Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced his patronage of the Australian Urban Design Awards.
In accepting the invitation, the Prime Minister said he was honoured to continue the tradition of prime ministerial support for these important national awards.
Mr Turnbull said: “I have a vision for Australia’s cities to be the most liveable in the world. This is because liveable cities are fundamental to the Australian Government’s economic plan for jobs and growth as we transition from a resources economy to the knowledge economy.
“Australia’s cities support our most important resource – our people. Great cities attract, develop and retain talent, supporting them to innovate, create new jobs and growth. High-quality urban design is essential in building more sustainable cities that are great places to live, work and visit.”
The Australian Urban Design Awards program was established as the Australia Award for Urban Design in 1996 and was created by then-prime minister Paul Keating’s Urban Design Task Force. Lucy Turnbull, former lord mayor of Sydney and chief commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission, is also a patron. Past patrons of the awards include former prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.
The awards are convened by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and organized by Architecture Media. CEO of the PIA, Kirsty Kelly, said: “The Planning Institute of Australia is delighted to have Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as a patron of the Australian Urban Design Awards.”
She continued: “It is pleasing to have a prime minister who understands the critical link between good urban design and the quality of the places in which we live, work and play.”
The Australian Urban Design Awards cover a broad range of urban design work, from built projects and initiatives to publications and reports that will make a difference to the places, spaces, buildings and infrastructure of Australia’s cities, towns and regions.
The 2016 Australian Urban Design Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday 13 October. For more information, and to buy tickets to the awards presentation, visit the Australian Urban Design Awards website.
The Australian Urban Design Awards are convened by the Planning Institute of Australia and organized by Architecture Media. The awards are supported by nine peak bodies from across the built environment – the Planning Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, the Green Building Council of Australia, the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Consult Australia, Engineers Australia, the Urban Design Forum and Government Architects Network Australia. In 2016 the principal partner is Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia with supporting partners Holcim, iGuzzini, PTA Landscapes, Queensland Government and Concrete Masonry Association of Australia.
