Opinion

By Neville Fredericks, former Mayor of Kiama

There is a better way to build.

We do not spend our weekends strolling the cul-de-sacs of Campbelltown.

We go to Berry or Braidwood.

We are drawn to places with a town square, a traditional main street, and footpaths where people say hello.

That tells me something. We know what good towns feel like, but somewhere along the line, we stopped building them. I have spent decades thinking about why.

The answer lies in the planning codes that shape every street, setback and driveway.

These codes still reflect post-war thinking, imported from the United States, where the car industry heavily influenced urban design. That is why so many new suburbs are built around cul-de-sacs and collector roads.

They are car-dependent, not people-friendly. Public transport does not work in them. Neither does walkability.

We inherited those frameworks, and we are still using them. When I was working on the Tullimbar project in Albion Park, we ran into exactly that problem.

We wanted to create a compact, walkable, mixed-use township. But we quickly discovered the regulations would not allow it.

So, with Council’s support, we wrote a new set of planning rules.

At Tullimbar, we did things differently. Every street had a footpath on both sides.

Setbacks were one metre, not five. Every home had a front veranda.

If someone was sitting out front and you walked past on the footpath, you were only a few metres apart. You had to say good morning. You built relationships without trying.

Some blocks were just 250 square metres. That is perfect for people who are ready to downsize, who are done with lawnmowers and want a home they can manage. But it was still Torrens title, because we had real laneways.

Laneways matter. You cannot build good terrace housing without them. But most Council DCPs do not even contain a standard for them.

We need to talk about that. Because as we age, more and more of us will want to downsize.

Research out of Melbourne shows half of people over 65 would consider a smaller home if it was the right product. But that product is not being built, because our regulations do not permit it.

The planning system, in many ways, is fostering worst practice. I cannot say that strongly enough. We need model regulations that allow for traditional towns, designed around walking, neighbourliness and mixed uses.

I have spoken with the Department of Planning and the Government Architect.

They agree with the need, but they told me that they needed additional skills and resources, and a model in order to lead it.

They are waiting for someone else to go first. One place where best practice could happen locally is Bombo Quarry.

With enough scale to support 5000 people, it offers a real opportunity to demonstrate what a sustainable, walkable township could look like. But to unlock that kind of thinking, we need inspired and visionary political leadership.

The kind of leadership that is not afraid to challenge outdated assumptions or trial something different. The public can help. Advocacy matters. If the community clearly signals that this is what we want, then elected leaders are empowered to act.

They can establish the right framework and set up the advisory teams needed to get it right.