PLAN-130: Planning in Australia

With a unique natural environment, exotic flora and fauna, a blend of people and cultures, and peaceful and egalitarian values, the island continent of Australia has long held a strong allure for many people. The sixth largest country in the world by land mass, Australia's relatively small population of 20 million gives it the lowest population density per square mile of land of any occupied continent. Historically the country has drawn heavily from both European and North American traditions, although Asia is now contributing strongly to its cultural mix. As with the United States the country has turned to migrants from around the globe to help meet its needs for skilled labor.

Australia offers a unique opportunity for comparative studies for planners from many backgrounds. Through this course, you have the opportunity to view the planning system of a different country – but one which faces many similar problems and issues. This is a different – but effective – way to reflect on our own systems and our problems as well as our successes. As part of understanding the Australian context, the course will also assist you to understand the life, times, and culture "down under". Upon completion of the course, you will have a good grounding and understanding not only of the way the Australian culture works with the planning systems but also the major elements of those systems and how they compare with systems with which you are familiar. In addition, should you be interested in working in Australia, you should be well-equipped to undertake further planning law conversion courses required for formal professional recognition with the Planning Institute of Australia.

Now with Video! This course now features video presentations to accompany each course, delivered by instructor Angus Witherby. Each video breaks down the main lessons from each topic in an easy-to-follow format.

• Course Instructor
• Student Testimonials
• Course Outline
• Course Overview
• Video Introduction
• Returning Student Discount
• Purchasing Information
• Log In To Planetizen Courses

Course Instructor

Angus Witherby is an urban and regional planner trained at the University of New England in Australia. A self described professional generalist, Mr. Witherby's specialties include rural and regional planning, transportation planning, and retail planning. He has spent ten years working in strategic planning and statutory (application assessment) areas with local government in NSW in metropolitan fringe and rural areas. Mr. Witherby also worked as a planning academic at the University of New England teaching in the urban and regional planning program. He has written and taught courses in planning application assessment and transport planning as well as disaster mitigation for land use planners, and has taught students from China, various African countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Malta and the United States. Mr Witherby has been involved in planning policy development at the state and local level in transport and retail planning and also at the Federal level in performance based approaches to development assessment.

Since 2005, Mr. Witherby has been running his own full-time consulting business which operates in Victoria and New South Wales, the two most populous states in Australia. His clientèle includes a mix of state and local government, commercial developers, private citizens and objectors to development. Mr. Witherby has been involved with the Planning Institute of Australia for the last six years and currently sits on the National Education Committee. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Australia, and is also involved with the Global Planning Education Association Network.

Student Testimonials

"This course was very important in helping me to understand Australian culture, and the political and urban planning system."
-- Christine Qu, Chinese Senior Urban Planner

Course Outline

Topic 1: An Australian Cultural Crash Course

• Lesson 1: A Quick Picture of Australia
  
• Lesson 2: Metropolitan Primacy and the Rule of the City
  
• Lesson 3: Sea Change and Tree Change
  
• Lesson 4: Rise of the McMansion
  
• Lesson 5: Environment and Environmentalism in Australia
  
• Lesson 6: Country Towns, Country Values
  
• Lesson 7: Agriculture, Mines and Water
  
• Lesson 8: Ethnicity in Australia
  
• Lesson 9: Indigenous Australians
• Topic 1 Quiz

Topic 2: The Australian Political and Legal Systems

• Lesson 1: An Introduction to Australian Politics
  
• Lesson 2: Federal, State and Local Government Relationships
  
• Lesson 3: Origins of Australian Law
  
• Lesson 4: Structure of the Australian Legal System
  
• Lesson 5: Planning Law and the Legal System
  
• Lesson 6: Property Rights
• Topic 2 Quiz

Topic 3: Planning In Australia

• Lesson 1: Terminology
  
• Lesson 2: Australian Planning
  
• Lesson 3: The Role of Community
  
• Lesson 4: International Comparisons
• Topic 3 Quiz

Topic 4: Working as a Planner in Australia

• Lesson 1: The Planning Profession in Australia
  
• Lesson 2: The Planning Institute of Australia
  
• Lesson 3: The Planning Workplace
  
• Lesson 4: Finding A Job And Moving To Australia
• Topic 4 Quiz

End of Course Test

Course Overview

Planning as an activity is culturally grounded. When we are working inside the culture with which we are most familiar, we tend to see that culture – and its planning profession – from the “inside out”. This course will help you see your own planning system from the “outside in”. This is a key tool for building skills in self reflective practice and therefore a more objective look as ourselves as planners, and the system in which we work. It is also an important skill for planners looking to work in other cultures – whether Australia or elsewhere. Whilst we may "parachute in" to a new country or culture and function to some degree successfully within that culture, it is always better to come armed with foreknowledge. This course will also assist to build knowledge for planners looking to visit Australia for an extended "working holiday", emigrate, or if you are simply curious about how planning systems in other countries work and how to learn about them. The course covers basic geographic and cultural information, as well as laws and politics, and outlines the various planning systems in Australia in comparison to other systems in Europe and North America.

Video Introduction

Note: Each lesson in this course is accompanied by a brief video lecture, presented by instructor Angus Witherby

Returning Student Discount

Returning Planetizen Courses students can also take advantage of a 15% discount off the price of another Planetizen Course (PLAN-145, PLAN-310, PLAN-315, and all webinars exempted). To receive this discount, contact us at info@planetizen.com.

Purchasing Information

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