5 Minutes with Megan Kraft
UDIA Fraser Coast Branch President Megan Kraft shares with us the importance of being involved in the local community on both a personal and professional level.
How long have you been in the development industry and why are you passionate about it?
I have been involved in the development industry for the last 12 years, primarily working within the consulting space. I’ve been working with our clients (property developers) to deliver their projects within the Hervey Bay region. My expertise resides within the planning and engineering space when working on these projects.
I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I love my job because it is all about creating communities in the region that I love to live. Giving the local community places to live is highly satisfying, especially when many of these people are involved in my life, one way or another!
How do you and your company “give back”?
I have been involved with the UDIA for many years and it was really that involvement that gave me a heap of opportunity to give back to the industry that I love. I was appointed Branch President of the Fraser Coast region back in 2019 and I have loved every minute of advocating for our local members.
Being a close-knit country community, it is almost difficult to not become involved! Especially with kids! Just the other weekend I was manning the cake stall at my child’s “Teddy Bear Picnic” event to raise funds for the kindergarten.
I am also very lucky to have an employer, Cardno, that has enabled me to volunteer my time and raise money for Beyond Blue. Recently, I undertook a 30km walk along the lovely Sunshine Coast beaches called Coastrek. Cardno supported a group of us to undertake the walk and with the help of the local community, we were able to raise a nice sum to donate to Beyond Blue. The walk was a hard one but was a lot of fun to do with colleagues and 2000 other people!
Cardno are also very involved with the local community through sponsorship of local sporting teams and community groups. Recently we had our annual mental health week companywide which surrounded “R U OK?” day. Our Brisbane office even had therapy puppies come into the office! Supporting mental health is a large part of what Cardno undertake every year with consistent support services offered to all employees.
Fraser Coast seems like it has a close community feel, how does that translate into your job?
The Fraser Coast community is a small one, especially within the planning and engineering space! The reality is that we have all worked together at one point or another, whether it be at Council or in the private space. I think that close-community feel gives me a desire to do a good job and make sure that what I am currently delivering, whether it be the new Bundaberg Aquatic Centre or a residential subdivision, is delivered to a high standard. At the end of the day, your clients and colleagues are all your friends so when you run into them at the local shops you want to be proud of the work that you have done for them. I am very lucky to have a fantastic industry around me that only wants to see each other succeed.
If other UDIA members in the Fraser Coast region are reading this and wanting to get further involved in the community, where would you suggest they start?
A community like Fraser Coast is ready to give newcomers everything they want in terms of a close community that will support your career and personal endeavours. I would say to anyone new to the region that is keen to become more involved is to say ‘yes’ to everything. By volunteering your time you will meet the beautiful community that exists here. Everyone around here is volunteering their time in some form, whether it be grant writing for the local sporting club or holding a position at the local UDIA branch!