Advocacy
We listen to our members and advocate on the issues preventing the delivery of better residential development across Queensland. If you’re a member you can access information on our latest advocacy efforts via email and through updates from your local branch.
We need sufficient land supply to deliver diverse and affordable housing. Land in the South East Queensland urban footprint is highly fragmented so it’s a challenge to develop. Servicing sites with infrastructure is also harder because of land fragmentation. The working group we had the government to form on this issue has more work to do and we’ll help drive it toward solutions.
From the work of the Research Foundation we know people want alternatives to detached houses and high rise apartments. In 2017 we made headway with governments to encourage low to medium residential development in established and greenfield areas, which is work are continuing. We want to keep recognising outstanding missing middle designs to drive innovation. We will also continue to identify the red tape that stops our members delivering alternate housing types.
Through our research we’ve also learnt a key issue is that people don’t know how councils use the Infrastructure Charges collected. There’s no transparency on how local governments spend the money and the Palaszczuk Government promised to introduce transparency at our request at the 2017 State Election and they’ve delivered on that promise. From 1 January 2020, Queensland councils will be required to publish online the value of Infrastructure Charges received, and how and where these funds are spent. This will include publishing information such as Infrastructure Charges notices and documents used in the review, creation or amendment of a local government infrastructure plan.
We’ve also identified the pain points associated with the current approach to community consultation and engagement through our qualitative research. We trialled alternate approaches and in the last quarter of 2018 released Being a good neighbour: A Community Engagement Guide. This best practice guide is available to members and based on the findings of our independent qualitative research. In 2019 we released a toolkit to provide further detail and templates to members undertaking community engagement.
In addition to our State policy agenda, our branches in regional Queensland pursue policy issues at a local government level to make doing business easier.
With support from branch committees, our policy team draft submissions on planning issues that will impact local development.
Last year we delivered over a 100 submissions on issues with the potential to impact development across the State from planning schemes, infrastructure plans to vegetation management issues.
Policy committees
The Institute convenes policy committees on key issues. We currently have volunteer committees to provide specialist input on the following policy areas:
- Brisbane City Council Advisory Panel
- Redlands Advisory Panel
- Finance and Taxation Committee
- Housing Supply and Affordability Committee
- Industry Advisory Group
- Planning and Environment
- Property Law and Community Management
- Infrastructure
- Seniors Living and Residential Care.
If you are interested in being on a committee please email lbarker@udiaqld.com.au and you will be contacted should a suitable vacancy become available.
Committee Membership EoI Form