Labor promises new City Partnerships

Cities around Australia will be able to get special "City Partnerships" for major projects if Labor wins the next election.

The policy will replace the coalition's "City Deals" offered to cities like Hobart, Launceston and Western Sydney.

Labor's infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese announced the plan in a speech at the Sydney Institute on Wednesday night, calling for a more rigorous way of helping cities plan.

He said the Turnbull government had taken some steps towards city planning, but it was haphazard.

"Their City Deals program is a poor imitation of the UK model it seeks to replicate, with funding commitments that are determined from the top-down and tied to the electoral cycle," Mr Albanese said.

"The absence of transparency and clear guidelines has left local councils unsure as to how they can best participate."

Labor will re-establish the Major Cities Unit within Infrastructure Australia, and it will recommend new City Partnerships to the minister.

"We want to unlock the potential of our cities," Mr Albanese said.

He promised the guidelines for cities to apply for special funding arrangements would be publicly available and transparent.