Visiting urbanist Professor Greg Clark calls for ‘super council’ as local clashes hinder developments

THE existence of too many councils is holding back Melbourne’s progress, says a visiting urban expert.

MELBOURNE suffered globally because it lacked a “super council” to manage growth across the city, a forum has been told.

Visiting urbanist Professor Greg Clark said too many councils was a problem holding back Melbourne’s progress especially compared to cities like Brisbane which had one super council making decisions for the metropolis.

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“It’s bigger, it has more capacity, it has stronger business, it has more professional, capable leadership,” he told a Property Council of Australia event. “What you’ve currently got (in Melbourne is) local government fragmentation — that’s a competitive disadvantage.”

Lord Mayor-elect Sally Capp said she would work with other councils to raise issues with state and federal governments.

“There’s definitely a role, particularly for those metropolitan councils, to come together and work on projects that have benefits right across the broader city,” she said.

New Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp. Picture: AAP/Tracey Nearmy.

The Property Council, of which Ms Capp was the state executive director up to the lord mayoral election campaign, released its Creating Great Australian Cities report.

British-based Prof Clark, who was the lead author, said that Australia was plagued by a series of political problems and “hugely unhelpful” ultra-competitiveness between various sectors.

“This is an almost terrible political context in which to try to do metropolitan growth management,” he said.