This chapter examines the problems, challenges and opportunities that changes in global petroleum energy security will pose for Australian cities, their residents, communities, planners and politicians. Australian cities are among the most petroleum- dependent in the world, as a result of over 50 years of support for private motor vehicles as the preferred mode of transport. High levels of reliance on cars inevitably imply high levels of dependence on petroleum. With rising concerns about the future security of global petroleum supplies, it is essential for Australia's urban managers to begin contemplating the risks and vulnerabilities that have been created by rising dependence on cars. This chapter examines Australia's dependence on petroleum in three ways. Firstly, the chapter examines the strategic global petroleum energy context, the outlook for petroleum supplies over the medium and longer term and the threats and risks that global petroleum production faces. Secondly, the chapter considers the current status of Australian cities in terms of their petroleum dependence, the risks and vulnerabilities that this dependence poses for cities generally, as well as for specific areas and subgroups. This section draws on existing empirical research to identify these challenges. Thirdly, the chapter considers the current state of Australian metropolitan planning policies in terms of the degree to which they incorporate an understanding of energy security and oil vulnerability and the extent to which they seek to reduce petroleum risk. The chapter concludes by detailing the policy steps that must be taken to ensure the social and economic sustainability of Australian cities in light of changing global petroleum energy security.
History
Start page
57
End page
74
Total pages
18
Outlet
Transitions: Pathways Towards Sustainable Urban Development in Australia