As the Institute strives to be the voice of the architecture profession in Australia and help to make the world a better place through architecture, we have been working to strengthen and improve our advocacy efforts to ensure we effectively communicate the value of architecture to the community and governments. We are promoting policies and strategies to raise design standards in our cities and towns, to position Australia as an international design leader and to make Australia a better place for us all.

Along with formal submissions and feedback opportunities, we have focused on relationship building to maximise the impact of our advocacy endeavours. We recognise that, to be truly effective, we first need to be heard. Only then can we play the role we need to play to shape Australia’s future in a positive way.

Working directly with all levels of government, authorities and other industry groups has proven to be a constructive strategy, which has not only improved relationships but also led to better outcomes. As a result, our collective voice is becoming more influential and authorities are actively seeking our input.

One of the biggest issues of the year for the built environment has been the Grenfell disaster in the UK. The tragedy and its aftermath prompted the expansion of a Senate Economic References Committee inquiry into non-conforming building products to include the specific issue of non-compliant cladding. The Institute provided a detailed submission to the Senate Economic References Committee on non-conforming building products. The committee’s interim report on aluminium composite cladding extensively referenced the Institute’s submission to the inquiry and the evidence and solutions that we put forward – of the committee’s eight recommendations, five either directly adopted proposals made by the Institute or were otherwise consistent with our positions. The Institute believes that, if adopted, the recommendations will go a long way to addressing many of the issues identified by architects over an extended period including: the increasing prevalence of fraudulent materials and substitutions; the fragmentation of the certification process and the absence of detailed certification by properly qualified professionals; the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms for building regulations; and the failure of legislative and regulatory instruments to keep pace with the changing nature of the industry at large.

The Victorian and Queensland Chapters have also contributed to state audits to identify buildings with a potential fire risk due to non-conforming cladding and the Institute will continue to work with authorities to protect public safety in the future and remedy a poor culture of compliance in the industry.

Another positive development for the profession in 2017 was the August launch of the NSW government design policy, which marked a turning point for the NSW built environment. Built around seven objectives, the Better Placed policy advocates the importance of good design in creating better places and spaces, supports industry and government to deliver good design and enables effective design processes to be established and supported in the planning system. Better Placed not only describes the design process itself; it will form part of the terms of reference supporting the delivery of design excellence processes, including design review panels and design excellence competitions. The NSW Chapter President Andrew Nimmo welcomed the release of the new policy, saying it will help to deliver a higher quality of new development and great places as we meet the challenges of an increasing population. The Institute will continue advocating for similar, quality-based policy throughout the country, as we believe that good design yields a dividend for all stakeholders, which is returned not just in the immediate term, but over the lifetime of a well-designed and delivered built environment.

Gender equity has also been in the spotlight, with the establishment of women-in-architecture groups and networks and ongoing discussions around the need to address gender imbalances in practice. The marriage equality survey and public debate around that issue also prompted several chapters to publicly state their support for marriage equality.

Throughout the year, all Chapters have been involved in advocating at the state and territory level on a wide range of issues affecting the built environment, including planning, building documentation, apartment standards, heritage, building health and safety, conservation management, procurement, local industry participation, the future of Antarctic infrastructure and City Deals.

Most recently, the Victorian Chapter has provided a submission on the Fisherman’s Bend Draft Framework, applauding the taskforce for its ambitious vision, describing it as a city-shaping and city-defining project, and the Draft Framework as a comprehensive document that provides a clear and strategic direction based on extensive and inclusive consultation processes. Consultation is ongoing, with a public hearing scheduled for February 2018.

The Tasmanian and South Australian Chapters have state elections due in 2018 and have begun preparing their policy positions. Documents have been prepared in both states, outlining the concerns and objectives of the profession. South Australia has focused on design quality and planning reform, industry participation and procurement and professionalism and public safety. In Tasmania, the focus is on strategic planning, development and rapid change, economic growth, heritage and the built environment, housing affordability, health/ageing demographic, education and climate change. The Chapter is pushing for the introduction of a statewide architecture and design policy, similar to the NSW Better Placed policy and architectural input into future development.

The NSW Chapter provided a joint submission with the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, commending the draft Greater Sydney Region Plan and District Draft Plan, along with the 20-year outlook and 40-year vision. The submission includes a number of recommendations to ensure the goals are successfully delivered, including metropolitan governance with the authority to deliver. The submission said a robust bipartisan governance structure is essential for the plans to survive the election cycles.

As part of its Year of Housing, the ACT Chapter hosted a lecture series on designing, planning and delivering affordable housing. Speakers with extensive experience in housing development and affordable housing provision presented talks of the topic of designing, planning for and delivering affordable housing in greenfield or brownfield developments. They referenced current case studies demonstrating leading initiatives in affordable housing as well as drawing on their broader experience. The seminars provided an opportunity to learn more from industry peers and other exemplar projects. The Chapter also launched a released a new resource to support and inform the future of housing in Canberra. The new Housing Choice: Canberra website offers a detailed analysis of both planning successes and lessons in the capital. 

The Tasmanian Chapter recently hosted two public President’s forums to discuss planning and development issues and engage with the public about the future of their capital city. The forums came amid intense public debate about Hobart’s future needs and how they sit with the existing built environment, heritage and landscape. The events aim to build on public engagement, which has grown considerably on the back of Open House Hobart – held for the fifth time in 2017.