Capital city strategic planning systems will be reviewed by a new expert panel, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced.

In an address to the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG) on Thursday, Mr Rudd said the panel will support the COAG Reform Council in its review of planning systems to ensure they meet the agreed national criteria for productivity, sustainability and liveability.

The panel will be chaired by Brian Howe, a pioneer of urban development who, through the Building Better Cities program, brought the Commonwealth back into city policy two decades ago.

Former Lord Mayor of Sydney, Lucy Turnbull, has been appointed deputy chair.

COAG Reform Council deputy chair and former premier of Western Australia, Geoff Gallop, will take a particular responsibility on the panel on behalf of the COAG Reform Council.

Mr Rudd said the panel would provide a “blend of experience”, with representatives from the Commonwealth, state and local governments, academia, the private sector and the planning industry.

Under landmark reform agreed to at the December 2009 meeting of COAG, capital city strategic planning systems are expected to be in place by 2012.

Mr Rudd said the COAG Reform Council will consult with the local government as it undertakes its review.

Capital cities strategic planning panel:

Chair, Brian Howe
Professorial Associate at the Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, and former Deputy Prime Minister (1991-95).

Deputy Chair, Lucy Turnbull
Former Lord Mayor of Sydney (2003-04) and former commercial lawyer and investment banker.

Professor Duncan MacLennan
Director of the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St Andrews, Scotland and adviser to governments on housing policy in UK, Poland, France, Sweden, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

Meredith Sussex AM
Administrator of Brimbank City Council in Victoria and former executive director of the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination (2002-06).

Rod Pearse OAM
Former managing director and chief executive officer of Boral and former chair of the Business Council of Australia's Sustainable Growth Taskforce.

Jude Munro
Outgoing chief executive officer of Brisbane City Council, former chief executive officer of the City of Adelaide, interim chief executive officer of the City of Moreland and former chief executive officer of the City of St Kilda.

John Denton
Leading architect and urban designer, and former Victorian State Government Architect.

Sue Holliday
Private consultant in the area of urban change, immediate past president of the Planning Institute of Australia and former Director-General of NSW Planning (1997-2003).