Visioning for WA 2040
Last week, UDIA WA’s Head of Research, Toby Adams attended an engaging Policy Roundtable forum at the University of Western Australia (UWA), entitled ‘WA 2040 Vision: Innovation, Skills, Diversification’.
Convened and hosted by the UWA Public Policy Institute alongside Oxford Economics Australia, the Policy Roundtable had representation from various industry peak bodies and selected senior leaders across the WA business community.
The driving purpose of the Roundtable was to collate insights and perspectives on what are the highest priority challenges facing the WA economy; provide solutions or policy responses that are most critical; and outline key actions needed to be taken over the next five years to capture these opportunities.
Not surprisingly, Housing Supply was one the highest ranked challenges facing WA over the coming years, with streamlining (development) approvals and facilitating much higher levels of R&D and innovation into the property sector ranking highly in terms of forward actions.
Whilst the session was undertaken under Chatham House rules, a brief public-facing document will be released shortly which can be made available to interested Members.
Vale Jeffrey Thierfelder
It is with great sadness that we advise of the passing of respected architect and urban designer Jeff Thierfelder.
Jeff made a significant contribution to the industry in Western Australia since he arrived from Portland, Oregon in December 2000. A longstanding member of UDIA WA and a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia, Jeff was passionate about quality urban design and sustainability.
Jeff contributed to significant projects in Perth and the regions including The Peninsula Burswood, Jindee and Cockburn Central.
Most recently, Jeff was part of the award winning team behind ‘the world’s most sustainable development,’ Witchcliffe Ecovillage, which was recognised at the UDIA WA Awards for Excellence in several categories and also on the national stage, taking out the prestigious 2024 Project of the Year Award at the UDIA National Awards for Excellence.
Our deepest sympathy to Jeff’s family, including his wife Jo, friends and colleagues. A public funeral service will be held to celebrate his life on Saturday 7 June at 11am in Busselton at William Barrett & Sons Funeral Directors.
Ministerial engagement update
UDIA WA has had the benefit of a positive and collaborative relationship with the Labor State Government, and this is being continued as UDIA WA CEO, Tanya Steinbeck, and Executive Director – Strategy & Policy, Sarah Macaulay re-engage with the key cabinet Ministers.
On Wednesday 4 June they met with the Hon John Carey MLA and on Thursday 5 June with the Hon David Michael MLA, and their key advisors. Discussions focused on UDIA WA’s investment priorities (as set out in our 2025-26 pre-Budget Submission) and policy matters requiring action, priorities for the Ministers and the government reforms. Discussions were positive and both Ministers were receptive to working collaboratively on solutions, particularly low hanging fruit to improve processes and practices for greater efficiencies and to leverage industry to deliver the homes we need, faster.
UDIA WA will be engaging with other key ministers in the coming weeks.
Plant WA’s FIRST Community Pocket Forest!
UDIA WA members and their families are invited to participate in the planting of Western Australia’s FIRST Community Pocket Forest within a new housing estate!
In partnership with Carbon Positive Australia, UDIA WA is pleased to host this school holiday event where development industry professionals and family members can get their hands dirty and help create a dense, native forest in an urban setting.
On Friday 11 July, participants will discover how these forests offer distinct advantages over standard green spaces, including:
- Rapid results: See visible transformation in months, not decades
- Space efficiency: Create genuine forest ecosystems in areas as small as 100m²
- Temperature impact: Documented cooling of surrounding areas, directly addressing urban heat challenges
- Resident satisfaction: Creates distinctive community assets that residents genuinely value
- Marketing differentiation: Sets your developments apart with visible sustainability features
We’ve scheduled this event during the school holidays to make it easy for you to bring the family along and enjoy a memorable outdoor experience. It’s a chance to connect, learn, and discover innovative approaches that can add value to your development projects.
This is a free event for UDIA WA members and family, registrations are essential. More information and to register visit here.
Tender open for new Aboriginal Cultural Centre
The Cook Government is seeking responses for a lead architectural team to design the Aboriginal Cultural Centre proposed for Boorloo (Perth) on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people.
The tender for the project aims to progress the planning, engagement and design of the centre which should deliver economic, tourism and employment opportunities for the State.
The centre is planned to serve as a central cultural hub showcasing the rich diversity of Aboriginal cultures, highlighting their many forms of expression, including story, song, art, and dance.
Funding of $104 million has been allocated to the project to date, $52 million from the State Government and $52 million from the Commonwealth Government.
More information here.
Household battery scheme expansion
The Cook and Albanese Governments are working together to expand a battery rebate scheme for WA, that aims to benefit 100,000 households.
Synergy customers are eligible to receive up to $5,000 and Horizon Power customers eligible for up to $7,500 as part of the $337 million WA Household Battery Rebate and the $2.3 billion Federal Government Cheaper Home Batteries program.
Synergy customers are eligible to receive up to $5,000 and Horizon Power customers eligible for up to $7,500. No-interest loans of up to $10,000 are also available for households with incomes of less than $210,000 per annum.
Households will be paid feed-in tariffs to share their renewable power as part of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). Through VPPs, households can sell energy stored in their battery back to the market, which the government says will help to decarbonise WA and bolster energy security, while offering financial benefits through above-average feed-in tariffs.
More information here.
Be in it, to win it
The prestigious UDIA WA Awards for Excellence nominations are now open for 2025, with nominations closing on 30 June.
If you have a project, team or individual that deserves recognition, the awards are a great way to highlight achievements in a range of areas including built form, land subdivision, leadership, marketing, sustainability and design.
Introduced last year, the Local Government Authority of the Year and Team of the Year are once again open, along with individual awards including Women in Leadership and Young Leader.
To be recognised at the property industry’s night of nights, find out more information about nominating here.
Don’t forget to book in and celebrate with your collages at the gala dinner on September 13 where all the winners and finalists will be announced. Register here.