New Director Generals Appointed
UDIA WA congratulates the new Director Generals, appointed by Premier Roger Cook this week, including Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Michael Carey; Under Treasurer, Department of Treasury & Finance Joann Wilkie; and Director General, Department of Housing and Works Leon McIvor.
Coming from his most recent role as Under Treasurer of Queensland, Michael Carey will commence as the Director General of the Premier and Cabinet from August 4. Michael has over 20 years’ leadership experience, including in public policy and program reforms which have strongly contributed to economic and social development.
Joining from NSW Treasury, Joann Wilkie will commence in her role from August 4, 2025, and brings over 20 years of experience in Australian Public service, with expertise in economic, agricultural, energy and gender policy.
Leon McIvor is currently the Deputy Director General, Housing and Homelessness at WA Department of Communities, but will be stepping into his new role as Director General, Department of Housing and Works from July 1. In his time as Deputy Director General, Leon helped to deliver over 3,000 new social homes in 2021–2022.
We look forward to working with the new Directors and their teams as we continue to address housing supply and housing affordability in Western Australia and work together to deliver the homes we need across the state.
Ocean Reef Marina EnviroDevelopment Certification
DevelopmentWA’s Ocean Reef Marina has reached the major sustainability milestone of achieving the full EnviroDevelopment certification.
The first marina development in Australia to do so, Ocean Reef Marina has been recognised for excellence in sustainable design and construction across the six categories of ecosystems, waste, water, energy, materials and community.
“This certification is a huge achievement and a true testament to the ingenuity and dedication of the DevelopmentWA team,” said UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck. “They are raising the bar in relation to sustainable urban development.”
Shaping up to be an iconic coastal destination for WA, the development will feature over five hectares of community space – which includes Perth’s first coastal pool, alongside a vibrant mix of shops, cafes and restaurants while also providing Perth 1,000 new homes.
Aimed at reducing resident’s annual power bills by up to 30%, Ocean Reef Marina will be powered by one of Perth’s first large-scale renewable energy microgrids. The grid features a ground mounted social array that will be expanded by additional rooftop solar panels.
Throughout the development smart meters, smart parking, and intelligent lighting systems will be integrated to optimise water and energy use.
Minister for Planning and Lands; Housing and Works the Hon. John Carey MLA said, “this certification demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative, environmentally responsible projects that enhances the quality of life for Western Australians”.
The marina also has a strong focus on native landscaping and biodiversity to foster thriving green spaces and tree canopy throughout the area.
In a win for construction waste management, more than 80% of construction waste has been diverted away from landfill, recycled to be used in other aspects of the project.
Learn more about the EnviroDevelopment certification.
UDIA WA Committee Updates
During the week UDIA’s committees convened for their third meetings of the year.
On Tuesday, the Environment and Climate Action Committee met to discuss various matters including:
- The work being undertaken by the DSP working group in relation to fragmented land.
- Creating a strategic approach to offsets for the industry.
- Updates on the lifecycle assessment project.
Following this, on Wednesday, The Professional Development Committee met and discussed:
- Formed dedicated working groups to develop course outlines for two new courses in development
- Identified opportunities to design new courses focused on advanced and leadership sectors of the Educate program framework.
On Thursday the Infill Developments and Precincts Committee discussed:
- UDIA WAs work on infill mapping for the National Housing Pipeline.
- Various suggestions to improve consistency in the planning process for townhouse and apartment projects.
- Public Open Space and Public Art requirements and mechanisms to resolve these issues.
Following this, the Infrastructure Committee discussed:
- Matters relating to work by Committee working groups including in relation to strategic infrastructure and infrastructure coordination.
- Updates from the relevant service agencies.
- Updates regarding UDIA’s recent engagement with the Government.
Thornlie-Cockburn line officially open
On Sunday 8 June the Thornlie-Cockburn line was officially opened. The 17km rail line connects the Mandurah and Thornlie lines featuring two stations at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road, with upgrades made to the Thornlie, Cockburn Central and Perth Stadium stations. The new line is the first east-west line in Perth and signals the partial re-opening of the Armadale line.
Part of the Metronet upgrade, 8km of rail has been elevated along the Armadale line requiring the five new stations at Carlisle, Oats Street, Queens Park, Cannington, and Beckenham. Now operational, the new stations are undergoing finishing works which includes the activation of a 7km strip of land under the rail line called ‘Long Park’ which will feature a range of new facilities and amenities for the community.
UDIA WA team pushing towards target
The UDIA WA team are currently taking part in The Push Up Challenge which is an annual awareness and fund raising event in aid of greater mental health provision.
Throughout the challenge each member of the team needs to complete 3,214 push ups and just over a week into the competition there are plenty of sore arms and shoulders in the office with over 1,000 individual push ups completed so far.
The team is aiming to raise $1,000 collectively and have raised just over $500 in support of Lifeline and any support you are able to provide to the team will be greatly appreciated. You can donate to the team here: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/udiawa
With the challenge completing on Thursday 26 June and over 2,000 push ups still to go the team needs all the support it can get!
Member to Member Offer – ReGen Strategic
As a fellow UDIA WA member, ReGen Strategic understands the challenges facing your projects — from navigating sustainability requirements to building trust with stakeholders and government.
We’re here to help you achieve better outcomes.
Exclusive to UDIA WA members:
- 1-hour free consultation to explore how we can encourage government and community support, smooth approvals, and deliver sustainability outcomes for your project
- 10% off consulting fees for new clients who engage us through this offer
With deep local connections and technical knowledge, we can help unlock housing projects faster, smarter, and more sustainably.
Contacts: anthony@regenstrategic.com.au / colin@regenstrategic.com.au