Talking about sustainable regional growth

This year’s Victoria Planning and Environmental Law Association (VPELA) State Planning Conference: Reflect, Reconnect and Renew… Optimism in an Age of Uncertainty was held in Lorne in early September. Hygge Director, Joseph van Dyk formed part of a focus session about regionalisation - discussing growing regional cities in a sustainable and resilient manner.

Joseph spoke centrally of housing diversity - ‘There is an increased demand for smaller dwellings closer to amenity. Existing housing stock is too focussed on 3 and 4 bedroom dwellings in greenfield locations.’

He acknowledged that councils face several difficulties, including the ability to complete the strategic planning work to facilitate this diversity while still ensuring appropriate controls are in place to protect existing character and heritage streetscapes - ‘They must work to attract the right developers with the right projects to these “infill” housing markets.’

The yearly VPELA Conference is also a great opportunity to catch up with others in the planning and development industries - images of Joseph with Rory Costelloe, Villawood Properties and Bernard McNamara, BMDA Development Advisory and a group of keen early morning cyclists below.

In October, Joseph was involved in a Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions (BREAZE) forum, where he discussed the reactionary response to rapid unforeseen population growth in Ballarat, for which all three levels of government were underprepared. This has resulted in greenfield developments lacking in housing diversity.

Joseph called for opportunistic developers to consider their legacy. ‘We need to ask ourselves if in 10-20 years we will be proud of the city we have left for future inhabitants. The focus must shift from quantity to quality.’

He stressed that developers must also lead the way with building sustainable housing as currently, 39% of global carbon emissions are linked to construction industry (72% in operation and 28% in construction). ‘There is a general lack of awareness from the public about sustainability requirements in housing and the quantitative outcomes. It is up to developers as industry leaders to educate our markets about sustainability and lift our game.’

He referred to the recently completed Nightingale Ballarat project (images below) and future projects Lyons Place and the eco village at Middleton Field which have all been designed to be carbon-neutral in operation. With electricity the only available energy source (no gas), power to these projects will be sourced from renewable off-site generation, rooftop solar and/or 100% certified Greenpower suppliers.

Other speakers at the forum included Paul Haar, Architect, Bradly Hall from Chatham Homes, Natalie Robertson from the City of Ballarat all pictured with Nick Grylewicz from Integra Group (main image).