Urban Affairs is a twice-weekly email bulletin service focused on urban planning and development. Each news item links to a primary document from politicians, government agencies, peak bodies and research organisations. The great majority of our content is not reported by the general media, and is tailored to inform individuals, business, government, and other organisations involved in urban planning and development, and the many industries that surround it.

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Thursday, 19 April 2012

COAG agreed to fast track arrangements to use state assessment and approval processes by March 2013. [Full Text]

The PM and State Premiers discussed a range of issues in a press conference following the COAG meeting. [Full Text]

Hawker Britton published a summary of the COAG meeting outcomes. [Full Text]

The Lord Mayors of Australia's capital cities welcomed COAG's decision to continue intergovernmental collaboration in planning Australia's cities. [Full Text]

The Business Council of Australia said the COAG meeting is an example of the federation working well. [Full Text]

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors welcomed the Senate Committee on lending practices. [Full Text]

The Ai group made a submission to the Government's 'Australia in the Asian Century' white paper. [Full Text]

The REIA called for real estate agent licensing standards to be maintained at a high level, following COAG's reported progress on establishing a national occupational licensing system. [Full Text]

The total value of owner occupied housing commitments fell 4 per cent during February in seasonally adjusted terms, according to the ABS. [Full Text]

The value of total building work done fell 4.9 per cent during the December quarter, in seasonally adjusted terms, according to the ABS. [Full Text]

The HIA said that from a weak starting point, housing conditions were undergoing further deterioration in 2012. [Full Text]

ANZ announced it will increase interest rates for variable rate mortgages and small business lending. [Full Text]

Shadow Treasurer Andrew Robb commented on ANZ's decision to increase interest rates outside the RBA's regular cash rate cycle. [Full Text]

The ANZ's surprise decision to raise rates was "sneaky timing", according to financial comparison firm Mozo. [Full Text]

ME Bank urged other major banks not to use ANZ's decision as an open invitation to also hike rates. [Full Text]

The RBA Board released the minutes of its Monetary Policy Meeting from 3 April. [Full Text]

The ABS released statistics of taxation revenue collected by all levels of government over the past 10 years. [Full Text]

AHURI released a report on the role of community housing organisations in meeting the housing and support needs of homeless people. [Full Text]

AHURI released a report on the measurement of homelessness service effectiveness. [Full Text]

The PM and Ministers Mark Butler and David Bradbury said COAG committed to working together towards reducing the regulatory burden on the not-for-profit sector. [Full Text]

Recommendations of the independent expert review on the proposed structure of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation have been endorsed by the Government. [Full Text]

The Southern California Council of Governments adopted a Sustainable Communities Strategy which includes a $US246 billion investment in public transportation and aims to reduce traffic congestion by 24 percent per capita. [Full Text]

The National Water Commission released the report 'Impacts of water trading in the southern Murray-Darling Basin between 2006-07 and 2010-11'. [Full Text]

Details of the National Trust's Heritage Week events are online. [Full Text]

Premier Barry O'Farrell announced that the new convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour will be delivered through a $1 billion PPP and that the proposed new precinct has been expanded in size by two-thirds. [Full Text]

The Sydney Business Chamber said the proposed new precinct at Darling Harbour is clearly aimed at recapturing Sydney's place as Australia's premier business and major events capital. [Full Text]

The Tourism & Transport Forum said the new integrated precinct is an investment in Sydney's future. [Full Text]

The NSW DP&I is seeking public comment on a proposal to improve the accuracy of cost estimates accompanying DAs. [Full Text]

The DP&I responded to the Australian Financial Review regarding the Potential Home Sites program. [Full Text]

Minister Anthony Albanese discussed the second Sydney airport in a press conference. [Full Text]

Minister Albanese discussed the second Sydney airport in a radio interview. [Full Text]

Greens NSW Planning spokesperson David Shoebridge said the airport mess proves there is no strategic planning for Sydney. [Full Text]

Ministers Brendan O'Connor and Brad Hazzard announced $7.2 million for 61 new affordable housing dwellings in North Eveleigh. [Full Text]

Wollongong's draft Community Strategic Plan is on exhibition. [Full Text]

The ACT Government is consulting on a Transit Corridor Study which looks at replacing buses with light rail or bus rapid transit between the City and Gungahlin. [Full Text]

Minister Simon Corbell said that the ACT Government has received 49 prequalification proposals to deliver a large scale solar facility. [Full Text]

Minister Andrew Barr chaired the inaugural meeting of the ACT's Aviation Taskforce, which aims to attract direct international flights to and from Canberra. [Full Text]

Documents relating to a proposed airfield at Williamsdale in the ACT have been released under FOI. [Full Text]

Technical amendments 2012-01 and 2012-18 to the ACT's Territory Plan have taken effect. [Full Text]

Minister Barr issued an update on the Government's Land Rent Scheme and Affordable Housing Action Plan. [Full Text]

The ACT Heart Foundation will stage an Active Living forum in Canberra during May. [Full Text]

Premier Campbell Newman said he has directed his ministers to "root out red tape" from within their portfolios as a priority. [Full Text]

A booklet on heritage protection in Queensland will be launched by the Government today. [Full Text]

The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors responded to reports that the Victorian Government was looking to scrap the 6 Star rating system. [Full Text]

The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors welcomed the announcement that the 6 Star energy ratings would not be scrapped. [Full Text]

An Aboriginal Heritage Issues and Options Paper was released by the Victorian Government. [Full Text]

Minister Guy approved a $275 million, 71-storey residential tower at Southbank which will be Melbourne's second-tallest building. [Full Text]

The Central Dandenong revitalisation project was discussed in the Victorian Parliament. [Full Text]

The report 'Performance Reporting by Local Government' was released by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office. [Full Text]

NT Treasurer Delia Lawrie said ABS figures showing building work rose 15 per cent in the December quarter were a good sign of confidence in the construction sector. [Full Text]

The NT Government announced a $28 million investment across affordable and social urban housing and land release projects as part of the upcoming 2012 Budget. [Full Text]