Region. Little discussion on city fringe

Relatively little emphasis on outer suburbs or the urban fringe was considered in a Right to the City symposium, at the Sydney University Faculty of Architecture, according to Alec Gooding, of Gooding Davies Consultancy, at Lawson. The symposium sought to make connections between artists, activists, planners and architects in seeking ways to "remake" the city “in more socially connected and sustainable ways”, responding to the increasingly fragmented and complex nature of urban life.

Region. Local man worked on Christie report

Alex Gooding, a former executive director, of the lobby group, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) was an author of the Christie Report, an independent report on Sydney’s transport plans, partly financed by The Sydney Morning Herald. “Extensive experience in research and advocacy involving transport needs in Western Sydney, plus qualifications in social studies and urban planning, have given him a unique insight into the complex relationship between land use and transport and the social, environmental and economic consequences for Sydney of continued under-investment in infrastructure,” the report noted. Mr Gooding was WSROC’s executive director for 12 years.

Region. Move into consultancy

Alex Gooding, who resigned as executive director, late last year, of the local government lobby group, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), based in Blacktown, has established a consultancy, Gooding Davies Consultancy Pty Ltd, with his wife, Fiona Davies, in Lawson. Mr Gooding, who spent 17 years with the organisation including 12 in the top job, will combine his 25 years experience of advocacy, research and strategic planning in Western Sydney with his wife’s background in providing advice and project management services to corporate sector clients through the consultancy firm she established, in 1986, to provide a range of services to councils, government and the corporate and community sectors.