Perth 2050: Can Perth be a more inclusive city?

Perth 2050, a Committee for Perth report in partnership with Scitech, reveals an outlook for the future of Perth and what the city could look like in 25 years when population is expected to reach 3.5 million. 

Futurist Dr Ben Hamer, the report’s author, who lives between Perth and Sydney, recognises the “untapped potential” of Perth, noting the city is at “an inflection point … to redefine itself and reimagine the way people live, work, invest, visit and play in this beautiful part of the world”.

The report surveyed 1,400 Western Australians, including key decision makers and sector leaders, and high school students - who will be those in charge in 2050 - providing insights into the hopes and fears of Perth’s people. 

Ten priorities emerged from the research, including urban sprawl and density, transport, housing affordability and availability, sustainability and decarbonisation, economic diversification, the ageing population and educating tomorrow’s workforce, and supporting inclusive communities. 

“I had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of voices, from young students full of optimism to industry leaders focused on innovation. Across all my conversations, one thing was abundantly clear. While the people of Perth love their city, the world is changing and they don’t want to sit still as it changes around them,” Dr Harmer noted in the report. 

Currently home to 2.3 million people, Perth needs to evolve as population creeps up to be considered a globally competitive city by 2050, Dr Harmer noted in the report.

Inclusive communities

Activ and genU CEO Clare Amies said her ideal scenario when picturing what Australia could look like in 2050 is a more inclusive one.

She emphasised the need for accessibility planning to be increased to a greater level and is encouraging the WA Government to continue to optimise their accessibility plans and incorporate more inclusive objectives into the next State Planning Strategy 2050 review.

“People with disability deserve to be able to access every part of our community with confidence, dignity, and ease,” Ms Amies said.

“This applies to every part of life – housing, transport, employment, facilities and amenities, sport and entertainment venues, parks and gardens, social interactions.

“When you ask what my ideal vision of what WA could look like in 2050, it would be that inclusion and accessibility are incorporated into planning and design right from the start of projects, rather than being an afterthought or add-on, which is often where these adjustments sit now.

“It would be great if accessibility was not seen as a set of ‘adjustments’, after the fact, but included in general planning and guidelines. 

“Imagine if we didn’t have to have “disability housing” or “accessible building” labels but that all buildings and homes were accessible as the norm.”

With the proper planning, coupled with commitment and collaboration, Ms Amies said Perth could hold the mantle in 2050 of having the most genuinely inclusive communities in Australia, if it continued to put pieces of the puzzle in place. 

Ms Amies acknowledged the Department of Justice’s WA Disability and Inclusion Plan 2024-2029 and the WA State Disability Strategy 2020-2030 as welcome blueprints for ensuring accessibility is integrated into planning and design processes.   

Activ and genU CEO Clare Amies.

“We applaud this proactive approach towards improving accessibility, as a result of these initiatives over the next five years, we can make significant positive improvements in accessibility and access” she said.

With recent learnings and an understanding of community expectations and needs, the Disability and Inclusion Plan and Disability Strategy provide rich data for the government as it continues to plan for future needs in the next 25 years.     

“Given the consultation with the community and feedback provided that was incorporated into these significant resources, there is an opportunity to extend these findings to build a more robust Statewide Planning Strategy 2050, in line with current expectations,” Ms Amies said. 

“I strongly encourage the state government to take these valuable resources into consideration when the strategy undergoes its next review and update.”

Ms Amies said as one of Australia’s leading community services providers with a ‘profit-for-purpose’ ethos, the Activ and genU vision was to build genuinely inclusive communities. 

“People living with disability deserve to go about their daily life without having to give thought to what may impede their access to their community,” she said. 

“Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and a collaborative approach can create the transformational change we all want to achieve,” Ms Amies said.

And as employers seek to fill skills needs shortages, Ms Amies expressed hope that the incredible latent talent within the disability community is unlocked in the next 25 years.

As the CEO outlined recently in Business News, employers have support to tap into this ready-made and passionate workforce just waiting to contribute.     

“With genU and Activ Foundation as proud leaders in the disability employment and social enterprise spaces, we want to share our knowledge and expertise to coach businesses on how to make their workplaces more inclusive and accessible, and at the same time, supercharge their workforce by employing people with disability,” Ms Amies said. 

“By 2050, we would like to see the rate of disability employment match the overall employment rate. 

“Our aim should be reaching the point where this statistic is no longer highlighted, or relevant, because people with disability are contributing to our productivity and are not considered as an afterthought for employment opportunities.” 

Ultimately, when we look back in 25 years’ time, Ms Amies believes the need for standalone accessibility plans and strategies will have become a thing of the past and accessibility considerations will simply be embedded in all mainstream planning.

“The commitment to accessibility and inclusion needs to be more than a goal, it is a necessity for a thriving community,” she said. 

“As Perth looks towards 2050, the focus needs to remain on creating an environment where everyone, regardless of ability, can participate fully in all aspects of life.” 

“While 25 years sounds like a long time, it will be here before we know it so now is the time for action.”

Ending hunger

For Foodbank WA’s CEO Kate O’Hara, it’s ending food insecurity and hunger in WA. “Picture this, we are the first state in Australia to reach zero hunger. Everyone would have access to healthy, nutritious food. 

“Parents are no longer skipping meals to see that their child has enough to eat each night, kids are going to school with full tummies and lunch boxes ready to learn and take in everything the school day has to offer. Pensioners don't have to forego turning on the heating in winter or air conditioning in summer because otherwise they can't afford lunch or dinner that day.

“Each and every individual who works hard for their money has a secure roof over their heads because the cost-of-living crisis pushing up everything from rental prices to groceries to medication has ended,” Ms O’Hara said.

“We take charge to change what we can and strive to ensure that the next 25 years is filled with hope for the future, rather than fear and uncertainty.” - Kate O'Hara, Foodbank WA CEO

“You may think I am describing utopia, but it's actually the result that the for-purpose sector is striving for. The Raise the Rate for Good campaign alongside the No Place for Poverty campaign means there will be little need for our collective services and we all want that.” 

Ms O’Hara said it is vital to work towards creating a fair and equitable society for everyone. “In a perfect world, the next 25 years would see us working towards finding financial stability, housing and food security for the most vulnerable in this state because we can and must do better. 

Kate O'Hara, Foodbank WA's CEO.

“If we all work towards this common goal of a fair and equitable society, supported by the government and industry, we will see invaluable change for good where we provide pathways for people to get out of poverty, and food stress. Having access to healthy food is a basic human right, not a privilege," she said.

“We take charge to change what we can and strive to ensure that the next 25 years is filled with hope for the future, rather than fear and uncertainty.”