Planners converge in Ballarat!

This year, the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Victorian State Conference was held in The Goods Shed in Ballarat on October 12 – 13.

This conference, Dreaming and Scheming: Planning for Revolution was set in Ballarat’s historic cityscape and was all about reclaiming the connection between our daring ‘dreams’ and our (planning) ‘schemes’ for our cities, townships, regions and country.

PIA organised provocative thinkers to bring their revolutionary ideas about housing, climate change adaptation and planning for Country. 

One of the highlights from the first day of the conference was a walking study tour of Ballarat sponsored by Planning Studio, Niche. The tour, facilitated by Niche Managing Director Nicola Smith (image below), included a visit to Nightingale Ballarat, with a much appreciated coffee stop at Earls Deli.

Planners were keen to see the first regional Nightingale project as a benchmark in sustainable design, using locally sourced and recycled materials wherever possible and boasting an 8* NatHERS rating. The project also won the UDIA National Award for Sustainability in 2023.

Attendees visited one of the 27 apartments, the shared community rooftop garden and the Hygge Property office space to learn about the planning and development process of delivering affordable and sustainable projects in regional Victoria.

On the second day, Hygge Director Adam Davidson was part of one of the plenary panel sessions, contributing to the Panel Discussion From Dream to Turnkey: Unlocking the sustainable, affordable housing that Victoria needs.

The panel was facilitated by Mark Woodland from the MPIA with James Mant, Director of Places and Precincts for the Department of Transport and Planning, Emily Sims, General Manager and Director of Advocacy at Prosper and Gareth Kent, Owner and Managing Director at Preston Rowe Paterson Geelong.