From the CEO
One of UDIA National’s Research Partners in our annual State of the Land Report, Colin Keane from Research 4, released his June 2023 Quarter National Greenfield Update today.
With total National greenfield activity lifting off a very low base by 19 per cent, advertised pricing reduced by 5 per cent for the quarter and cancellation rates remained at 20 percent of gross activity. Whilst Keane says the national market is at the bottom of the cycle, he is seeing signs of life with the standout being Perth.
“The improvement in total activity was driven by an impressive performance from Perth, which can claim to be the nation’s bestselling market for the quarter. No pulled forward demand, excellent pricing and positive population inflows from other states are now beginning to pay dividends,” said Keane.
In Perth, according to UDIA WA’s Urban Intelligence Report for June, the median house price for a new home is currently $540,000 which is 36% lower than the combined capital city average. For an apartment or unit, its $429,000 which is 26% lower than the combined capital city average.
The unique value proposition of Perth continues to attract new residents & investors, with an 86% increase quarter on quarter in net population growth, the largest quantity growth since March 2013. The subsequent squeeze on our rental market continues with the lowest vacancy rate in the country of 0.6% and rents continuing to rise.
The great supply squeeze shows no signs of slowing down. The extent to which the more than 21,000 dwellings currently under construction provides some relief to the volume of rental & established stock remains to be seen.
Now is the time for all levels of government to get behind and out of the way of the private sector, who deliver the lions share of housing supply. The trickle of supply will end up in total drought and ultimately it will be members of our community who will have to deal with the consequences when the well runs dry.
Improved process for industry energy connection
Earlier this week Western Power announced a fit-for-purpose streamlined process for industry energy connections as part of its drive to support industry and the WA community to reach net-zero.
With the rapid growth in demand for renewable energy from both the community and industry, Western Power has been reviewing its connection processes to see where improvements could be made to facilitate changing business demands.
Western Power Acting Executive Manager of Energy Transition & Sustainability Andrew Blaver said the improved process would provide greater flexibility, increase transparency and reduced wait times for customers and, most importantly, help meet growing renewable generation demands associated with greater decarbonisation of the electricity system.
“New initiatives include enabling customer self-serve, providing the opportunity for customers to engage external consultants to undertake critical network studies, delivering standardised work packages, enabling third party led design and construction of required infrastructure and refreshing internal work practices and frameworks,” he said.
Mr Blaver said the review and subsequent proposed changes were critical in preparing the network for the significant increase in large scale connection enquiries, and changes in the wholesale energy market.
“We want to deliver a more flexible and streamlined connection process for major customers to better facilitate the transformation of the energy sector that is currently underway,” he said.
“The demand from industry is accelerating and changing – we recently received our first-generation enquiries for one gigawatt of capacity, connection applications for combined load, generator and battery storage connections, and the first offshore wind farm application.
“This demonstrates the significant uplift in large complex customer connections and the changing expectations on delivery timeframes,” Mr Blaver said.
Extensive industry and government consultation was undertaken as part of the review, and continues today, to ensure better outcomes.
“We’ve been working with key stakeholders including Energy Policy Western Australia (EPWA) and the Economic Regulation Authority Western Australia (ERA) to implement process changes,” Mr Blaver said.
“Engagement with our customers is a key focus for us and we’ll be seeking further involvement and feedback from industry as we begin to implement the changes.”
The process improvement initiatives will be implemented via a phased delivery over the next 12 months.
UDIA WA has always enjoyed a strong and collaborative relationship with Western Power.
For many months, UDIA WA has been working with the team at Western Power to address the impacts of process, materials & clearance delays on the provision of housing supply across both land development and built form.
The above announcement by Western Power of improved process for industry is a great outcome from many of the recommendations provided by UDIA WA through our dedicated working group and feedback from our members.
Last chance to book for the Breakfast
Time is running out for anyone wanting to better understand the role of the urban development industry in a net zero future as we focus on Putting the E in ESG at our upcoming Industry Breakfast.
UDIA WA has partnered with Cedar Woods, DevelopmentWA and Hesperia on new research into Life Cycle Assessments by Cerclos to understand the carbon footprint and opportunities for reducing carbon emissions associated with land subdivision. This event will explore four local case studies that were used in the research, with attendees learning from the process and findings.
This event is an opportunity to consider the role of the urban development industry in a low carbon and net zero future as part of organisations’ broader ESG commitments, and in supporting liveable communities and resilient cities.
Minister for Environment; Climate Action; Racing and Gaming the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA, will provide an overview of the State Government’s vision for WA’s response to climate change and pathway towards decarbonisation, as it relates to property development.
Richard Haynes, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Cerclos will then present the findings from the research before being joined in a panel by Minister Whitby, Josh Byrne, Bill Grace, Karl White and Mark Taylor.
To book your spot and to be part of the conversation, click here.
We extend our thanks to Cerclos for supporting this event.
Advertising Opportunities
UDIA WA are delighted to present a range of advertising opportunities for the new financial year including a variety of new options to enhance your marketing campaign.
UDIA WA have a number of advertising opportunities including through our thought-leadership publication, The Urbanist, our weekly newsletter Urban Express, our Podcast The Urbanist LIVE, our annual Awards for Excellence Winners Showcase magazine in addition to new opportunities for the new financial year including featuring in our highly coveted research publications Urban Intelligence and the Urban Development Index.
Among the new options available this year is the ability to support our podcast The Urbanist LIVE with two fantastic opportunities available, depending on your preferred budget and exposure.
The first option is a Full Year Sponsorship that includes naming rights in the title of the podcast (i.e.: The Urbanist Live Podcast sponsored by XXX) as well as your logo featured on all Podcast branding/ social media posts for the 23-24 Financial Year.
This full year sponsorship also includes a ‘thank you’ message in the intro and outro audio for each episode that will be read by the Podcast Host, plus 2 complimentary advertisements in two of the podcast episodes (i.e – a 30 second advert that will play in the half time break within 2 podcasts during the year).
On top of the above, the exclusive full year sponsorship package allows the sponsor to choose the topic/ speaker/ theme for one episode within the financial year. We will be producing a minimum of 11 (monthly) podcasts for the year.
The second option is to purchase a 30 second advertisement that will play in the half time break within the podcast. Advertisements can be purchased as a single or as a package.
Please note, the advertisement opportunities are separate to the Full Year Sponsorship and depending on the episode, the podcast may feature a sponsor and a separate organisation’s advertisement.
To view our 2023-24 Advertising Opportunities document that provides more information and the rates for all of the current opportunities, click here, however if you have any questions, need any further information or would like a personalised package sent through, reach out to Chris Thurmott at cthurmott@udiawa.com.au
Certificate IV Course – Enrolments for July 2023 Intake Now Open
Enrolments for the next intake of the BSB40920 Certificate IV in Project Management Practice, Specialising in Property Development course are now open.
The course teaches the critical skills of project management such as identifying project scope; managing time, cost & quality; contract negotiation; team engagement; stakeholder communication & human resourses management.
This course is the only nationally recognised qualification of its kind that teaches the project management competencies unique to the property development industry.
The course content has been written by education experts and industry professionals who provide real life relevance and focus on the practical application of knowledge. Tools, techniques and examples provided are real and what is currently used in the industry.
This qualification is uniquely designed for those who work, or aspire to work in project roles within property development. It is delivered over 18 weeks through a blended method of online self-directed learning and regular tutorials. Upon achieving a competent result for all course units of competency, graduates will attain a BSB40920 Certificate IV in Project Management Practice, Specialising in Property Development issued by our RTO, McMillan.
There is also a special member only discount available where you can save 10% if you register three or more attendees.
For more information and to book your spot, click here.
Sponsorship Opportunities
In addition to the extensive advocacy and research agenda, UDIA delivers over 40 events annually and we are pleased to share how you can be involved with and support the successful delivery of these events through our various sponsorship opportunities.
The delivery of crucial information and networking opportunities ensure that all those involved in the property and development industry throughout Western Australia continue to connect, collaborate, thrive and prosper.
The events focus on bringing the industry together to share crucial information and updates affecting the development sector, with the intention of facilitating learning, discussion and debate. Previous event topics have seen presentations by Ministers, CEO’s, industry leaders, economists and both interstate and international experts.
Attendees represent all aspects of the development industry; developers (both greenfield and infill), consultants (planners, project managers, lawyers, accountants, builders, financiers, engineers etc.), essential service providers, state agencies and local government.
Sponsors gain extensive exposure alongside these prominent and well received events. In addition to a comprehensive marketing promotional campaign, sponsors receive direct exposure to, and the opportunity to engage with, industry leaders, key decision makers, and influential representatives from a broad cross section of agencies and businesses involved with development in WA.
At UDIA, we collaborate with your business to ensure your marketing efforts are maximised with every opportunity presented, whether it’s for branding, networking, opening doors or business product promotion, we have the platforms to assist you.
To view the various opportunities available, click here or if you have any questions, need any further information or would like a personalised package sent through, reach out to Georgia Scott at gscott@udiawa.com.au
Moody’s upgrades Western Australia to AAA credit rating
This week global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Western Australia’s credit rating to AAA, with a ‘stable’ outlook, highlighting Western Australia’s strong financial management.
This is the highest possible credit rating and follows a similar upgrade by S&P Global in June 2022 – after the State lost its AAA rating from S&P in 2013 and then from Moody’s in 2014.
The upgrade means Western Australia is now the only State or Territory with a AAA credit rating from both major international ratings agencies, and one of a very small number of jurisdictions globally with such a rating.
In upgrading the State to its top credit rating assessment, Moody’s highlighted Western Australia’s financial performance to be an “an outlier to its domestic and international peers”, with sustained budget surpluses and material easing in the State’s debt burden.
Moody’s stated its assessment reflected that “governance has strengthened considerably over the past five years, including strong expenditure controls as well as the introduction of robust and conservative budgeting protocols…” resulting in improvements in the State’s financial metrics.
The report also highlighted that “despite the economic disruption caused by the pandemic, and recent weakening of global economic conditions, the State has improved underlying revenue diversity on account of the ongoing diversification and rapid growth of the economy relative to other Australian States and Territories”.
Nominations open for State’s annual heritage awards
Western Australians are urged to nominate their heritage heroes for the Heritage Council’s WA Heritage Awards.
The awards recognise the wonderful contribution of volunteers, professionals, private owners, local governments, and others who work tirelessly to help preserve and promote our heritage assets and sites.
Professional and individual contributions, interpretation and community-based projects, and public and private organisations in heritage, tourism, conservation, and adaptive reuse are being urged to nominate.
The awards program was established in 1992 to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of individuals and organisations to WA heritage and to showcase outstanding examples of conservation, adaptive reuse, interpretation, and heritage tourism projects.
Awards will be presented in seven categories:
- Voluntary Individual Contribution;
- Professional Contribution;
- Contribution by a Community-based Organisation;
- Contribution by a Public or Private Organisation;
- Interpretation Project;
- Heritage Tourism Product; and
- Conservation or Adaptive Reuse of a State Registered Place.
For more information on nominations, visit here or email HeritageAwards@dplh.wa.gov.au. Nominations close at 9am, Monday, 28 August 2023.