Editorial licence

Bernard McNamara Editor and Director, BMDA Development Advisory

Welcome to 2022 and a MAJOR changing of the guard, with our esteemed Tamara Brezzi handing over the VPELA Presidency to Mark Sheppard.

Our Association has been blessed throughout its 32-year existence in having a number of highly talented and forwardthinking professionals in the role of President. The honour list commenced with Peter Barber and continued with Jane Nathan, Henry Turnbull, Ian Lonie, Kathy Mitchell, Tamara, and now Mark. While I’m not equating the VPELA presidency with running Australia, I note that there have been more Prime Ministers during the same period! (And how has that gone?)

Planning Reform

This issue was to feature an article on Planning Reform from the DELWP team, providing a ‘work in progress’ report on implementation of reforms from the review of the Planning System written by Anna Cronin in 2019. However, readers would have seen the Planning Minister’s media statement on 1 March 2022 that these reforms will no longer proceed.

The release was candid about the reason for this policy backflip with tuck.

There was strong resistance within the property and housing industries to the 18 February 2022 announcement of a financial levy (the Social Housing Assistance Contribution levy), to fund social housing. That announcement also stated that the State would no longer pay municipal rates for social housing complexes.

Two big announcements. Indeed, to paraphrase ‘Yes Minister’ sage, Sir Humprey Appleby, these are two ‘bold’ announcements – particularly in an election year.

The Contribution proposal is now cancelled and, so it seems, is the whole planning reform package.

Some ever-shifting goal posts

The Planning and Building Regulation Reform has been underway in earnest since 2018. The review has been long and wide-ranging, leaving all participants frustrated and without measurable benefits.

The situation in Victoria is that the planning reforms of the 1990s have since become swamped with layer upon layer of additional controls and procedures. These have added costs to development projects and harmed housing affordability (among other things).

Looking at the Commissioner for Better Regulation final report Turning Best Practice into Common Practice’, the benefits of planning reform, as summarised on page 4, are many. But what

I can’t see in the list of benefits is a goal to fund social housing?

The announcement of the Big Build social housing program in 2020 did not come with any conditions that planning reform was an essential component. Quite the opposite.

The Minister for Planning amended Cl. 52 of all planning schemes so that social housing projects were exempt from requiring a Planning Permit. The Government would not let its own ‘pesky’ planning permit procedures get in the way! (Procedures, I might add, that the rest of us are required to confront.)

One of the benefits identified in planning reform was removal of permit requirements from low-impact uses and developments. So, Minister, can we please take a collective breath and not throw out four years of planning reform development with the proverbial bathwater?

Positions vacant – apply now!

It is a truism that we live in a lucky and beautiful country. On top of that, many of us in the planning and development assessment professions have been fortunate during the Covid waves. Unlike friends running good businesses in the entertainment, recreation, events and hospitality sectors, our businesses have generally not been forced to close, with the attendant financial and social consequences. Simply put, if you could work by opening a laptop, things were relatively OK.

However, we now have a labour shortage. In my (longish) time in this industry, I can’t recall a period when skilled planning and related personnel were in such short supply. A seller’s market if ever there was one.

This problem is afflicting everyone, from councils to departments, to private practices. By way of just one example, observe how many local and state government leaders in planning and building are using LinkedIn to reach out for staff.

It hasn’t helped that there’s some ‘doubling up’, with planning teams now assembled in every new project infrastructure building ‘agency’. (Committee meeting anyone??). The result is a ‘logjam’ of planning permit applications, amendments and appeals. And with the planning reforms not proceeding, there is no end in sight.

The future looks good

This issue includes three articles related to the Young Professionals Group (YPG), with a report on YPG activities by CoConvenors, Jack Chiodo and Isobel Vescovi.

We are also introduced to the YPG Committee for 2022. It is important and fundamental to VPELA that we have a group of leaders ‘on the rise’. Secondly, we need a group that incorporates the various sectors of our industry – from planners, lawyers to engineers to the various sectors within state and local government, agencies and private firms.

In reading the YPG profiles, one can only be impressed by the qualities and energy in the next generation and undimmed by the COVID years.

Proof of the pudding is provided in Carlo Morello’s article setting out why becoming involved with YPG and VPELA has been career enhancing, and good fun along the way. Carlo continues to play active roles on the VPELA Board and the Conference Committee. A model to follow. Thanks Carlo.

And (drum roll) … the June edition of VPELA Revue will be turned over to YPG, so stand clear! Should be fun – and educational for me!

A call to keyboard warriors

Sometimes I am swamped with articles, but not for this edition, so let me renew my pitch for Members to contribute. The Revue is a platform for your perspectives. Articles can be on projects, policies, practices, places or people. Or any topic that you think will resonate with our readers.

As always, I welcome you feedback or ideas to: Bernard.mcnamara@bmda.com.au

Nexus celebrated its 15th anniversary with a Crystal Ball on the 18th March. Guests dazzled in crystal while some took inspiration from the mystical art of fortune telling. Industry young professionals who were keen to have a sneak peek into their future enjoyed a reading with a Mystic and as always the photobooth captured the rest of the entertainment!

You can see all the photos here

Congratulations to our costume winners Emily Mignot, Tract Consultants looking sparkling in crystal and Wendy Hernandez, Biosis, who created her own Esmerelda look.

Thanks to our major sponsor Dalton Consulting Engineers and all our supporting sponsors.