Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp, former NSW cities minister Rob Stokes and Property Council CEO Mike Zorbas are among the members appointed to the federal government’s new Urban Policy Forum.

The 12-member forum will be chaired by Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Barbara Norman from the University of Canberra, with the other members contributing expertise across climate change, urban governance, migration, sustainability and building design.

The government announced last December it would set up the Urban Policy Forum to create a comprehensive urban policy framework, which will be delivered by a new Cities and Suburbs Unit.

Funding details for unit, which will sit within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts with funding of $11 million over four years, were outlined in federal budget this month.

Infrastructure minister Catherine King said the forum would ensure cities provided affordable housing, access to jobs and services, efficient transport networks and well designed neighbourhoods.

“This group of professionals will make a real contribution to the Commonwealth’s revitalised approach to urban policy, bring expertise in the urgent challenges facing our cities and suburbs,” she said in a statement.

The Cities and Suburbs Unit is also tasked with producing regular State of the Cities reports providing updates life in the nation’s biggest cities.

The budget also established the $211 million Thriving Suburbs Program and $160 million urban Precincts and Partnerships Program which will invest in urban infrastructure to improve liveability and inclusion.

Full list of members:

• Neil Argent – Professor of Human Geography at the University of New England
• Rufus Black – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania
• Sally Capp – Lord Mayor of Melbourne and Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors
• Bronwen Clark – Chief Executive Officer of the National Growth Areas Alliance
• Matt Collins MPIA – Chief Executive Officer of the Planning Institute of Australia
• Elle Davidson – Aboriginal Planning Lecturer at the University of Sydney
• Michael Fotheringham – Managing Director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
• Rebecca Moore – Western Australian Government Architect
• Davina Rooney – Chief Executive Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia
• Alison Scotland – Executive Director of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council
• Rob Stokes – former NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport
• Mike Zorbas – Chief Executive Officer of the Property Council of Australia.