Editing Albury–Wodonga (section)

== Albury–Wodonga's National Growth Centre Experience ==
Albury–Wodonga’s national growth centre experience derived from Australia’s decentralisation processes in the post-war era. Australia, at the time was seen to be borrowing the idea from British town and country planning which had developed from the Garden City concept.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/> The 'New Towns' approach, as it was known, was a popular form of planning used in 1940–50’s UK to aid national decentralisation.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hall |first1=Peter |title=The Containment of Urban England |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1974 |volume=130 |issue=3 |pages=386–408|doi=10.2307/1796533 |jstor=1796533 }}</ref> The main features of the concept were the strengthening of neighbourhoods and civic centres, development of industrial zones and greenbelts. Meanwhile, in Australia, some began to term the new development as 'satellite towns' and emphasised the improved conditions around housing, more open spaces and easier access to the countryside.<ref name="auto1"/> Soon after, elements of the 'new towns' could be found in metropolitan planning strategies in Australian cities such as Canberra and Elizabeth.<ref name="auto1"/>

By the 1970’s the concept was adopted by the Whitlam government who took up the idea as a national urban development policy, and nominated a range of cities to be affected, some pre-existing (Albury–Wodonga, Bathurst-Orange) and others to be developed (Monarto).<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/> 
Both the Commonwealth and State governments were involved in the strategies to accelerate the growth of Albury–Wodonga.<ref name="auto2"/> Together they established the Albury–Wodonga Development Corporation which held mandates for local land development, economic and community planning and reafforestation and for the overall implementation of the project.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/>

=== Strategies for relocation ===

From a Commonwealth perspective there was a desire to relocate public servants from larger cities such as Canberra and Sydney to Albury–Wodonga due to concerns around rising costs in highly populated urban areas.<ref name="auto2"/> Further support came from the AWDC who, in turn, offered high standard rental housing and support for key transferred public servants and developed an innovative newcomer program to help those transferred and their families.<ref name="auto2"/>  Despite these efforts, a high-level of public service relocation did not take place. However, Albury–Wodonga was, successful in establishing an Australia Tax Office bureau and today still has a large number of defence jobs as a result of a major logistics centre development and training school set up by the federal government.<ref name="auto2"/>

Universities and corporate decentralisation were also seen as a way to grow a prosperous urban area. The establishment of a university would not only increase the number of jobs but also expand the occupational breadth in the workforce.<ref name="auto2"/> A university would provide access to tertiary education for rural and regional students and limit the loss of local school leavers from the region.<ref name="auto2"/>

Similarly, attracting private enterprise was used as a mechanism to accelerate growth. Thus the AWDC developed an economic strategy focussed on the strengthening of distribution and manufacturing services in the region.<ref name="auto2"/> Albury–Wodonga was to become a regional distribution hub. Moreover, the AWDC enticed new businesses to relocate by providing rental start-up factories, rental housing for employees and promoting the child-care and education facilities already available.<ref name="auto2"/> To attract larger private enterprises (for example Mars Petcare and the Newsprint Mill at Ettamogah) the state and Commonwealth governments intervened, enforcing provisions such a social housing for employees, to help accelerate growth.<ref name="auto2"/>

Furthermore, similar to other places that fell under the 'New Towns' strategy, retaining green space was important for the Albury–Wodonga growth centre. In and around the area, the AWDC planted approximately 3 million trees and shrubs, becoming one of Australia’s biggest urban re-afforestation programs.<ref name="auto2"/> Today Albury–Wodonga continues to exercise environmental leadership through various sustainability initiatives.<ref>{{cite web |title=Albury City Council Environment and Sustainability |url=https://www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au/environment/sustainability |website=Albury City NSW |date=23 August 2019 |publisher=AlburyCity |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref>

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