From the CEO

It’s the day each year when UDIA WA gets locked in a room with other key industry bodies for hours, getting an exclusive first look at the highly anticipated State Budget and a personal overview from the Premier/Treasurer on the vast amount of budget initiatives and sweeteners thanks to a mega surplus. After the Premier leaves, we pore over the detailed budget papers and quickly determine the wins and the omissions to prepare a concise summary for you, our members.

As I review the detail from home in my own COVID lockdown, it’s clear that UDIA’s voice at the table has been heard. In his speech this morning, the Premier acknowledged housing and land supply as a critical issue facing the State moving forward. Build to Rent land tax exemptions is a key win, with a 50% land tax concession for new eligible build-to-rent developments, with the concessions commencing on 1 July 2023 and remaining in perpetuity.

Other initiatives including amendments to the off-the-plan transfer duty rebate scheme to encourage purchase of lower-value dwellings (below $500k), amendments to Keystart purchase price caps and income eligibility limits are demonstrative of a State Government that is listening. There is a clear drive to address supply at various points along the housing continuum, a key message that UDIA has been pushing for some time.

Further to the Skills Summit that UDIA participated in, it’s great to see further investment in attracting and building a skilled workforce, with a $14.3 million investment through the Construction Training Fund to deliver a suite of new targeted training initiatives and further support for Reconnect WA to bring skilled labour to the State.

There is always more that can be done and we will continue to push for the outcomes that matter to you and the broader communities we create. Here in WA we have a financial position that is the envy of the nation if not globally. We must take a balanced view with both gratitude and an eye on the medium to longer term. Because you never know what the world will throw at us next.

UDIA National – Election Campaign Update 2022

With two weeks remaining until the Federal Election on 21 May 2022, UDIA National has achieved some significant advocacy wins.

Key achievements from the last six weeks include many UDIA National policy announcement wins materially influenced by our Pre-budget Submission, inquiry submissions and Federal Election Platform.

To view these achievements, click here.

UDIA WA wraps up the State Budget 

UDIA WA representatives attended the State Budget Lockup this morning to get all the details about how the State Government is working to facilitate West Australian’s ‘soft landing’ following the pandemic.

The Premier stated that this year’s budget has a big focus on cost of living and assisting people with their household bills with $445 million allocated to provide households with a $400 Household Electricity Credit from July 2022.  The free household RAT program is also estimated to save households approximately $150.

It was pleasing to hear the Premier acknowledge the need to address housing and land supply with a range of measures in support of this including a Build to Rent land tax concession, amendments to Keystart, and an expansion of the Off the Plan Duty Rebate Scheme.

Headline figures for the 2022-23 State Budget included:

  • Domestic economy grew 7.2% over the last two years
  • Unemployment rate of 3.4%
  • $1.6 billion surplus in 2022-23
  • Net debt below $30 billion
  • $33.9 billion infrastructure spend
  • $1.3 billion investment to diversify the economy
  • Further $652 million to address climate change including a $500 million top up of the Climate Action Fund
  • $1 billion investment in METRONET program including new projects

To read our full overview of the 2022-23 State Budget, see our member alert here.

Bill before Parliament to reopen significant development pathway

Earlier this week UDIA welcomed the announcement from the State Government that it was reopening the State Development Assessment Unit (SDAU) to December 2023.

Since its inception in the early stages of the state’s COVID response, the SDAU has performed a critical purpose.

Our submission to Phase 2 of the State Government’s Planning Reform as well as our widely published Housing Our Community Report in 2021 called for an extension of the SDAU following its proven success in coordinating the multiple agencies and departments that are involved in the planning approvals process.

For more information, read our media release here.

Awards Nominations open

Make sure your project receives the recognition it deserves by entering the 2022 UDIA WA Awards for Excellence!

Every year our Awards for Excellence program crowns the best and brightest from across Western Australia and this year is set to be no different as we prepare to celebrate the incredible work ongoing each and every day in WA.

Nominations are now open for the main awards program, which includes 12 categories and the individual categories; the Women in Leadership Award and the Stockland UDIA Young Development Professional Award.

For more information, head here and to start your nomination, head here.

Big thanks to the 2022 Awards for Excellence Platinum Sponsor Western Australian Planning Commission, Gold Sponsors Lavan and Stantec and the Category Sponsors Longreach Recruitment, nbn™ Australia, Slick Design Pty Ltd, Wormall Civil Pty Ltd., Strategen-JBS&G, Home in WA, Harvey Norman Commercial Division, Taylor Burrell Barnett, ATCO, Western Power and Stockland

Newly launched – Award winner site tours

Join us for an exclusive tour of three of our 2021 Awards for Excellence winning projects as we take a closer look at what it takes to be crowned as one of the best projects in Western Australia.

We will be taking attendees on a 3.5 hour tour of Lucent Claremont by Celsius Developments, Eden West by Edge Visionary Living and One Subiaco by Blackburne and providing an unmissable opportunity to talk face-to-face with the project directors and gain a better understanding of what makes these projects stand out.

Event registration includes networking drinks at the Subiaco Hotel and all bus transfers between the projects.

For more information and to join us, click here.

Collaborate with Curtin to create an extended Internship program!

To build on Curtin University’s successful internship programs they are looking to work with industry to create new, extended work experience options for their students and they need help from the industry.

They are inviting industry participants to join them in brainstorming what an extended internship would look like; What does industry need? What skills gaps should be addressed? What support would be needed? How will this create more job ready graduates? Does this link with the Government’s Job-ready Graduates Package?

The session will be held at Curtin University, 139 St George’s Tce on 19 May from 3.00pm – 5.00pm. Afternoon tea & refreshments will be supplied.

Click here to register and for more information, contact Chanelle Gibbs via c.gibbs@curtin.edu.au or on 08 9266 4572.

First release of NCC 2022

The Australian Building Codes Board released a preview of the first part of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 this week.

This first stage release contains most of the amendments finalised for the NCC 2022, including:

  • New liveable housing features to assist people with disability and through more stages of life
  • An improved volume and clause structure to improve consistency and useability, including a new ABCB Housing Provisions Standard
  • New lead-free requirements for plumbing products to improve the quality and safety of drinking water
  • New fire safety provisions for early childhood centres and primary schools in multi-storey buildings
  • New bushfire protection measures in Class 9 buildings, and
  • A range of improvements to the fire safety, weatherproofing, and waterproofing requirements.

The final version of energy efficiency and condensation requires further amendments, but it is expected they’ll be finalised in July 2022 following consideration by states and territories.

For more information, click here.

New $100 million Tonkin Hwy interchange unlocks 10,000 Ellenbrook homes

As part of the 2022-23 State Budget, the State Government allocated $25 million towards a new interchange on Tonkin Highway, north of Ellenbrook, designed to unlock housing opportunities to meet current and future demand.

An additional $25 million will be contributed through private investment and the Commonwealth Government has committed $50 million towards the project in its recent Federal Budget.

Major new developments are being planned on both sides of the Tonkin Highway to meet significant growing demand for housing in this popular north-east corridor.

The interchange will be located between Warbrook and Maralla roads and is set to provide urban development for approximately 10,000 homes, with an expected population increase of 30,000 people over the next 20 years.

Works on the project are expected to begin in 2024-25.

Professional Development Opportunities

Following another successful intake for our Built Form Development course (check out this awesome review here) UDIA are looking forward to delivering our next set of courses starting with our Half Day Fundamentals Course on Tuesday 31 May.

This course has been designed to offer those who are new to the development industry (either recent graduates, or experts in their field but new to working in this area) a comprehensive overview of WA’s Urban Development Industry.

For more information and to book your spot, click here.

For those looking to take their career to the next level our 6-day Foundations of Property Development is the ideal option.

This course is designed to give an end-to-end overview of the land development process, and is taught by reputable local experts in the industry who have a wealth of first hand knowledge and experience. Participants can complete all 6 modules, or attend individual modules.

For more information and to book your sport, click here.

Finally, registrations are also open for our Built Form course, which is a 2 day course that teaches the practical elements of residential built form development; from site identification, feasibility analysis and assumptions, product design, to the delivery, titling, contracting and sales and marketing.

Facilitated by Danielle Davison, this course provides the ideal grounding for anyone interested in Built Form Development. Early bird rates for this course are available until 30 June. Book your spot, here.