Growth Management Or Encouragement? A Critical Review Of Land Use Policies Affecting Australia'S Major Exurban Regions

Abstract

The continued growth of exurban regions creates a range of demands and conflicts which require policy responses, either at a local level or from higher levels of government. The policy analysis in this article takes as its focus the major planning policy documents relating to Australia's five largest cities and their exurban hinterlands. There is evidence in some of the policy documents that certain aspects of the urban-exurban relationship are recognised. At the same time, however, there seem to be policies which overlook such linkages or, at least, fail to fully consider potential exurban impacts of urban decisions, for example the effects of transport infrastructure development on the expansion of exurban regions. Because exurban development has the capacity to have significant cumulative impacts, a greater understanding of urban-exurban dynamics would be beneficial to urban and regional planners.

Keywords::

• Exurban
• Urban-Rural Fringe
• Urban Policy
• Australian Cities
• Metropolitan Strategies