From the CEO
Kaya. Hello.
Be brave, make change. This is the theme of National Reconciliation Week and one that sets a challenge to all Australians to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation. Our newly minted Prime Minister has committed to progressing the Uluru Statement of the Heart and delivering a First Nations Voice that is enshrined in the Constitution. There is a seismic shift in Australian politics, with teal now interwoven in a sea of mainly red, more green and a lot less blue.
Reconciliation Australia says that change begins with brave actions in our daily lives – where we live, work, play and socialise. Here at UDIA, we believe that as community creators we have a responsibility to play our part in building respectful relationships and true partnerships with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as we create the diverse communities of the future.
It is heartening that UDIA’s first Reconciliation Week event tonight, with the incredible team from “Acknowledge This” is sold out. As an organisation we are progressing our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan and invite you as our valued members & stakeholders to join us on our journey.
We are brave. We will make change. For the benefit of the community now and the communities of the future.
Be Brave. Make Change.
UDIA WA are looking forward to joining many of our members for our first ever Reconciliation event this afternoon as we embrace this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme of Be Brave. Make Change.
During the event we will hear from Aboriginal educator and illustrator Rhys Paddick and change strategist Emma Gibbens from Acknowledge This! who will share their knowledge and insights to enable guests to take a more active role in creating a more inclusive culture.
The theme for National Reconciliation Week is asking all Australians to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for the benefit of all Australians.
For more information about how you can get involved with National Reconciliation Week this year, click here.
Community Engagement Survey
UDIA WA are seeking feedback from members through a new Community Engagement and Education survey that is being undertaken by our Community Engagement and Education Standing Advisory Group. The results of the survey will guide the development and implementation of a new UDIA WA Community Engagement and Education Strategy that will aim to assist members in this space.
The survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete and anyone who completes this survey by COB Tuesday June 7 will receive 50% off* the price of registration to our upcoming Fundamentals of Community and Economic Development course. Registrations close on Monday 13 June.
Click here to complete the survey.
For more information about our Fundamentals of Community and Economic Development Course and to register, click here.
*Discount code will be emailed to those who complete the survey by the deadline via email on Wednesday June 8.
Young WA Professional shines brightly at UDIA National Awards
Last week’s UDIA National Congress in Sydney concluded with the 2022 UDIA National Awards for Excellence. We were very excited to see WA’s Young Development Professional Award winner Renee Gumina recognised with the national 2022 UDIA Young Leaders Award.
Ms Gumina is a long-standing UDIA Outlook Committee member and this is the second time in three years one of WA’s Young Development Professional Award Winners has been recognised on the national stage, following Daniel Panickar’s win in 2020.
In being awarded the top prize the judges’ said Ms Gumina is highly motivated, confident and forward thinking. She brings energy, purpose and drive across her projects. Her industriousness and collaborative approach to work has seen her career accelerate, placing her in a position of Project Marketing Manager at Cedar Woods where she continues to promote marketing and communications strategies across the business.
UDIA WA sat down with Ms Gumina for an exclusive interview in our thought leadership publication The Urbanist earlier this year, where she detailed the inspiration and motivation behind her career progression to date. To read the article, click here.
If you would like to enter the UDIA WA 2022 Awards for Excellence, click here.
To see all of the winners and finalists from the 2022 National Awards for Excellence, see the Winners Booklet here.
WA leading the way on environmental excellence
During last week’s 2022 National Awards for Excellence Roe Highway Logistics Park (ROE) by Hesperia was announced as the winner of the Environmental Excellence award.
In announcing the win, the judges’ said Hesperia has invested heavily in innovations not delivered in a Perth industrial estate before, setting the goal of being certified carbon neutral this year.
ROE was recently featured in UDIA WA’s article on Environmental and Social Governance in our climate action special edition of The Urbanist. To read this article, click here.
If you would like to enter the UDIA WA 2022 Awards for Excellence, click here.
To see all of the winners and finalists from the 2022 National Awards for Excellence, see the Winners Booklet here.
UDIA in Action
UDIA’s Land Use Planning Advisory Group met this week, receiving a presentation from the DPLH and a discussion on the WAPC Structure Review. The Group also discussed the proposed amendments to the DAPs, the Medium Density Housing Code and Structure Plan review.
UDIA’s Policy Team together with industry representatives also met with Western Power this week to discuss approval timeframes and industry challenges.
Continuing the theme of engagement with infrastructure service providers, UDIA representatives also met with the Water Corporation on Tuesday discussing common challenges and improving alignment between infrastructure investment and land use outcomes.
Join WA’s thought leaders
UDIA WA are pleased to announce new speakers have been added to the list of thought leaders set to inspire and engage conversation around how we can develop Western Australia as THE place to live, work, play and invest in our One-Day Summit.
This carefully curated one day summit will explore the new projects and precincts that are shaping our city and State as a place of choice to live, work, play and invest and is an excellent opportunity for delegates to delve into the detail and learn how some of our most iconic destinations are being reimagined for the future.
Thought leaders already confirmed to speak include:
- Andrew Hagger, CEO of Tattarang & Minderoo Foundation
- Anneke Brown, Tourism and Hospitality Consultant for Smiths Beach Project
- Anthony Vuleta, CEO of Town of Victoria Park
- Professor Coleen Hayward AM, Edith Cowan University
- Dale Page, General Manager, Planning & Economic Development City of Perth
- David Caddy, Chair of WAPC
- Gavin Hawkins, Managing Director of Edge Visionary Living
- Jason Miragliotta, Managing Director of Urbaniche
- John McGrath, President of Burswood Park Board
- Lonnie Bossi, Former Chief Executive Officer of Crown Perth
- Matt Ryan, Executive General Manager Planning and Transition at DevelopmentWA
- Mike Hulme, Director at Sustainable Settlements P/L
- Paul Needham, Director – Planning and Development Services at City of Busselton
- Peter Lee, Principal at Hassell
- Renata Lowe, A/Executive Director for Destination Development at Tourism WA
- Simone Spencer, Deputy Director General, Strategy and International Engagement at Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
With more speakers to be confirmed in the coming days, the summit is primed to deliver an informative, engaging and thought-provoking path forward for the development of Western Australia.
To join the conversation with these thought leaders, click here.
Our thanks go to Industry Partner DevelopmentWA for supporting this event. Further sponsorship opportunities are available, contact Kelly Dewar-Matusik for more information.
Government focus needed on housing supply and skilled workers
On Tuesday, UDIA National released a media statement following the ABS announcement of a 2.4% fall in Building Approvals to highlight of the challenges facing both new housing supply and the skilled workforce.
Within the statement, our UDIA National President Max Shiffman said the decrease in building approvals is a sign that the ongoing shortages in materials, development ready land and skilled workers is blowing out construction timeframes and having a dampening effect on forward work programs.
“Whilst the housing construction industry will likely be busy into next year as it works through the current backlog, concerted focus is needed from Government to keep housing affordability in check,” he said.
Building approvals figures provide an insight into how the construction industry is fairing. It is a bellwether on the immediate health of the economy and an insight into what we need to keep productivity on track.
The number of dwellings approved in Australia in April fell overall by 2.4%, following a 19.2% fall in March in seasonally adjusted terms. Private sector house approvals increased slightly 0.5%, to 10,077 however private sector dwellings, excluding houses, fell 6.1%, to 4,701 a further demonstration of the challenges being felt by multi-dwelling developers across the nation.
The overall fall in building approvals, indicates that although industry is at capacity, there is difficulty finding new housing projects and making them stack up despite ongoing housing demand.
The lack of additional industry capacity, coupled with a shortage of development ready land for new housing construction across the nation, and exacerbated by government building programs across Australia, is adding further pressure on new dwelling delivery, with fewer new projects being added to restock the pipeline.
To read the media statement in full, click here.
Last chance to book for lunch with the Minister
Registrations for our Industry Luncheon focusing on housing supply and affordability with the Hon. John Carey MLA will close tomorrow!
Housing supply and affordability are at a critical juncture in Perth and the regions. The lunch will see the Minister for Housing; Homelessness and Local Government the Hon. John Carey MLA discuss the key issues impacting our industry and outline the State Government’s latest actions in relation to housing affordability and the delivery of social housing.
Don’t miss this opportunity to ask your questions directly to the Minister and our expert panel!
Minister Carey will cover:
- Leveraging each Ministerial portfolio for better housing outcomes
- Highlights from the FY22-23 State Budget & Federal Election Commitments relevant to housing supply
- Using alternative construction methods to deliver housing in a constrained labour & materials environment
- Unlocking underutilised government land to deliver housing choice
Following the Minister, an interactive panel discussion will unpack UDIA WA’s latest housing supply insights and the implications for Government and industry with Justine Roberts, Jay Walter and Col Dutton.
For your chance to be part of the conversation, register here.
Our thanks go to Industry Partners DevelopmentWA and Harvey Norman Commercial Division, Environmental Partner Stategen JBS&G, Event Sponsor Inka and Networking Partner JDSI Consulting Engineers for supporting this event.
WA vaccine mandates to drop
Yesterday WA Premier Mark McGowan announced the next stage in Western Australia’s soft landing with the removal of vaccine mandates for workers across a range of industries.
Effective from June 10, 2022, WA’s mandatory vaccination policy will be updated in line with health advice and will only apply to workforces working with the most vulnerable to protect them from severe disease.
This means workers in the following sectors must be triple dose vaccinated to be able to enter their work premise:
- Healthcare and health support workers in hospitals and primary health care settings;
- Workers in residential aged care; and
- Workers in residential disability settings.
The vaccine requirements in place on other workforces will be removed from this date.
For more information about all of the new changes set to take effect, click here.
WA’s economy continues to grow
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics National Accounts data shows the Western Australian domestic economy grew 2.2% in the March quarter.
This was underpinned by growth in government spending, particularly on health, as well as continued growth in business and government investment, with household consumption steady.
Growth in WA’s domestic economy accelerated to 7% over the year to March, the strongest growth since early 2013. More than half of this growth was due to strong household spending.
Government investment grew by 18.5% over the 12 months to March 2022, underpinned by investment in transport infrastructure. Dwelling investment grew by 13%, given increased activity in the housing construction market.
Since the start of the pandemic, WA’s domestic economy has grown by 8.8%, the strongest growth of all States and more than double the growth in rest of the nation, which grew by 4.2%.
Federal Ministry Confirmed
This week, newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his full ministry following Labor gaining the required number of MPs to officially form a majority Government.
Within the announcement Mr Albanese detailed the make up of his cabinet which included a record 10 female MPs.
Among the notable inclusions the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP has been named as the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon. Chris Bowen MP has been named Minister for Climate Change and Energy, and The Hon. Julie Collins MP named the Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Small Business.
To see the full list of ministers, click here.
Join UDIA WA’s RAP Working Group – call for EOI
UDIA WA recently established a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group to assist the Institute in providing leadership to the broader urban development industry in respect to reconciliation and more meaningful engagement with the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we and our members operate. The Group will soon commence a series of engagement meetings and consultation with relevant stakeholders so that we can listen and learn in order to develop our first ‘Reflect’ RAP in partnership with members of the Aboriginal community.
Currently our RAP Working Group is made up of two members from UDIA WA Council, two UDIA WA staff members and two members from the UDIA WA Diversity Committee. We are now seeking two further members from the broader UDIA WA membership. If you have background, experience and/or expertise relevant to the development of a RAP, we would love to hear from you. Please send expressions of interest to join the working group to Gemma Osiejak: gosiejak@udiawa.com.au . Please include a brief overview of your relevant experience to date. We aim to appoint two new members prior to the next working group meeting on Thursday 21 July. Contact Gemma with any queries related to the working group.