engineering for Public Works | December 2016 51 traffic congestion (not demand It outlines where and how Council The SEQRP also sets a future satisfaction); will devote its resources and population target for Ipswich in • Balancing the needs of all users policies over the coming decades which land use and infrastructure in the design and management to create the kind of Ipswich planning by Council and of roads; the community aspires to, and state agencies must align and how Ipswich can contribute to subsequently service. • The development and uptake sustainable growth in South of new transport related East Queensland with a focus iGO was developed based on the technology; on residential capacity and policy mechanisms and the city • Influencing institutional employment generators. The population target outlined in the frameworks (i.e. employee core development of Advance Ipswich SEQRP. work hours and locations); and involved extensive research and • Using innovation in regards gaining input from residents, to the cost, affordability, business operators and community funding and financing of new groups. infrastructure. Under the goal of “Managing Further information on iGO can be Growth and Delivering Key obtained from www.ipswich.qld. Infrastructure”, a key action of gov.au where the document can Advance Ipswich is to “develop be viewed and downloaded. and implement an integrated transport plan that provides a platform for enabling sustainable travel choices”. (2) South East Queensland (3) Connecting South East Regional Plan Queensland 2031 The South East Queensland Connecting South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP) is the 2031 is the Queensland Queensland Government’s urban Government’s transport policy growth management policy for the for the region. This document region. The main purpose of the predicts that the number of daily SEQ Regional Plan is to restrict the transport trips made by Ipswich growth of urban sprawl through residents will triple over the two key mechanisms: coming decades as a response to the SEQRP’s population target. Lessons Learnt • Establishment of the ‘Urban Whilst Connecting South East Footprint’ which is a regulatory DRIVERS Queensland 2031 sets the regional boundary to: Every good project needs a reason transport direction, iGO outlines - contain urban growth; to do it – a ‘driver’ - the ‘why’. more detailed local aspirations for - minimise speculation; Ipswich City Council developed the city’s transport future. - protect natural landscapes; and iGO based on the following project - retain rural areas with It would have been difficult to gain drivers: agricultural value. any form of project initiation and momentum, including obtaining In essence, no urban development necessary budget allocations will be approved outside the urban and securing organisational and footprint; and stakeholder ‘buy in’, without having these project drivers. • Promotion of higher density (1) Advance Ipswich mixed use living and infill Learning #1: Having a number Advance Ipswich is Ipswich City developments in designated of project ‘drivers’ (reasons for Council’s long term community areas called ‘Activity Centres’. doing the project) assisted with plan for the city’s future. Engineering for Public Works | December 2016 52 obtaining project momentum everyone across Council now writing, marketing and stakeholder including necessary budget refers to the transport plan simply engagement expertise. This will allocations and securing as iGO. lead to corporate capacity benefits organisational and stakeholder for Council in the future by having ‘buy in’. The intention is to continue to use staff with the knowledge and the iGO branding as part of its expertise to drive its delivery. BRANDING delivery including more detailed The formal name of the project is operational strategies and network Learning #3: Undertaking the the ‘City of Ipswich Transport