Evelyn Reynolds

The federal government has released energy-efficient and climate-resilient home plans in a new Design For Place initiative on the Your Home website. Designed by an architect in collaboration with an energy assessor, the plans target up to a 40 percent reduction in energy required to heat and cool a typical new Australian home.
There are five house plans accompanied by sub-designs and specifications tailored for nine locations in different climate zones, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

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Each of the designs meets the new minimum 7-star NatHERS energy-efficiency requirement of the current 2022 National Construction Code. In calculating a home’s energy-efficiency, this rating also includes the annual energy consumed by its major or fixed appliances – including heating, cooling and hot water systems – offset by the energy provided by, and stored in, household solar batteries.
Assistant minister for climate change and energy Josh Wilson noted that many of the Design For Place houses in fact exceed this minimum, with ratings up to ten stars. “The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use in the first place. Providing free, practical and thorough design examples through Design for Place is about making new homes cheaper to run and more comfortable at the same time.”
“A home built to the new Design For Place specifications will reduce household energy bills and put downward pressure on the cost-of-living, while reducing emissions,” Wilson said.
In their media communique, the federal government suggest that Australian households “work with a builder to construct a Design For Place home, or work with a designer or architect to refine the plan to meet their needs and preferences.”

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The free plans can be accessed from the Your Home website. More

Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Minderoo Foundation have announced a $30 million, 25-year philanthropic partnership to advance Australia’s arts and culture with a new home for the university’s performing arts training academy.
The new Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) will be located within the ECU City campus designed Lyons, Silver Thomas Hanley and Haworth Tompkins, which is currently under construction in Perth’s CBD and on track to open in semester one, 2026.
According to a release from the Western Australian government, the donation from the Minderoo Foundation is among the top ten philanthropic contributions ever made to an Australian university. It builds on the $853 million investment made between ECU, the state and federal governments in the ECU City campus through the $1.7 million Perth City Deal, aimed at activating the city’s centre.
The new WAAPA at ECU City is intended to complement several major performing arts projects currently being delivered across Perth, including the $234 million Perth Film Studios, the $150 million Perth Concert Hall redevelopment, expected to open in 2028, and the transformation of the Perth Cultural Centre, anticipated to open in 2026.

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Western Australian premier Roger Cook observed, “These Western Australian institutions will draw thousands of students, staff and audience members into our city centre, driving economic activity, supporting businesses and creating a thriving and vibrant CBD day and night,” while the culture and arts minister David Templeman described WAAPA at ECU City as “the jewel in the crown.”
Along with an endowed fund for the delivery of an ongoing program of residency programs, Minderoo Foundation’s donation includes a fund for the building’s specialist fit-out. According to the release, the “gift will support ECU and WAAPA’s bold vision to deliver nation-leading, state-of-the-art performance and learning venues within the new ECU City campus.”

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WAAPA’s performance venues will include a recital hall, playhouse theatre, dance theatre, jazz and contemporary music studio, flex theatre and Aboriginal theatre, as well as music and theatre rehearsal spaces. The six public performance venues and two performance-capable rehearsal spaces will be equipped with advanced acoustics, box-in-box engineering and best-in-class technology. More

The state government has announced the appointment of a new Building and Plumbing Commission in a bid to deliver stronger consumer protections for homeowners by combining key regulatory functions of the building industry under one roof. It follows the release of an independent review of the Victorian Building Authority’s (VBA) handling of homeowner complaints, commissioned in 2023, which identified consumer distress over complex and drawn-out cases, some spanning more than a decade.
In reflecting on the report’s intent, Anna Cronin, chief executive officer and chief commissioner at the VBA commented, “I have met with six of the seven consumers involved [in the review], and spoken to the seventh on the phone. Their distress about how the system has treated them is palpable … if the VBA had had a clear focus and priority on consumers, we would have done things differently and better in terms of outcomes for them.”
The report’s recommendations included strengthening the oversight of building work during construction, enhancing the VBA’s powers, improving the dispute resolution policy offered by Domestic Building Disputes Resolution Victoria (DBDRV) and developing a professional code of conduct for builders.
In alignment with these suggestions, the new Building and Plumbing Commission will integrate the current building industry regulator – the VBA – together with DBDRV and the Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) function of the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, enabling the regulator to effectively manage all consumer complaints.
The regulator’s new powers will also include:

Compelling developers of apartment buildings above three stories to notify the regulator prior to occupation so the regulator can conduct a final inspection
Issuing an order to allow the regulator to act against a builder after an occupancy permit is issued, ensuring defects discovered after the homeowner moves in can be rectified
Introducing a strata bond for apartment owners in mid- to high-rise apartment buildings, ensuring funds are available to rectify defects after an occupancy permit is issued
Expanding DBI to encompass scenarios when a builder has failed to comply with the new rectification order, meaning that the builder must no longer be insolvent, have disappeared or died before a claim can be made.

According to a media communique from the VBA, the change signals the “most significant reform to building industry legislation in decades and puts consumer protection clearly front and centre in terms of the government’s regulatory priorities.”
The Australian Institute of Architects’ Victorian chapter president David Wagner welcomed the transformation, saying “these changes are essential for rebuilding consumer trust and raising standards in the building industry, particularly the housing market.” In addition to backing the government’s proposal to increase building inspections and extending the scope of mandatory DBI, he also applauded the suggestion for developers to be made accountable for projects post-handover through a decennial liability insurance scheme.
“The Institute advocates extending this approach to all builders, ensuring mandatory contractual guarantees for all projects — this would incentivise builders to address defects directly or provide financial means for consumers to hire alternative trades,” said Wagner.
Further changes, such as improved licensing and mandatory continuing education, were also recommended by the Institute in their response. According to Wagner, “Many building issues involve failed waterproofing, yet membrane waterproofing contractors are currently not required to be insured and are not regulated through a licencing system.”
“The most effective strategy for addressing construction defects is to prevent them from occurring in the first place — this is crucial as Victoria prepares to meet the challenge of constructing up to 80,000 new homes annually to accommodate its growing population.”
Once they pass through parliament, the proposed changes to legislation are anticipated to come into effect in the first half of 2025. More

WMK Architecture has been named the winner of a City of Sydney design excellence competition for a mixed-use residential development in Rosebery.
The winning scheme accommodates 145 build-to-rent apartments and retail spaces across two buildings at 12–20 Rosebery Avenue. The buildings are complemented by green spaces, pocket parks, through site links and a community pavilion at the centre of the site.
In a statement, WMK Architecture described the design as prioritising sustainability, functionality and community. The practice emphasised that a stepped building arrangement was the most suitable and “respectful” solution for the rhombus-shaped site.
“Each building has its own distinct character, yet the overall design is cohesive, offering both aesthetic appeal and efficiency,” said the design team. “This thoughtful blend of individuality and unity ensures that the development not only enhances the Rosebery area but also fosters a connected, thriving community.”

The practice has employed various climate resilient strategies in the design, such as minimising the number of west-facing windows on buildings to decrease heat gain and energy usage. Additionally, the facade features slender vertical elements that offer shade over windows, along with covered balconies that are also protected from excessive heat.
Drought resistant, native plant species will be introduced throughout the site to foster biodiversity.

WMK Architecture’s proposal was selected over entries by Bates Smart and BVN. More

The Victorian state government has announced 50 new “train and tram” Activity Centres in an effort to deliver more than 300,000 homes across Melbourne by 2051. The proposal is an expansion of the government’s ten Activity Centres in Broadmeadows, Camberwell, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie, North Essendon, Preston and Ringwood, released in April 2024.
The locations of the proposed centres were recommended by the Department of Transport and Planning based on an analysis of transport capacity, access to jobs and services and environmental considerations. The first 25 centres focus on stations that benefit from the Metro Tunnel and high-frequency Frankston, Sandringham, Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley Lines. All but one of these is based directly on their proximity to a train station.
Premier Jacinta Allen commented, “Building more homes around 50 inner-suburban train stations means young people have more opportunity to rent or buy a place that’s directly connected to public transport.” In conducting independent analysis, advocacy group YIMBY Melbourne has noted that 23 of the 25 announced centres are in areas of child population decline. According to the organisation, the new centres will “enable more young families to get a foothold in areas where they have been systematically and provably locked out.”

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In terms of their form and structure, the state government has noted that the planning of each Activity Centre will be unique to each community. According to their media communique, the government intends to engage with councils and locals to understand their priorities and help enhance what’s important about their neighbourhood, prior to progressively introducing new planning controls.
“Overall, the vision for train and tram zones is for taller buildings in the immediate ‘core’ at the station, with gentler, scaled height limits and more low-rise apartments and townhouses alongside existing houses in the walkable catchments surrounding,” notes the release. Heritage and landscape overlays will remain in place, and locals residing within 800m of the stations will retain their rights to know, have their say and appeal on new proposals.
The policy has been welcomed by YIMBY Melbourne, whose October 2023 proposal for Melbourne’s Missing Middle outlined a vision for mixed-use density concentrated around fixed rail infrastructure. As of 28 October 2024, they’ve elected another 25 stations that should be prioritised for upzoning, based on their model which favours proximity to the city and potential for new housing adjacent to the station.

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The Next 25 lead researcher Paul Spasojevic argued, “A big part of better, more transparent policy is measurement and visualisation.” Jonathan O’Brien, lead organiser at YIMBY Melbourne, added “The ambition of the Activity Centres Program is admirable. What our research shows is that it could feasibly be doubled—from 50 to 100 stations on the network—in the near future.”
The state government’s remaining 25 “train and tram zone” Activity Centres will be announced in late 2024 with the release of their Plan For Victoria. More

The Western Australian government has announced the opening of the recently completed Ellenbrook Line on Sunday 8 December. Beginning at Bayswater Station, the project includes 21 kilometres of new track and five new stations at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook in Perth’s north-east.
State premier Roger Cook commented that the project “will transform the north-eastern suburbs, providing affordable or free public transport on a […] rail network for tens of thousands of local families.”
Designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with architects Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick and landscape architects TCL and UDLA, designs for the line’s new stations were first unveiled in 2021. The project has been under construction by the Melconnx Consortium led by Laing O’Rourke Australia since early 2022.
Jointly funded by the commonwealth and state governments, the $1.65 billion project is the largest public transport project since the city’s Mandurah Line was completed in 2007. According to Woods Bagot, the new line fills a void in Perth’s north-east – an area with the city’s highest level of car usage and forecasted annual population growth of more than 6.5 percent.

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Woods Bagot principal Kukame McPierzie said, “The train line to Ellenbrook will be transformational for the communities it will serve in this growing part of Perth. We’ve designed the five stations and precincts as a ‘family’, each with common elements and characteristics that are informed by the local context.”
Inspiration for one of the project’s key unifying elements – its folded roof forms – has been drawn from local native flora and surrounding suburban built forms. At each station, the integration of bespoke elements has been driven by a desire to showcase their unique cultural significance and strengthen the sense of local identity.

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Despite having recently completed Sydney’s Central Station renovation (in collaboration with John McAslan Partners) and Crows Nest station, “this project marks a significant milestone for Woods Bagot,” said the firm’s regional transport and project design leader Neil Hill. “It’s our first full rail line project, distinct from our previous work on individual stations and developments. We’re not just building parts of the network – we’re crafting the entire journey.”
McPierzie commented, “We can’t wait to see the community start to embrace and use the stations when the Metronet Ellenbrook Line opens in December.” More

The Western Australian Parliament has passed the Planning and Development Amendment (Metropolitan Region Scheme) Bill 2024, in a move that seeks to expedite housing delivery across metropolitan Perth by removing redundant steps within the planning approval process.
Under the enacted bill, the text within the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS) has been updated to better align with the more contemporary Peel and Greater Bunbury region schemes, both of which guide land use and provide the legal basis for planning in their regions.
It is the first time the MRS text has been updated in 60 years.
According to a state government communique, the recently passed bill is anticipated to reduce duplicate steps within the current planning approval process by 80 percent.
The updated MRS also clarifies the Western Australian Planning Commission’s authority to prepare and approve district structure plans and region planning scheme policies, as well as identify areas for regional infrastructure.

Planning Minister John Carey said the passing of the bill marks a major milestone.

“[…] it is the first time the some 60-year-old Metropolitan Region Scheme has had a significant update, with these changes ensuring it remains contemporary and fit-for-purpose,” said Carey.
“We’re modernising the Metropolitan Region Scheme to streamline and simplify approval processes, removing unnecessary red tape and burdensome administrative process from the planning system.
“The changes significantly reduce the paperwork and approvals required for more than 80 per cent of development applications, reducing the burden on homeowners, businesses and local governments.”
The modernised MRS will take effect from 31 March 2025, following a transition period. More information is available on the state government website. More