From the CEO
“There’s a fraction too much friction….”
If you are old enough to remember this 1983 classic track by Tim Finn, you have also likely been around this industry long enough to see the increasing number of friction points slowing down or even stopping the delivery of development projects.
Our priority here at UDIA is constantly monitoring those friction points and identifying solutions that are both practical and palatable for government that will make a meaningful impact in smoothing out the development delivery process.
So, in a NEW interactive Top 10 Greatest Friction Points in Property Development – I want you to prioritise the blockage(s) causing you the greatest pain. And yes, there is plenty of room to add one or more new ones! You can do that here and it will help our team of staff and volunteer committee members prioritise our advocacy efforts.
This week UDIA has met with our fellow industry body counterparts from PCA, HIA, MBA and REIWA to look at aligning our largely consistent positions on key issues impacting our collective membership including the recently released draft Policy on Planning for Public Open Space, the impact of the Medium Density Design Code and the rapidly approaching implementation of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.
I also had the privilege of celebrating 100 years of the Utility Provider Services Committee, a fantastic demonstration of collaboration amongst the various utility and infrastructure agencies of which UDIA WA has been a long term member of.
The voice of Tim Finn will be playing in my mind as I rug up this evening with Jane Bennett, Richard Pappas, Brenton Downing, Andrew Roberts and Karl White at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. The team has thus far raised almost $70,000 to address homelessness, so as you read this with a glass of red by the fire.. consider making a tax deductable donation to a cause that is very close to our industry and our hearts. Thank you.
Exclusive REA Market Update report launch
At UDIA WA’s industry luncheon on Friday, REA Group Executive Director of Economic Research Cameron Kusher provided an update on the state of the WA Housing Market and launched a new report exclusively curated for UDIA WA members.
The Western Australian Market: Data & Insights Report presented by realestate.com.au reflects median price increases for apartments and houses across the board in Perth and Peel as well as in most regional areas.
In presenting the report, Mr Kusher said that WA experienced one of the fastest price growth phases in the state’s history between 2020 and 2021.
“While that growth has moderated due to current market headwinds, prices in WA have shown remarkable resilience and actually recovered ground in 2023,” Mr Kusher said.
According to the report, as at March 2023, the median price of a home in Greater Perth was 30% above March 2020 levels. That is a median price of $608,000 for houses and $415,000 for units.
The report shows that the number of property views and hard leads for new homes on realestate.com.au increased over the first quarter of 2023 and are sitting at the highest levels since March 2022.
Mr Kusher says this is likely a sign of a renewed interest from buyers to purchase new.
“New houses are experiencing the strongest bounce back in views per listing,” Mr Kusher said. “New unit listings have seen a more modest recovery, which is a reflection of the continued desire from WA buyers for a house over a medium or higher density option.
“We may see housing preference evolve over time if more medium and higher density options emerge in and around Perth.”
Following Mr Kusher’s presentation, he was joined in a panel session by JWH Group Joint General Manager and Company Secretary Alicia Kelly, Satterley Property Group Director Planning Development and Sales Megan Adair and Resolve Finance Managing Director Don Crellin.
The report is only available to UDIA WA members and can be accessed here.
We extend our thanks to Mr Kusher, the panellists and our sponsors for the day nbn, JBS&G and Mirvac.
Help break the cycle of homelessness with UDIA WA
This evening UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck will once again participate in the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout alongside a UDIA WA team including various State Councillors and UDIA WA members and you can help support their cause with a small donation that can make a big difference.
This year the team is aiming to raise funds to support homelessness initiatives but they cannot do it without your support. Will you help them reach their target? Donating $100 can make a huge difference to people who need it most.
To support the team’s efforts this year please donate here.
Policy Team In Action
This week we held the Liveability Strategic Committee meeting where discussions around State legislative and policy changes occurred.
Key matters included:
- Discussion around implementation of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act and updates from industry as to preparation for July 1;
- Discussion on the implementation on the Medium Density Housing Codes; and
- The draft Public Open Space policy and how the Committee sees the path forward in pushing an effective and collective voice from across the industry.
With input from the committee and other members, the team is now formulating a formal submission to DPLH in response to Operational Policy 2.3 – Planning for Public Open Space. The submission is due 25 August 2023.
UPSC 100 Year Anniversary
This week UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck attended the 100 Year Anniversary of the Utility Providers Services Committee (UPSC), which UDIA WA is a member of.
The UPSC was founded in 1923 and in that time has been a model of cooperation between Utilities and other bodies interested in sharing Public Land to provide utility services to the community.
The UPSC meets regularly to discuss servicing issues and to maintain the UPSC Coe of Practice for Western Australia and UDIA WA passes our thanks onto Cossill and Webley’s Nathan Butson who has been UDIA WA’s representative on the committee for the past 11 years.
The aims of the UPSC are to secure the co-operation of all authorities concerned to co-ordinate the use of space within road reserves; to develop and issue Codes of Practice agreed in principle by the authorities concerned and to facilitate co-ordinated works-programs to achieve maximum efficiency and to minimise costs to communities among activities to improve the delivery of utilities.
Originally founded as the Public Utilities Services Committee on 22 June 1923 however due to the commercialisation and privatiasation of Utility owners, the PUSC was changed to its current name of Utility Providers Services Committee (UPSC).
Since 2016 the committee has been chaired by a representative from the Water Corporation, following previous leadership stints from a representative from Western Power, Main Roads and the Department for Planning and Infrastructure.
UDIA is joined on the UPSC by the Water Corporation, Western Power, NBN Co, Dial Before You Dig (WA), Horizon Power, Main Roads WA, Civil Contractors Federation (WA), ATCO (Gas Distribution), Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), City of Perth, APA Group, Public Transport Authority, Telstra, Optus and Australian Gas Infrastructure Group.
Go in the draw to win a table to a lunch
There is just one week left to go in the draw to win a table of 10 at one of our renowned Industry Luncheons.
We are once again offering an incentive for those who pay their membership in full by June 30, 2023, of a chance to win a table of ten to one of our renowned industry lunches valued at $1,845 inc gst *terms and conditions apply.
For more information, reach out to membership@udiawa.com.au.
Perth soars up liveability rankings
The latest edition of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index has seen Perth rise to 12th on the list of the most liveable cities, a 21-place rise on last year’s edition. UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck will appear on Channel 7 news tonight to discuss the latest ranking and report.
Perth’s 12th place is level with Adelaide, while Melbourne ranked 3rd and Sydney 4th. Brisbane’s 16th spot ensures all of Australia’s main capital cities sit within the top 20 in this year’s report.
Perth’s big rise this year was the third largest increase in spots with only New Zealand cities Wellington and Auckland enjoying a greater rise up the rankings.
According to the survey the biggest shifts up the rankings in this year’s index occurred in the Asia-Pacific region with those moving down the rankings primarily European countries. However, all regions benefitted from an increase in average scores.
Austria has once again been named as the World’s most Liveable City, retaining the top spot it returned to last year following a drop down the rankings in 2021 due to restrictions caused by the pandemic.
In the International Study Tour edition of The Urbanist we analysed what it is that makes Vienna such an impressive place to live and you can read this article, here.
Following the release of the latest report UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck was interviewed by Channel 7 about Perth’s recognition as one of the most liveable cities in the world, which will be broadcast this evening.
For more information about the report, click here.
Important project decodes Noongar place names
As part of UDIA WA’s ongoing commitment to Reconciliation, our Executive Manager Communications & Engagement Gemma Osiejak attended a workshop this week hosted by the City of Melville to discuss their impressive Place Names project.
The Place Names Melville project is a partnership between the City, the Community Arts Network (CAN) and Moodjar Consultancy to deliver a community-led, creative model that decodes the ancient meaning embedded in and Noongar place names for sites located within the City of Melville. Place Names combines community-held knowledge with academic rigour to unpack the original meanings behind Noongar placenames.
The project has involved extensive consultation with local Elders and Aboriginal stakeholders and also harnesses contemporary art forms to celebrate Noongar language, heritage and culture.
Inspired by Len Collard’s seminal research which highlights that every Noongar placename is a sentence often describing a place’s meaning, CAN and Moodjar Consultancy have developed a community-led model that decodes the ancient meanings embedded in placenames, through artistic expression. The process puts Noongar knowledge at the forefront, drawing on local Elders’ language and memories as primary sources, while drawing on historical documents and wordlists created by European settlers, to uncover the meaning of the placename.
UDIA WA is looking forward to following the project and learning more as it continues.
UDIA WA Awards: One week left to enter!
Nominations for the 2023 UDIA WA Awards for Excellence are set to close next Friday 30 June. Make sure your project gets the recognition it deserves by entering this year’s awards.
This year’s awards program features a variety of new and improved categories that encompass the entire development industry.
In addition to the new categories this year, one of the most significant categories is the Diversity in Development Award which seeks to acknowledge, encourage and most importantly, promote diversity in development within the WA property industry.
UDIA WA encourages its member companies from both the public and private sectors, to enter this category or consider others you may be eligible for. Nominees will be able to demonstrate diversity within their organisation or within the development industry as a whole and should provide examples in which they have incorporated diversity into their workplace, the industry or in relation to a specific project/issue.
At last year’s Awards two entrants into the Diversity in Development Award received recognition, with Mirvac winning the specific Award category and the Subi East Aboriginal Development Manager Program by DevelopmentWA and Karrda winning a coveted Judges Award.
For more information about entering the Diversity in Development category and all of the different categories available to enter this year including Residential Subdivision, Sustainability, Boutique Development and many more, click here to view the Nominations Kit.
To start your entry, click here.
You can read more about these projects and all the winners at the 2022 UDIA WA Awards for Excellence, here.
Calling all Young Professionals
With just one week left to enter the UDIA WA Stockland Young Development Professional Award, time is running out for the future of our industry to highlight their incredible potential at this year’s Awards.
Not only will the winner of the 2023 Award win an incredible prize package including registration to the UDIA WA Professional Development course in 2024, a cash prize, and much more but they will also be in the running to win the UDIA National Young Leaders Award at the 2024 UDIA National Congress.
WA has had incredible success in this national award as we have won three out of the last four years. Daniel Panickar won in 2020, Renee Gumina won it in 2022 and most recently Rachel Ezzard picked up the National Award in 2023.
If you are a young professional having a big impact on the development industry or know someone who can continue our excellent reputation in this category, find out more information here.
To find out more about the impact the Young Development Professional Award has had on industry, check out our exclusive article in the 50th Anniversary special edition of The Urbanist, here.
Be part of the change
Each year the UDIA WA Women in Leadership Award recognises the incredible work ongoing in the development industry by some of our most instrumental leaders.
Previous recipients include Tiffany Allen, Tamara Smith, Jane Bennett, Tamara Heng, Vivienne Edwards, Tanya Steinbeck and most recently Tanya Trevisan GAICD who we featured in the cover story of a recent edition of The Urbanist exploring diversity and inclusion in the development industry.
To read this article, click here and if you know of somebody who should be recognised by this award or would like to enter the 2023 Women in Leadership Award, click here for more information. Nominations close on 30 June 2023.
Drones take flight in maintaining power network
Western Power has taken to the skies, adding drones to its daily maintenance fleet to support network reliability and increase operational efficiencies.
Western Power’s squadron of 22 drones has made 488 flight missions including power line inspections, fault finding, operations mapping, line-of-sight testing for communications towers and line stringing since August last year.
Pole inspections to find faults are usually performed by ground teams who are often required to drive or walk to patrol powerlines over long distances, sometimes in land that is environmentally sensitive or hard to access. The use of drones in these inspections significantly reduces the time and resources taken to identify faults, improving response times to outages and mitigating land management risks.
Drone operators use a high-powered zoom lenses and thermal heat sensing to detect potential faults that would not be visible to the naked eye.
For more information and to view this update in full, click here.