From the CEO
“Unjust and undemocratic”.
No, that quote is not about the United States election approach in a Trump VS Biden now VS Harris (maybe) election.
This is how a ‘vocal group of West Aussies’ describe our planning system in their call for petition signatures to change the DAP process to better balance the interests of local residents and establish third party rights of appeal.
The petition lead compares DAPs to a jury in the criminal justice system. Now I know the development industry battles reputation issues, but comparing delivering housing supply to making a judgement on murder charges is not quite the same kettle of fish.
In what is claimed to be an affront to social justice and democratic principles, the group want diverse planning and good developments but not when they are ‘randomly designed and not planned properly’. I guess that’s why community engagement in the development of Local Planning Strategies is so important and that for key infill locations there is a precinct-based approach.
So, the group want to add a community member to the DAPs in addition to the two local government representatives to even things out. In the inevitable situation of reaching a stalemate, we can enter mediation and that would be ‘so much better and so much more transparent’. I would add to that, so much more delayed and so much more unlikely to ever get a development out of the ground’.
Let me be clear. I am 100% supportive of community consultation and engagement early in the planning process. However – when it comes to having the knowledge, experience and rational approach required to assess complex development applications that is where community representatives can (not will) fall short. I only need to refer to quotations printed in the source of truth for all development debates, The Post, to demonstrate the challenges we may face should this petition be successful.
Referencing the Claremont infill debate and summarising recent community consultation: “Claremont needs to push back on the state government infill targets, as the future based on current research will make Claremont socially unliveable. There is only so much density that can occur before people as social beings become too confined. The over-reach in this plan will make Claremont a crime capital slum.”
I rest my case, your Honour.
Tanya Steinbeck
UDIA WA Chief Executive Officer
Nominate and Lead!
If you are the key representative for your organisation’s UDIA WA membership, check your inboxes! Nominations are now open for one of four positions on the UDIA WA Council, and all the relevant information has been sent to the key rep for each of our member organisations.
With a State and Federal election on the agenda over the next 12 months and a newly endorsed Strategic Plan, there has never been a better time to step up and get involved in leading your industry body. UDIA WA is driving a clear agenda to educate, advocate, connect, excel, and provide exceptional member value and we are looking for leaders to help guide the organisation on this journey.
You can find out more about the nomination process and what positions are vacant by downloading the nomination kit here.
Policy Team in Action
This week the committee round kicked off with the Advocacy & Thought Leadership (A&TL) Strategic Committee meeting on Monday and the Education, Connection & Excellence (EC&E) Strategic Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Key topics of discussion for the A&TL Committee included UDIA WA’s priorities and stakeholder engagement in the lead up to the 2025 State Election, as well as broader policy and advocacy around collaborative culture, facilitating supply across the housing continuum, and streamlining environmental approvals.
The EC&E Committee discussed opportunities to enhance member value through UDIA WA’s market insights and research offerings, and education program, as well as broader member strategy initiatives.
Deputy Secretary to speak at UDIA WA event
UDIA WA is pleased to advise that the Deputy Secretary Regions, Cities and Territories in the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts, David Mackay, will speak at our upcoming event on the new National Urban Policy.
The Federal Government is developing a National Urban Policy and have been undertaking consultation on the role that all levels of government, industry and the community can play in improving Australian cities and suburbs.
UDIA National has made a formal submission to the government on the draft policy, which can be read in full here.
The discussion that the draft has prompted around the need to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and strategic approach to a liveable, equitable, productive, sustainable and resilient built environment has been welcomed by UDIA.
However, how the final document will impact on planning and decision making in Perth is important to understand more fully.
That is why UDIA WA is hosting an industry lunch in August featuring presentations from the key players involved in drafting the new policy. Following presentations will be an opportunity for guests to engage in a Q&A to explore the implications of the policy further.
For more details and to register to attend the lunch on 16 August, visit our events page here.
UDIA engages with Opposition leaders
Last Friday, we were pleased to co-host a Boardroom Lunch with Taylor Burrell Barnett and Cossill & Webley Consulting Engineers featuring Libby Mettam MLA, Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia (WA Division) and the Hon. Steve Martin MLC, Deputy Leader of the WA Liberal Party; Shadow Minister for Housing; Planning.
This was an opportunity for industry engagement with the Liberal Party of WA, including to hear about the approach leading into the State Election campaign period and current thinking around housing policy.
Our members shared real examples to demonstrate the current challenges and, mostly importantly, the case for impactful measures to drive the delivery of diverse and affordable housing supply.
The discussions focussed on supply-side measures including expansion of the Infrastructure Development Fund to include a broader range of statutory fees and charges to support the viability of apartment projects, funding of growth areas catalyst infrastructure, release of government owned sites, streamlining of planning and environmental approvals and stamp duty reform to support right-sizing and to level the playing field for apartments.
With our housing crisis continuing to deepen, it has never been more important to seek bipartisan support for measures that will shift the dial in ensuring all Western Australians have a roof over their heads. The focus should be on saying ‘yes’ and fully pulling down all the levers to prioritise and facilitate housing supply outcomes.
Thank you to Libby and Steve, as well as to Taylor Burrell Barnett and Cossill & Webley Consulting Engineers for supporting this event.
Awards for Excellence judging is underway!
With September fast approaching, judging kicked off on Tuesday to assess each of the amazing projects entered into this year’s UDIA WA Awards for Excellence. Head Judge Danielle Davison, along with fellow judges Lex Barnett, Gail McGowan and Paul Lakey, will visit projects from across Perth and the regions over three weeks.
Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram stories and follow our judges as they view all the nominated projects, hear from the project teams and generally weigh up the significant accomplishments of each team and/ or project.
You can show your support for the nominated projects and your colleagues by joining us to celebrate our industry’s achievements at the Gala Dinner on 14 September. The gala attracts over 500 key players in the industry and is always a fantastic night.
Book your tickets by following this link.
Congratulations Plus Architecture
As part of our recent membership renewal process, every member that paid their membership in full by June 30 went into a draw to win a table of 10 at one of our fantastic industry lunches, valued at $1,845.
We are incredibly pleased to announce that this year, Plus Architecture are the lucky winners!
We look forward to seeing the Plus team at one of our upcoming lunches.
Congratulations, and we want to say to all our members, thank you for supporting UDIA WA as we embark on another year of successfully representing our members across the housing continuum.
BuildSkills Australia to focus on WA construction industry
BuildSkills Australia have appointed Ms Amanda Hamilton as the inaugural State manager Industry Engagement, Western Australia.
BuildSkills Australia was established by the federal government to work with industry to find solutions to the workforce challenges facing the construction, property and water industries.
The organisation is tasked with developing the first ever national workforce plan for the construction, property and water industries. The plan, set to be released in coming weeks, will support Federal Government policy making and skills and training needs across the sector.
With Ms Hamilton’s appointment here in WA, she plans to specifically advocate on behalf of Western Australia for skills, workforce planning and vocational education.
“The Western Australian economy is strong with continued growth forecast into the future. There is significant investment by business and government in priority infrastructure projects. Strong population growth has put significant demand on the housing market. The good news is that new residential construction is increasing,” Ms Hamilton said.
“However, the availability of skilled trades across the construction sector remains an issue. Western Australia more than ever requires the right volume of people, with the right skills, in the right locations with the right qualifications and training to support the growth of a diverse, highly trained, and competent workforce. I am excited to be a part of contributing to this in my new role at BuildSkills and finding out what changes are required to enable this.”
For more information visit www.buildskills.com.au.
Have your say WA!
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage are currently seeking stakeholder feedback on the draft State Design Review Panel (SDRP) Manual 2024.
Please review the draft Manual by visiting Have Your Say, WA! at this link.
The survey closes Tuesday 30 July 2024.
The survey asks the following questions:
- Is the information in the Manual clear and easy to understand? If no, please elaborate
- Are roles and responsibilities for different user groups (proponents, referral bodies, etc.) in the SDRP process well defined? If no, please explain why.
- Are the processes clear and easy to follow? If no, how can we improve?
- Are the diagrams clear and communicative? If no, please provide suggestions below.
- Are there any information or process gaps in the document? If yes, what are they?
- Do you have any other thoughts on Design Review you would like to share?
If you have any questions or feedback for us to compile, please contact the UDIA WA Policy team: policy@udiawa.com.au
Boosting income in retirement?
The Actuaries Institute released a discussion paper earlier this week entitled More Than Just a Roof: Changing the Narrative on the Role of the Home, which is essentially encouraging more Australians to access equity in their home to supplement retirement income.
According to the paper, more than three million Australians are entering the retirement phase in the next decade, a phase that will likely be longer than that of previous generations – and thus requiring greater funds.
Discussion paper author and actuary Andrew Boal, the Institute’s Retirement Strategy Group Chair and Partner in Deloitte’s Superannuation & Investment Practice, says the property price boom has resulted in many retirees who own their own home being stuck in an asset-rich, income-poor trap.
More than 80 per cent of Australians aged 65 to 74 live in their own home, with retirees holding an estimated $1.3 trillion worth of housing equity. However, many do not view their home as a financial asset that could be more actively managed beyond potentially helping to pay for future aged care costs and as a bequest.
The paper says providing greater information and education about how people can better access part of the equity in their home as part of broad retirement planning would help change the existing “nest egg” mindset.
It also suggests several key policy reforms governments could undertake including:
- Removing or refunding stamp duty for over 55s who downsize their home
- Extending access to downsizer contributions to superannuation to also include amounts released through an equity release scheme, such as reverse mortgages
- Relaxing the Age Pension means test for part of the value of equity released from the family home when it is sold (e.g., $300,000 per person/ $600,000 for couples)
- Providing Age Pension means test relief on money accessed through home equity release schemes, such as reverse mortgages, up to the same cumulative limits
- Gradually including part of the value of the family home, above a reasonable threshold, in the Age Pension means test
You can read the discussion paper in full, here.
Get involved – UDIA WA’s RAP
UDIA WA’s newly endorsed REFLECT Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) represents our commitment to take real action to support reconciliation in Australia.
Now formally endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, our RAP forms part of a network of more than 3,000 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have made a formal commitment to reconciliation.
As a membership organisation we can provide leadership and guidance both by leading by example within our own business and providing our members with the knowledge and tools to embark on their own reconciliation journey.
To learn more about UDIA WA’s Reconciliation Action Plan and included actions, you can download it here.
To discuss our RAP or get involved, please contact Gemma Osiejak: gosiejak@udiawa.com.au