“Designing Canberra’s Future”

The 2016 ACT election campaign is underway and politicians are developing strategies designed to win your vote.

The ACT Chapter raises issues with government throughout the year, but the election provides us with an opportunity to raise the level of discussion.

We held a political roundtable last week in conjunction with the Institutes of Planning and Landscape Architecture, where we had the opportunity to put questions to Mick Gentleman MLA, Minister for Planning and Land Management (ALP), Alistair Coe MLA, Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Canberra Liberals), and Shane Rattenbury MLA, Leader of the ACT Greens, and spokesperson for Environment, Climate Change and Water, and Energy.

We have already written to the major parties asking them questions on specific issues and we will be posting the responses on our dedicated website.

Tell us what politicians need to hear in this year’s election. Go to our website and post your comment on what you think the future ACT government should be focusing on and what you think the key issues are for the profession and the ACT.

If we want a bigger voice for architects in the community, I would strongly encourage you to start conversations with your local candidates, to discuss their position on various issues around the importance of architecture and good design to Canberra’s future.

All you need to do is write to your local candidates or meet with them and have a discussion about Designing Canberra’s Future. Go to our web page to download some questions to start the conversation.

Share the results of any conversations you have with candidates on the comment section of the web page, or upload a related photo to Instagram, or mention it on Twitter with the hashtag #DesignOurFuture16. Help us generate conversations about our issues!

Rob Henry, ACT President, Australian Institute of Architects