UDIA National Conference

Housing and Infrastructure Policies on the Agenda of National Housing Development Conference in March.

 

Tony De Domenico Executive Director UDIA (VIC)

The announcement yesterday of the Federal Election date of 14 September 2013 by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has heightened the importance of all parties to articulate their policies on housing and infrastructure funding, one of the major areas of job creation, the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Victoria) said today.

Tony De Domenico, Executive Director, UDIA (VIC) said, "A National Conference to be held by the UDIA in Melbourne in March, titled 'Population Vision for a Nation,' will provide a major platform to explore the potential policies being put forward by major parties as Australia heads to one of its most important elections of modern times."

The Federal Minister for Housing, Brendan O'Connor, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Federal Shadow Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Greg Hunt, Victorian Minister for Planning Matthew Guy, and Queensland Planning Reform Minister Ian Walker will be keynote speakers.

Mr De Domenico said, "Australia is facing a battle on three fronts to provide for the forecast expansion of its population by 2050 to 35.9 million*. There is a massive backlog of infrastructure which is leaving capital cities in gridlock. The cost of the great Australian dream has moved beyond an increasing number of people".

"With the development industry in Australia representing in excess of 12% of the country's economic development and recognised as a major key to economic recovery as the mining industry slows, this National Conference is timely for a debate on the issue of Australia's rapidly growing population."

Julie Katz, National President of the UDIA said, "The Conference will profile views of Government, Industry and the Community to open up a national Public Conversation on the pressing issues of population growth which impacts on every Australian".

"We see the National Conference as being an important and critical event to review the current and proposed future policies on housing affordability, the development of robust and sustainable planning policies, the development of sustainable employment and skills retention and the provision of funding for urgently needed infrastructure as key issues."

Source: * Treasury modelling contained in the third Intergenerational Report forecast a population of 35.9 million by 2050.

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith, Corporate Media Communications, UDIA (VIC) Mobile: 0417 329 201