Given the conspicuous and wide-ranging effects emanating from planning, this paper takes as its starting point the proposition that all planning, not least that directed at Australian cities, must address and resolve the issue of legitimacy in terms of what justifies its decision making and intervention(s)

The sex industry in Sydney is currently regulated through all levels of Australian government. New South Wales is seen as leading the charge within Australia for its neoliberal market model of occupational and premises regulation.

International research suggests that the health impacts for individuals and communities living near contaminated sites are significant and complex and extend beyond the risk of immediate physical harm to impact on the psychological health of both individuals and communities.

This paper provides insight into these emerging planning processes through an investigation of the development of action planning processes within the City of Sydney and Penrith City which enable a broader range of players to participate in determining how objectives within the Council’s strategic plans are realised ‘on the ground’.

This paper explores the recent attempts by Penrith City Council to develop a framework to redress neighbourhood disadvantage, firstly by developing an integrative governance framework for the program and secondly by transforming the Council’s operational structure.