The Transport Impacts of Employment Decentralisation in Brisbane

Abstract

Employment decentralisation may be defined as a process by which city-regions increase the proportion of jobs that are located outside of their central business district (CBD) and its immediate frame. The Queensland Government has embarked on a program of targeted program of employment decentralisation, seeking to move 20 per cent of it's office space, or around 5,600 public servants, out of the centre by 2017 (Sectorwide 2008:2). This paper explores the transport impacts of such decentralisation policies for greater Brisbane. A methodological framework is developed from a review of previous modelling efforts exploring decentralisation and office relocations in Oslo, Melbourne and in US cities. Scenarios based on the Queensland Government's program are developed. The multi-modal Brisbane Strategic Transport Model is then used to examine the likely impacts of this Queensland Government's initiatives. Results are provided in terms of vehicle kilometres travelled, travel time, levels of service on key links and public transport patronage/mode share. The results are interrogated to isolate possible effects on reverse commuting and transport network optimisation. Means to expand this pilot work into a more holistic assessment of the transport and housing impacts of decentralisation are then proposed.