The event is named for John Bradfield, the engineer responsible for a host of public works in early 20th century NSW.

Perrottet spoke of a grand mega region encompassing Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and Wollongong, all future-focused precincts of tomorrow, ready to take on the world, blah, blah, blah.

Yet, details of resources for actually doing anything were absent. Modern speechwriters avoid traceable commitments. Speechwriting has become as dishonourable a career as any.

Accordingly, the Premier's undertakings were underwhelming: the Greater Sydney Commission will become the Greater Cities Commission, and there will be a dedicated Minister for Cities.

A fortnight later, the Premier named the hapless Rob Stokes as this new Minister. Stokes was a candidate in the October party room ballot to elect a new NSW Premier following the resignation of Gladys Berejiklian amid an ICAC investigation into the integrity of her leadership. Stokes lost badly, 39 to 5. Subsequently, in the new Perrottet ministry, Stokes was demoted in seniority and stripped of the powerful ministries - planning, transport and roads - he held previously.

In the new ministry, Stokes becomes Minister for Infrastructure, Cities, and Active Transport. It's a vague and confusing mix. Not surprisingly, reaction to the announcement among Newcastle's business and development agencies and committees - and there are many - was muted.

So, what might Stokes and his new portfolio achieve for our fair city? I have to admit low expectations, for three reasons.

First, while Newcastle has landed a talker, a man admired for his sincere views about environmental sustainability and effective urban planning, many have been disappointed in Stokes' achievements in ministerial office.

For example, his last acts as planning minister - approval of a fossil-fuel-powered generator at Kurri Kurri and streamlining planning processes to fast track development applications - are criticised as having disregard for these same sustainability and planning principles.

Second, there is no certainty Stokes will have the resources and bureaucratic grunt to do his job. In respect to infrastructure, he will pluck Infrastructure NSW - the agency that devises the state's infrastructure priorities - from the NSW department of premier and cabinet.

That said, the agency has a high-powered board that includes the secretaries of the departments of treasury, planning, and premier and cabinet, each one with a minister to report to other than Stokes.

Likewise, in respect to cities, he will take responsibility for the re-badged Greater Cities Commission. But this agency will also come with a board comprising the secretaries of the departments of premier and cabinet, planning, and transport. For "active transport" - a Utopia-workshopped phrase, meaning, I'm guessing, walking and cycling - budgetary and bureaucratic support will probably come from the department of transport, again the responsibility of a minister other than Stokes.

Third, the record of cities ministries in Australia and globally is dismal. Back in the days of Bradfield, city building was done by public works departments, with direct access to treasury, supported by legions of government architects, engineers and planners. Project finance and roll-out capacity were guaranteed. Sadly, the days of public works departments are long gone.

A rare exception of a successful cities initiative in recent times was the Hawke government's Building Better Cities program, enacted in the early-1990s with a $2 billion budget (in today's money). Newcastle's Honeysuckle redevelopment was one of its key projects. Sydney's Ultimo-Pyrmont precinct was another.

The success of Building Better Cities came from having clear focus - the redevelopment of decaying urban areas based on high-standard urban design principles - plus cooperation agreements among the three tiers of government and a dedicated bureaucracy.

I'd be delighted to be proven wrong in all this. No doubt, Minister Stokes will kick off his cities gig with the usuals, the collation of ideas by an expensive community relations consultant, a round of flip-chart workshops, a flashy web site and the launch of a brochure.

Minister Stokes will talk the talk as well as any. But will Newcastle see him walk the walk?

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