A representative body for the fast-growing outer suburbs of metropolitan areas say a federal strategy should be developed for managing urban population growth.

The National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA) has made the claim this week that basic facilities are out of reach in the burgeoning communities, and federal action should be taken. The Alliance has written a letter to the leaders of both major political parties.

NGAA Chair, Mayor Paul Pisasale, said: “Our communities suffer as residents struggle to access education, jobs and services. There is still no deliberate strategy to manage urban population growth... we should be taking advantage of the opportunities that lie on the outskirts of our capital cities – opportunities to increase GDP if investment was made... we are totally perplexed at the silence and why there is still no serious action to assist these communities.”

More specifically, Mayor Pisasale wants to know if the ‘Suburban Jobs Program’ will continue, if an Urban Infrastructure Program be created and whether a COAG agreement could be made to deliberately focus on managing urban population growth.

Urban centres are certainly entering a new age of population density, influx and soaring house prices; a situation that has pushed people to outer suburbs in their droves with seemingly no governmental plans in place to make sure lifestyles are not diminished in the move.