Last Friday’s Victorian Regional Symposium at the Geelong Arts Centre brought together architects, planners, policy-makers, and infrastructure experts to explore the theme Regional Density: Regional Voices, Resilient Futures. It was a privilege to be part of such a vibrant and thoughtful exchange of ideas on how density can be reimagined for regional contexts – supporting sustainable growth, strengthening local communities, and showcasing the design leadership of regional practitioners.
My sincere thanks to all who participated – presenters, panellists, moderators and attendees. Your insights reinforced the importance of tailoring density strategies to place, culture, and climate. The day’s discussions will inform our continued advocacy around regional development, planning reform and infrastructure investment.
In parallel with this work, the Institute has also advanced member advocacy in the education sector. Earlier this month, I met with the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to share results from our recent VSBA Member Survey, completed by over 35 practices across Victoria.
We acknowledge the VSBA as one of the state’s most successful providers of education projects, with an outstanding legacy of award-winning school design. Members’ feedback was thoughtful and constructive – highlighting opportunities to improve collaboration, streamline processes, and support high-quality outcomes across all scales of delivery.
We were encouraged by the VSBA’s openness to this dialogue and have a regular series of meetings established to continue progressing these discussions. Our shared goal remains clear: to ensure that every Victorian student learns in environments that reflect excellence in design, support wellbeing, and demonstrate the public value of architecture.
Thank you to all members who contributed to the survey. Your insights shape our advocacy, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure that architectural expertise remains central to shaping a more equitable, sustainable future for all Victorians.
Stephanie Bullock
Director FRAIA