Traditionally, decisions about land use, infrastructure planning, environmental conservation and emergency planning are often made in disconnected policy silos. By contrast, a cross-sectoral, place-based approach supports collaboration and coordination. This approach considers the impact of decisions of one sector on others, and thus supports more robust decisions.
Collaboration means all levels of government, along with stakeholders and communities, can consider multiple issues and their cross-sectoral effects simultaneously. This allows a systemic, cross-sectoral response to shocks and stresses rather than each sector addressing risk in isolation. A broader understanding of issues also allows place-based planners to consider and balance economic, social, environmental and governance outcomes.
Collaboration and coordination practices should be embedded into planning and infrastructure decisions. This will help build stakeholders' ability to develop and maintain long-term adaptation strategies, where infrastructure networks and assets and the community are aligned and work together.
If local governments are limited by scale or resourcing, they should reduce duplication and optimise resources by jointly creating, resourcing and authorising place-based entities to convene stakeholders and plan for resilience.
Some Australian cities already have place-based, resilience-focused organisations. One example is Resilient Sydney, which is part of a global program that is building the capacity of cities to survive and thrive in the face of chronic stresses and acute shocks. These and similar initiatives can play an important role in making communities resilient.
" Collaboration and coordination practices should be embedded into planning and infrastructure decisions. "