I would like too acknowledge our dignitaries at the Conference and give
thanks to the sponsors who have provided the financial support to bring
such a wonderful program of speakers together which is a credit to the
organising committee.
I would like to pay my respects to the Yawuru people as the Traditional
Owners of this land.
I am pleased that there has been such a strong turnout for 2 days of
talking and thinking about ‘Owing
Owing the future
future’ and in this session Ian
Carpenter, the Mayor of the City of Greater Geraldton and I have been
asked to reflect on Broome – the city of the Kimberley – what would or
should it look like?
Discussions of this kind are very important and are the genesis of where
the Committee for Perth was at back in its formation year in 2006.
The Perth metropolitan
p
area was g
growing,
g, becoming
g home to more
newcomers from interstate and overseas due to the boom time and with
that came differing views on what Perth could or should be.
By the leaders in your community coming together to think and act with
Broome’s long term future at the core of the conversation you have started
on an important journey together.
1
To share myy thoughts
g
as to what Broome could or should
be I’ll spend the next 20 minutes talking about the early
boomtowns in the US as a case study and reflect on the
Committee for Perth and the role that we have played in
shaping the debate about the Perth of the future and how
many of our ingredients for success are just as applicable
here in the Kimberley.
Kimberley
I will hand over to Ian who will talk about regional cities and
centres and an alliance between them.
I should acknowledge up front the strategic alliances that
both the City and the Committee has with The University of
Western Australia and the long term research projects that
bring a deeper understanding to our regions. And in
particular the work of Professor Matthew Tonts and I have
drawn from him in order to prepare for this presentation
today.
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The Committee for Perth is an advocacy organisation focused on the
future of the metropolitan region. We take an evidenced based and
solutions focused approach and operate in a highly collaborative manner.
It is through us that the region’s stewardship brands and their leaders
have set aside commercial gain, sectoral interests and personal
perspectives and biases and have come together under our brand to be a
united voice on the issues facing the Perth of the future. We bring leaders
from the business and tertiary sectors and local government in our
membership along with stakeholders in government and community to
think and act in order to realise a bright future for Perth.
Our work often compares Perth to other cities as we seek to benchmark
our performance against cities globally. We want to learn from others – as
much what to do as what not to do. Our need to better understand Perth in
a national and international context is often instructive but can be
frustrating too ... Perth doesn’t
doesn t have many peer cities given its isolation
and dependence on the resources and energy sectors.
A direct comparator for Broome is hard to find too. However it is the
component parts of Broome and the Kimberley region which would be
better compared to other places as you seek to chart your own unique
response to the opportunities and challenges that economic and
population growth will bring.
3
I don’t want to scare you with the next slides but rather
t leverage
to
l
off
ff some off the
th discussion
di
i points
i t from
f
yesterday.
In seeking to understand ‘boomtowns’, the most prolific
amount of research is based on US cities created out of
the 1970’s energy boom. However there are limitations
with the research in that the researchers tended to take
a snapshot of a period in which upheaval was worst
and often focused on the social disruption, rather than
the wider benefits that were created.
In the Western US cities of Wyoming and Montana, the
1970s oil boom was caused by the Arab Oil Embargo in
‘73. This led to increased oil exploration and extraction
in what where relatively remote and quite small
American rural towns – most with populations of less
than 10,000.
In 1975 there was a paper published on social
dislocation in the town of Gillette in Wyoming, which
had doubled its population from 6,000 to more than
12 000 people in just a couple of years becoming a
12,000
boomtown case study.
4
The case study showed that with boomtime conditions so to came social
disruption. What they found was:•
With increased economic activity often came rapid population growth
•
Housing in all forms becomes scarce which affects the quality of life
and lifestyle choices as well as the ability to house key workers within
the community
•
Stress on Local Governments with increased crime, more
emergencies, need for
f additional social services, let alone pressure
on land use
5
Increased economic activity brings with it so much hope and opportunity
but also new pressures and issues for government and the community
and here we have a snapshot of the issues in the early 1980s being
reported as a consequence of Boomtowns.
At a local level our research shows that the divide between the have and
have nots in Perth is widening with some benefiting from the boom and
others increasingly left behind. If the gap widens so too does the chasm
between the advantaged and disadvantaged.
Our work on creating a vision for Perth as a city-region of 3.5m people the
crucial building block for the future – a roadmap to guide and unite us brings into stark contrast the differing views about future Perth.
We have workshopped two scenarios for Perth at 3.5m people one
outlining a bright future where we have responded to growth, innovated
and adapted in a positive way to change and the other a bleak future
based on a business as usual approach where we do what we have
always done because if feels comfortable and familiar.
It is our view is that business as usual is the most risky strategy of all.
6
An analysis of the 1970’s US energy boomtowns shows what some of the
key public policy issues were at the time and tries to capture what some of
the barriers were to good public policy formation in these rapid growth
communities.
It is clear that pressure points were felt broadly - on communities, local
government, the business sector, individuals and organisations.
7
What that research tells us is that some change in the population numbers
can be accommodated but rapid growth could cause a breakdown – this is
a challenge for both Perth and Broome.
For Perth to go from a city of 1.7 to 2 million people it could be
accommodated within the existing structures, policies and mindsets.
However a doubling in the population is more challenging and requires a
tough analysis and re-think to take in the future what we value and leave
other things in the past – things that belong to a big country town that are
not appropriate to a major city.
8
The good news is that studies which revisited energy boomtowns years
later found that they had adapted quite quickly, and were highly functional
because they had followed a basic set of steps:•
Collaboration across government with a sharing of information and
timely communication
•
Research to better understand and benchmark the current community
in order to gauge impact over time - both good and bad.
•
They understood their industries intimately and planned for
f the
inevitable ebbs and flows
•
And they forecasted impacts over time horizons so they knew what
was coming and could better plan for it.
9
This is the critical slide in my presentation and goes to the heart of the issue of growth. According to academic Gilmore there
are 4 stages of US Boomtown attitudes which may or may not be applicable in our context but gives useful insights
nonetheless.
nonetheless
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enthusiasm abounds – it is all about the opportunities
•
Where there is a concentration on positive impacts
•
With negative impacts either unknown or dismissed
•
And Lots of pro-industry spin, but little objective knowledge
Uncertainty prevails
•
The town starts to change
•
There is a realization that negative impacts have arrived, and might even grow
•
Begin to research/analyze the situation, however there are few resources to draw upon – you haven’t
been in this situation before
•
Industry and government claim nothing can be done
•
Pro/Anti growth divisions emerge within the community
Near Panic sets in
•
Industrial activity and impacts develop far faster than expected
•
The town starts to change dramatically with people asking - what happened to my community?
•
Residents become confused, angry at officials and each other
•
Government services are overloaded - officials ill-equipped and unprepared
•
Realization that increased revenues will not match expenditures or expectations
•
Any ongoing planning efforts are found to be misdirected and/or under-funded
In the final stage the resilience shines with adaptation and unity
•
Core problems are identified
•
Planning and mitigation strategies are developed
•
Residents become solidified in their beliefs
•
Development opponents start to accept the situation
•
A sense of Progress develops despite overwhelming impacts
Reflecting on these stages perhaps here in Broome you are in stage 2. Perth is experiencing ‘growing pains’ so is definitely
at this stage.
We believe the opportunity is to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the unrest that stage 3 brings and move to
stage 4 as quickly as possible. This requires a concerted effort by all working collaboratively with a shared vision for the
future and a united sense of purpose.
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It is important to understand the impacts of growth because your
community will be different to what it was before the ‘boom’. Seek to
understand what impacts will be arising from the opportunities that
economic growth brings to population, services, infrastructure and
budgets.
Communicate the impacts widely so that informed and honest discussions
can be had across and with the community.
In essence – seek to know how to benefit from the boom and not be a
victim of it.
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So what has the role of the Committee for Perth been over the past 5 years in
our boomtown?
We have been a unifying voice for the Perth of the future by bringing together
major employers and investors who want Perth to be the best city it possibly can
be. We are acutely aware that we are playing a globally competitive game and
there are hundreds of cities competing with us for skilled and semi-skilled
workers and investment dollars. Many of them less isolated and more culturally
vibrant than Perth.
It is always sobering to ask the question ‘if the Committee for Perth didn’t exist,
so what?’
h t?’ Th
The so what
h t iis th
thatt th
there would
ld b
be no lless passion
i about
b tP
Perth
th and
d it
its
future but I am confident it would be less informed.
We have expended considerable money and research and have produced more
than 30 research bulletins and reports which have given new insights into Perth
which have helped to articulate the opportunities and challenges facing the
metropolitan region as it grows from a city of 1.7m to 3.5m people over the
coming 3 to 4 decades.
y
political
p
cycles
y
and the self interest of any
y individual
We are focused beyond
member.
Our model is to identify challenges and to be part of the solution not to carp from
the sidelines as many peak and industry often bodies do.
Ultimately we seek to improve the liveability of Perth by being the region’s
advocate and focusing on reshaping the built environment and places, reforming
regulation and legislation, revitalising the city and suburbs by arts and culture
being part of our everyday lives.
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In order to measure our success we seek to make a demonstrable
difference to the liveability and vibrancy of Perth and I think we have.
Through a research agenda we know more about Perth and therefore
understand it better – as it is now and likely to be into the future. A city
with increased economic opportunity that will be less egalitarian, more
ethnically diverse but possibly just as socially conservative.
We have forged new relationships and alliances – bringing new and
different people to the discussion table and often for the first time
time.
Through a long term, a-political approach we have brought into focus
more discussion and planning for Perth as a city region of 3.5m people.
Our influence has catalysed a review of metropolitan governance and
seen an integrated light rail system proposed to get people out of cars and
to facilitate density in a way that none of our existing mobility systems can.
We have also been supporters of key government projects that will bring
transformation to Perth adding its liveability and vibrancy – projects such
as the Perth Waterfront, Major Stadium and City Link.
Our role in these is to be the vision keepers to make sure we get what
was promised and isn’t compromised over time as is often the case.
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What could Broome be?
Evidence from the US and other regions in Australia suggest that Broome
could be a boomtown yet break under the pressure of growth.
What should Broome be?
A boomtown known internationally that has kept its valued characteristics
and landscape
p whilst seizing
g and maximising
g opportunities
pp
and meeting
g
the challenges head on.
From what I have seen from the leaders gathered at this conference you
have the capacity to forge you own unique response to the boom and
perhaps a Committee for Broome is the right vehicle in which to do this.
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