Abstract:
The paper analyses the forces that have led to the NSW government's creation of another urban
development corporation in Sydney, the Redfern-Waterloo Authority. It firstly examines the concept of
New State Spaces as a primary mode of urban governance in the post-Fordist era, involving the
application of neo-liberalism to major urban projects using public-private partnerships. The paper then
reviews the use of urban development corporations by the NSW government since the 1960s as a
potential exemplar of new state spaces, and suggests reasons for the frequent adoption of such
corporations as a governance mechanism for urban development and redevelopment in Sydney. The
local conditions in inner city Redfern-Waterloo that have prompted the creation of the Authority are
then examined. After outlining the powers and roles of the Authority. the paper analyses the specific
political and institutional contexts that drove the decision to create the Authority at the end of 2004.
The extent to which the Authority illustrates the new state spaces thesis is analysed. Finally. possible
reasons for the unabated use of urban development corporations by the NSW government in relation to
their lessening use in other areas such as the UK are put forward.
