Heather Shearer

A snapshot of high-speed broadband responses at local government level in Australia: a marriage between federally funded initiatives and locally driven innovations?

The introduction of the Australian National Broadband Network (NBN) in 2009 posed a range of new questions about the potential of the telecommunication infrastructure for planning at different levels of government. This paper focuses on the local implications of the new infrastructure whether socio-economic, e-governance or otherwise. It reaches out to the NBN early rollout local government authorities (LGAs) and collects empirical data about their responses to the new infrastructure, so far. The findings explore the significant role of the federally funded initiatives aiming at the local level, while shedding light on some of the locally driven, mostly innovative approaches taken by the LGAs. The paper concludes by raising concerns about the current state of uncertainty around the future phases of broadband infrastructure rollout across the nation and its negative impact on strategic approaches in planning for and with telecommunication to capitalise on the digitally driven opportunities.

Planning implications of telecommunication: Why telecommunication infrastructure? Why now?

The link between planning and infrastructure has been a topic of numerous studies over a long period of time (Dodson 2009; Graham and Marvin 2001; Neuman and Smith 2010). More recently, planning literature is showing increasing interest in telecommunication infrastructure, as it serves as the backbone of the digital economy. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of evidence-based research on the implications of this emerging infrastructure on urban and regional Australia (Alizadeh 2013), which puts the nation behind the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia (Frieden 2005; Grubesic 2006, 2010; Grubesic and Murray 2004). In Australia, it is impossible to talk about telecommunication infrastructure without addressing the National Broadband Network (NBN) which began as the country’s largest single infrastructure investment. In response to shortcomings in Australia’s telecommunication infrastructure (Barr 2008; Given 2008; Middleton 2009; Middleton and Chang 2008), the NBN was announced to connect Australians to high-speed broadband through terrestrial fibre network (NBN Co. Ltd. 2010). Since its announcement in 2009, the NBN has been a highly political topic in Australia, influencing and being influenced by politics (Given 2008; Tucker 2010). Perhaps the best example of this was when three independent MPs cited the NBN as one of the main reasons for their support for Labor over the Coalition following the hung parliament after the 2010 Federal election. On the other hand, following the 2013 Federal election, the newly elected Coalition Federal Government decided to reassess the scale of the national fibre project and put the first stage of the large-scale NBN rollout on hold. This was followed by the introduction of the ‘Coalition’s NBN’ which will continue the initiative using a mix of technologies and final speed network. The Coalition’s NBN has the potential to leave Australia with a patchwork of different levels of infrastructure access. This change of policy intensifies the need to understand the implications of telecommunication at the local and regional level. Appropriate responses need to be crafted across different towns, cities and regions based on the level of access provided for them. For state and local governments, it means that within their own jurisdictions, they have to deal with a diverse level of access to telecommuni‐ cation. This special issue acknowledges that despite the hefty government investment on telecommunication infrastructure (in the format of the NBN or otherwise) over the last few years, there is little evidencebased research looking at the implications of this new infrastructure in Australia. This edition of Australian Planner brings together research and insights from planning scholars and practitioners involved with telecommunication infrastructure and technology, especially during the early NBN rollout. Researchers from Griffith University, University of Queensland, University of Western Australia, Macquarie University and Queensland University of Technology join forces with practitioners from state and local governments, private practice and the NBN Co. to share their experience and knowledge. This inclusion of both academics and practitioners has given this special issue a threefold complexity covering theory, empirical insight and also policy responses. Articles in this collection seek to advance the understanding of the ‘planning implications of telecommunication’; they report empirical insights into the experiences of different levels of public and private sectors in dealing with telecommunication infrastructure; and they examine planning and policy responses on the challenges and opportunities of planning for telecommunication in the form of digital economic strategies. The special issue highlights the contemporary significance, challenges and opportunities that telecommunication has provided to planning and policy in areas such as socio-economic development (teleworking and digital economy); spatial planning (new land-uses such as smart work hubs, physical infrastructure design and live/work community developments); and e-governance involving different levels of Australian Planner, 2015 Vol. 52, No. 1, 1–3, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2015.1019749

How the structure of the Australian housing development industry influences climate change adaptation

Abstract The separation of Australian housing production from its consumption has long-term consequences for sustainability in the built environment, and for anticipatory adaptation to climate change. This article investigates how the institutional structure of the Australian private housing development industry influences its risk profile and its ability to innovate, particularly in the type of housing produced. Consumers on the other hand are reluctant to invest in climate-adapted housing, particularly if adaptive products are costlier. Using the results of a multi-method study, including a questionnaire survey and a series of interviews and focus groups, the broader issue of sustainability in housing development is revealed. The article highlights the complex and diverse structure of the various players in the development industry, and shows how their position within the broader structure of the housing and financial market influences their adaptive capacity.

The spatial dimensions of neighbourhood: how older people define it

Abstract This paper seeks to develop our understanding of neighbourhood boundaries, as defined by older people. Using interview and mapping methods, research revealed the significance of three factors ‒ built-form pattern, spatial distribution of the social networks and personal attributes ‒ as contributing to how older people define their neighbourhood boundaries. Research findings highlighted discrepancies between residents’ perceived neighbourhood boundaries and the statistical unit used as the neighbourhood proxy in most neighbourhood-related research. The findings suggested that the statistical information about the neighbourhood effects on older people does not necessarily reflect the lived experience of older people in their perceived neighbourhood.