The latest Victorian advocacy and policy updating including the building reform, COVID-19 restrictions update and more.
EASING OF VICTORIA COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
BUILDING REFORM UPDATE
Representatives of the Institute continue to meet with the Expert Panel and Better Regulation Victoria to discuss Victoria’s Building Reform. The Institute’s submission has importantly opened the way to having important dialogue on the reform. This includes the important role of the Architects Registration Board of Victoria, ensuring accountability through registration of all practitioners who make key decisions that impact quality and safety outcomes on built environment projects, ensuring accountability through a risk-proportionate scheme for design declarations, and improving the way novated design and construct procurement operates. You can read the Institute’s submission here.
500,000 TREES FOR A COOLER, GREENER WEST
On 13 May 2021, in a joint announcement by Acting Premier James Merlino, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio and Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly, the Victorian Government announced that it will build green canopies with 500,000 new trees in Melbourne’s western suburbs. This will be undertaken through a $5 million investment to plant new trees in growth areas across six councils to provide more shade and green spaces. It is intended that the trees will reduce pollution, improve air quality and help reduce the urban heat island effect which leads to higher temperatures and lower air quality in those urban communities without enough vegetation. They will also provide new habitats for urban biodiversity, increasing links between existing trees and connections between parks.
In 2018, Melbourne’s west had just 5.5 per cent canopy cover in urban areas compared to 17.4 per cent in the inner south-east and 25.9 per cent in the east. The western suburbs experience the greatest urban heat island effect across metropolitan Melbourne.
The trees will help achieve the goals of Plan Melbourne 2017 to 2050 to greening and cooling Melbourne. The tree planting is also part of the Victorian Government’s strategy to address climate change, and to meet a target of 45%-50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Government has said that it will engage experts to advise correct tree selections, ranging from saplings to more mature trees, as well as the location of their planting. Funding will be available through grants to community organisations and local councils. Organisations with projects already underway will be able to apply for funding to upscale their projects. Planting will begin in September.
You can read the full media release here.
ANNUAL VICTORIAN REGISTRATION RENEWAL AND CPD
Over the last several weeks the Institute has reminded members to have their 10 informal and formal CPD points for 2020/21 completed and filled in a diary by June 30 2021.
For further information visit here.
