Communication, Transportation and the Decentralization of Selected Public Services in New South Wales (Australia)

Abstract

New South Wales, in common with most other Australian states, has an urban hierarchy dominated by the state capital city. The proposal to decentralize population and economic activity away from the capital city has received an increasing amount of support in recent years. In this research the decentralization of selected public services is examined with respect to the structure and flows within transportation and communication networks. Factor analysis was used to identify regions for the structure and flows of several transportation and communication networks. In addition, the question of the optimal location of branch facilities in a tertiary service organization was discussed using several computer programs which solved variants of the location-allocation problem. The location of these branch facilities and the boundaries of their service areas were compared with, firstly, the results obtained in the factor analysis of structure and flows in the transportation and communication networks and, secondly, empirical studies of the location, type and service areas of central places within the state. The question of decentralizing public services was linked to the general problem of urban and regional development within the state. The development of growth centers was discussed as a possible planning strategy. A conclusion that emerges from the analysis of the structure and flows in transportation and communication networks was that the location and nature of growth centers must take into account the dominance of state capital cities. In addition, future innovations in transportation and communication technology may further increase the dominance of the existing metropolitan areas.