Community Power, Public Policy Initiatives and the Management of Growth in Brisbane

Abstract

Partly in response to rapid population growth in south-east Queensland and a growing imbalance in demographic patterns between Brisbane City and surrounding shires, there is renewed activity in planning for the region by all levels of government. The Brisbane City Council, in 1990, engaged a consultant to produce its first large scale strategy plan for the city, and the State government, in 1991, established a regional planning advisory group to undertake a similar planning exercise for the south-east region. Moreover, it is anticipated that federal programs such as ‘Building Better Cities’ will provide financial support to the region for improved transport systems, urban renewal and infrastructure development.

The urban sociologist, Harvey Molotch (1976, 1987) has challenged the normative conception of planning as a rational activity by incorporating into his analysis the notion of power, in particular, a form of community power which he has called ‘the growth machine’. While a growth coalition of interests can be discerned in Brisbane, the extent to which they have influence in planning decisions needs to be measured against political influences such as the structure of government in Australia and the nature of intergovernmental relations, as well as the politics of party.