Beyond the station precinct: high-speed rail planning and governance transformation in regional Australia

Advocates often present high-speed rail (HSR) as a solution to multiple planning challenges by associating it with sustainable mobility, urban regeneration, regional development and productivity growth. However, the uneven effects of HSR can exacerbate socioeconomic and environmental problems if project planning is narrowly construed as a technical challenge for transport engineers and urban economists. While HSR advocates appeal to public concerns about ‘crises’ afflicting Australian cities and regions, urban planning knowledge remains subsidiary and can run contrary to prevailing project visions and governance strategies. This article investigates the challenges inherent in HSR planning by reviewing speakers’ contributions to the Australian High Speed Rail Association 2025 conference. As the Australian Government commences detailed planning for the Newcastle-to-Sydney corridor, the conference serves as a microcosm of advocates’ arguments for HSR development. Although the speakers embrace urban issues, technocratic approaches dominate current thinking, crowding out critical insights that can lead to a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities. The review explores new ways of thinking about HSR by viewing the speakers’ arguments through an urban planning and design lens. The analysis is organised around several urban crises in the sights of advocates: a ‘polycrisis’ of failures in housing, climate, transport and economic policy that HSR is purported to address. Building on international research and examples cited by the speakers, the review finds that success will require more than good project planning and governance – it hinges on transformative regional politics to redress asymmetries in Australia’s federal system that hinder integrated planning.