Sydney - call for environmental sustainability

Friday, 24 January 2003 10:00

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"The report, 'Sydney - the urban consolidation challenge' - supports high quality urban consolidation as a key way to meet population and environmental problems, as well as new sustainable development and community participation policies. The bushfire crisis also demonstrates a big problem with fringe development," said Jeff Angel, Director of the Centre.

"We need an environmental model of Sydney so that the city's ecological footprint can be monitored and managed. All development should be filtered by environmental sustainability principles," Mr Angel said.

"As Sydney enters the 21st century embroiled in controversies about its future shape and environment, it is timely to push the debate towards a new vision. Perhaps more than at any period in its past there are contradictory forces battling to put their stamp on the city - medium density; fringe development; international city; car-dependent, resource-guzzling metropolis; sustainable city - are all themes currently in play. Population growth and reducing the impacts of the existing population, are essential concerns."

"For example, Sydney landfills 4.5m tonnes of waste each year; disposes of 1.3m litres of wastewater each day and trips by cars have increased by 20m km per day since 1990."
We are inviting public comment on 'Sydney - the urban consolidation challenge'. It can be found on our website - www.tec.org.au - click on Sustainable Sydney.
Further information: Jeff Angel (02) 9299 5680

Sydney at a glance:
Population growth - 54,800 pa
Population by 2021 - 5 million
Occupancy ratios - 2.92 in 1981, 2.68 in 2001
Car use - extra 20m km per day compared to 1990
Air pollution - 2.5m people exposed to WHO 0.08ppm standard
Transport C02 - 4m tonnes pa
Rail - need 45% increase in patronage to reach air quality goals
Water - more than 1,600m litres used each day
Wastewater disposed - more than 1,300m litres each day
Electricity greenhouse emissions - 8.40 tonnes per person pa
Waste landfilled - 4.5m tonnes pa