UDIA WA’s Sarah Macaulay awarded Social Impact Scholarship
UDIA WA’s Executive Director of Strategy & Policy, Sarah Macaulay has been awarded a partial scholarship to complete the Social Impact Fellowship program. This transformative program is designed for changemakers seeking to explore their purpose and understand how they can drive greater social and environmental impact through their work and beyond. This is testament to Sarah’s contribution and commitment to social impact to date and we can’t wait to hear about her learnings and the opportunities for UDIA in this space.
Towards a compact and connected Perth
We were delighted to host guests at our industry luncheon on Thursday 21 August to explore Perth’s future as a compact and connected city featuring presentations from Professor Roberta Ryan and Dr Kate Meyrick (Urbis).
Advocating for a human centred approach Professor Roberta Ryan invited guests to reconsider the community engagement paradigm. Drawing on her experience as the Independent Community Commissioner working in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Orchid Hills development areas, she outlined a new methodology for working with residents.
Explaining that effective engagement takes time, Professor Ryan recommended that local communities are effectively and meaningfully engaged at the strategic land use planning stage for their area. When provided the correct tools and support, residents can supply a wealth of local expertise that will elevate the outcome.
Once brought into the planning process early, Professor Ryan highlighted the need to push beyond the demographic data provided by state or LGA-wide surveys and create statistically representative groups to uncover the range of values, ideas and concerns in the community. By deeply researching the make-up of the community, we then have the opportunity to get all the interest groups in the room together to discuss common ground and find points of disagreement which can be used to find a shared compromise or solution before reaching the decision makers.
Professor Ryan underscored that expectations on industry and government shouldn’t equal “doing more” engagement but providing high quality engagement opportunities that are supported by thorough research into the community – using techniques that reach residents in a representative way. By allowing residents to share their vision of what the community could look like early in the planning process quality engagement provides certainty to the community and builds confidence in the planning system.
Following Professor Ryan’s insights, Dr Kate Meyrick (Urbis) explored the importance of casting a bold vision for the future of the city – one that current and future residents can see themselves in, inspiring them to take part in shaping the future of their community.
Acknowledging that the challenges are complex and the future is increasingly urban as communities face an array of changes both collectively and as individuals, Dr Meyrick encouraged guests to cast a bold vision for Perth. If done right, the vision functions as the city’s calling card – a reflection of what residents will stand for and how they’re willing to achieve it.
Noting that cities behave like fragile ecosystems that only work when residents see their future in them, Dr Meyrick walked through a series of global case studies drawing attention to what made each urban redevelopment unique and what it took to achieve success. Explaining the case studies, Dr Meyrick shared several ‘truths’ that shape effective community engagement and good urban design.
Starting with bold leadership, residents will be presented with a vision for their city that invites them to build a city they want to live in. The vision will be clear – explaining why transformation is needed, providing time and space for an ongoing conversation that invites meaningful feedback.
Examining Perth’s context, Amanda Sheers (City of Stirling), and Clay Thomas (Skyfields by Perth Airport) joined our keynote presenters on-stage for an insightful panel discussion that continued to explore how a vision for Perth as a compact and connected city could be achieved.
Drawing on experiences in Stirling and development around Perth Airport, the panel emphasised the need to bring communities through the planning process with clear communication and transparency in a way that explains the why behind a proposed set of changes and the positive outcomes that can be achieved. For the process to be effective, communication needs to be authentic – reflecting the cultural values of the residents while also instilling trust in the planning process.
View photos from the event: https://www.udiawa.com.au/gallery/towards-a-compacted-and-connected-perth-industry-lunch-21-august-2025/
Thank you to Placemaking partner Skyfields by Perth Airport and Event sponsor Urbis for their support of the event.
Understanding the make-up, needs and expectations of community was a recurring theme at the lunch, continue the conversation at our next Industry breakfast that will focus on the growth of Perth’s population and shifting demographic trends September 24.
Register for our September breakfast: https://udiawa.my.site.com/events/s/lt-event?id=a25QO000000pm4DYAQ#/Overview
2025 Review of Bush fire prone areas
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services have commenced the consultation period for the 2025 Review of the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas (the Map) and is open until 10 October.
Developers are encouraged to review the current map and aerial imagery for their development sites – providing feedback on mapping that does not accurately reflect development that has occurred over the past 12 months.
To submit feedback, a revised map needs to prepared and supplied to the relevant local government for inclusion in this round of updates to the map of bushfire prone areas.
All requests must be submitted by close of business on 10 October. Submissions received after this deadline will be considered during the next consultation cycle.
Buyer demographics impacting WA’s housing market
Join us September 24 for an insightful Industry breakfast as we shine a spotlight on the emerging trends within Perth’s rapidly growing population as it continues to drive unprecedented demand in the new housing market.
Chief Data Scientist for The Demographics Group, a regular columnist for The Australian and a master of making data engaging and accessible Hari Hara Priya Kannan will outline the population trends, migration patterns, and buyer behaviour emerging from her extensive research around the country.
We’ll also hear from Professor Amanda Davies, UWA’s Head – School of Social Sciences, an expert in population growth, distribution, and demographic change patterns in Australia. Drawing on her expertise and experience from collaborating with government and industry to shape policies, Professor Davies will offer her insights on how these trends impact WA’s property market.
With a keen understanding of local market dynamics and extensive experience across building, sales and marketing between them UDIA WA President Richard Pappas (Managing Director, Celsius Property) and Vanessa Trager (Sales Professional, Stockland) will join Hari Hara Priya Kannan and Professor Amanda Davies for an interactive and insightful panel discussion that will help translate data into action.
This breakfast is essential for those shaping the places where Western Australians will live, work, and invest in the years ahead – register today: https://udiawa.my.site.com/events/s/lt-event?id=a25QO000000pm4DYAQ#/Overview
Thank you to nbn Australia for their support of this event.
UDIA WA thanks Avril Thomson for her outstanding contributions
UDIA WA extends its sincere thanks to Avril Thomson for her long-standing invaluable contributions as a committee member and contributor to UDIA WA Educate courses.
A long-time presenter of Module 5 of the Foundations of Property Development course, Avril dedicated eight years to serving on the UDIA WA Council and has also served on our Outlook, Infrastructure, Urban Water and Environment committees, serving as Chair for the Urban Water and Environment committees.
With over 25 years of experience as a civil engineer in urban development and infrastructure, Avril has brought a deep understanding of how the built environment shapes the way we live, work, and connect enriching our professional development courses. Her passion lies in land use planning and delivering practical, safe, innovative, and sustainable engineering outcomes that leave a lasting impact on communities.
We are deeply grateful for Avril’s contribution to supporting the next generation of professionals and helping shape the future of our industry through the sharing of her knowledge and expertise.
Find out about the full suite of UDIA WA Educate Courses here.
Western Power CCS Price increases for FY26
Beginning 1 October, Western Power will be applying a 2.5% fee increase to three of their connection services.
Only impacting new applications from October, the fee increase affects the following services:
- Distribution Temporary Disconnection/Reconnection Service
- Distribution Low Voltage Connection Scheme
- Pole to Pillar connections
On average, the Distribution Temporary Disconnection/Reconnection Service will increase by $16 and Pole to Pillar connections will increase by $85 while 2.5% fee increase is anticipated to have a negligible effect on the Distribution Low Voltage Connection Scheme.
Keystart increases price limits
Last week, the state government announced an increase to property price limits on Keystart loans effective immediately. Utlising reforms to Keystart’s product setting mechanisms made in December 2024, which allows for property price limits to be periodically reviewed against median property prices sourced from the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA), the property price limit on Keystart’s low-deposit loan has been increased to $800,000 and the price limit for Keystart’s shared equity scheme has been increased to $660,000.
In line with Perth’s median house price, the new limit delivers parity to price limits across the state.
UDIA WA advocated over many years for the Keystart property price thresholds to be regularly reviewed against REIWA’s annual median house price, so the latest increase of the price threshold to $800,000 is strongly supported given it aligns with REIWA’s latest data.
Increasing the price thresholds to better reflect market conditions ensures that more people can access Keystart’s products and services, which are a fantastic first step onto the property ladder.
Early registrations open for Build to Rent Kickstart Fund
The state government is calling for registrations of interest from developers looking to establish Build to Rent projects in WA, as part of its $75 million commitment to boost supply of rental homes. Designed to ensure the fund is fit for purpose, the early registration process will help gauge interest ahead of formal applications opening later in the year.
UDIA WA welcomed the Labor state election commitment to the BTR Kickstart Fund to support the construction and operation of BTR projects and it is positive to see that commitment being delivered.
To be delivered through Keystart, the $75 million fund is designed to drive build to rent developments by helping proponents overcome initial feasibility challenges and kickstart build to rent sector in WA by providing no-interest construction loans and low-interest loans for up to 10 years on eligible projects.
UDIA WA have been engaging with Keystart on the establishment of the Fund and other opportunities for Keystart to play a role in supporting the viability of apartment projects with their transition to a GTE.
This Fund has the potential to unlock projects that might not otherwise get off the ground, especially those targeted at lower-income or long-term renters and in infill locations close to jobs and amenities.
For more information on the Build to Rent Kickstart Fund, visit: https://www.keystart.com.au/about-us/industry/build-to-rent/
National Updates
National Housing Wins
The efforts of UDIA National have delivered an excellent return with the Minister for Housing and Treasurer announcing key housing reforms this week that specifically respond to UDIA recommendations including accelerating investment in enabling infrastructure, fast tracking Environmental approvals to unlock more housing, pausing and overhauling the national construction code and accelerating delivery of planning, zoning, approvals reform.
UDIA has continued to engage with the relevant Ministers on the mechanisms to deliver on the 100,000 FHB Initiative, negotiations with the ATO and Treasury on tax issues impacting developments and fixing unworkable provisions in the BTR Withholding Tax Legislation.
With housing remaining front and centre of the productivity agenda, UDIA is continuing to lead the conversation around how we can deliver more homes, faster.