Urban and social planning through public-private partnerships : the case of the Bonnyrigg Living Communities Project, Sydney Australia

In December 2004 the New South Wales (NSW) state Housing Minister announced the redevelopment of the 81-hectare Bonnyrigg public housing estate in Sydney Australia. The Bonnyrigg Living Communites Project (BLCP) is the first NSW public housing estate redevelopment by public-private partnership. The project involves a 30-year contract between the NSW Government and a private-sector consortium company. The BLCP is a pathfinder project that is exploring new urban and social planning models, social mix policies, a new asset management program and dwelling maintenance practices contracted out to the private-sector by the NSW Government. On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the BLCP this article explores some of the challenges of using public-private partnerships to manage large-scale social, urban and economic change.