City Limits: Overview : SBS Insight

Overview

Will Australian cities survive the challenges of climate change? With 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions coming from cities, change is near.

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Australian cities will have to be transformed if we are serious about cutting our greenhouse gas emissions. Given that 75% of emissions come from our cities, where we live, where we work and how we get there will all need to change.

Our cities developed on the promise of cheap oil when climate change was not on the radar. Now, the suburban dream is turning out to be an environmental nightmare. So how will we turn this around?

Will our freeways be turned into cycle ways? Or will our councils follow London's lead and impose a $56 dollar daily tax for those driving into the city? The one thing we do know is that any major change will require unprecedented political willpower.

Insight returns for 2008 with a focus on our cities; where most people live. We'll be joined by politicians, sustainability planners and members of the public.

Meet the Guests

Peter Garrett MP

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Peter Garrett has been a federal politician since 2004 as member for Kingsford Smith and a senior minister since 2007. Prior to politics Mr Garrett was a musician with the band Midnight Oil and has served two terms as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation. In 2003 he was awarded the Order of Australia for his contribution to environment and the music industry.

Christine Milne, Senator, The Greens

Christine Milne has been a Tasmanian senator with the Greens since July 2005. Senator Milne has had a long involvement in community activism and politics, beginning with the Franklin River campaign.

Tim Redway

Chief marketing officer for AV Jennings
AV Jennings is a national property development and building company which has been building homes and communities for over 75 years. Last year, AV Jennings built 3,500 dwellings comprising new homes, apartments and land.

Alannah MacTiernan

Planning and Infrastructure Minister WA
Since 2001 Alannah has held a portfolio which fuses land use and transport planning into a single agency. Since taking up the portfolio Alannah has doubled Perth's metropolitan passenger rail network. Alannah now leads the state's urban planning strategy which aims to promote sustainability by reducing car dependency.