The following is an edited transcript of an address given by Dr James Hadfield, Secretary of the Department of Interstellar Planning, to the Interstellar Planning Institute's annual conference.
Planning for a growing Commonwealth
The Commonwealth's population has grown by more than a fifth over the past decade, with most of that growth concentrated in the Inner Colonies and Frontier Territories. Meeting that growth well, rather than simply accommodating it, is the department's core task for the coming cycle.
Good planning isn't about keeping pace with growth. It's about making sure the systems we build today still serve the communities that will depend on them in fifty years.Dr James Hadfield, Secretary, Department of Interstellar Planning
Three priorities for the coming cycle
The Secretary outlined three priorities that will guide the department's work over the next planning cycle:
- Accelerating housing supply in the Frontier Territories through the Connected Colonies Program
- Expanding hyperlane and orbital infrastructure to keep pace with freight and passenger demand
- Strengthening community consultation processes ahead of major project decisions
In the year ahead, the department will finalise the Outer Rim Housing Strategy, progress the Future Spaceports Initiative, and continue to deliver the $840 million frontier investment package. The Secretary closed by thanking the Institute's members for their continued partnership with the department, and confirmed that a full copy of the address is available on request through the department's contact page.
