Dear Members,
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CHAPTER
2025 STATE ELECTION PLATFORM –
‘BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL WESTERN AUSTRALIANS’
As you know, members of the Australian Institute of Architects (the Institute) in Western Australia together employ thousands of people in WA’s building and construction sector, working to deliver over a billion dollars’ worth of public and private sector projects each year.
The contribution of WA architects is incredibly diverse – from CBD high rises through to multi and single residential projects, community infrastructure, state of the art schools and much more spanning the breadth of our State.
As a critical part of the construction sector, the WA Chapter of the Institute is dedicated to supporting members in their work to improve our built environment and diverse communities across the State by promoting quality, responsible, resilient design and advocating for the benefit of all Western Australians.
On your behalf, the WA Chapter of the Institute engages with the State Government and various departments to advocate for and support policies to promote livable communities, whether through enhancing public transport options; driving planning and lands reform; and more broadly having a critical conversation with Western Australians about density, livability, and the holistic benefits of quality design.
With the WA State Election set for March 2025, together with WA Executive Director Jonathan Speer, I have been meeting with relevant State Government Ministers, as well as members of the opposition and cross bench, to convey the priorities of WA membership.
These priorities, gleaned from you – via WA Chapter Council, Committee and Taskforce members, various Workshop discussions and other conversations with many of you over my past three years as President of the WA Chapter – are set out on the following pages.
‘BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL WESTERN AUSTRALIANS’
Priority 1) Access to more affordable homes for Western Australians
Our recommendation:
- Procure demonstration homes, together with an awareness campaign, to showcase the economic and lifestyle benefits of cleverly designed smaller homes.
On average, new houses built in WA today are nearly 50% bigger than they were 40 years ago, and we now have the greatest proportion of four-bedroom homes in the country at 36%. But with an average household size of 2.5 people, an increasing proportion of single person households (currently at 24%) and a supply crisis, we need to turn this around.
Smaller homes are quicker to build, provide opportunities for greater density and, importantly, reduce the financial strain for their owners in terms of mortgage. Smaller homes also require less energy for heating and cooling, reducing the cost of living.
Priority 2) Reduce the cost of living through more energy efficient homes
Our recommendations:
Move to 7-star energy efficiency and condensation provisions from 1 May 2025.
Establish a State Government delivery agency to work with the construction sector to increase capability and capacity for delivering more energy‐efficient homes to facilitate the move beyond 7 stars.
Procure demonstration homes, together with an awareness campaign, to showcase the economic and lifestyle benefits of more energy efficient homes, 7 stars and beyond.
Adopt mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency ratings of properties for sale or rent to enable consumers to make an informed choice.
Energy efficient homes maintain a more comfortable internal temperature throughout the year, with less reliance on mechanical heating and cooling. This means less energy used so homeowners and tenants save money on power bills – and the State’s overall energy demands are reduced.
Building more energy efficient homes doesn’t have to be costly or complicated. This has been proven in Victoria where Sustainability Victoria, a delivery agency of the Victorian Government, has been working with businesses in the construction sector via the HIA and MBA to increase capability and capacity for delivering energy‐efficient homes.
Priority 3) Address the housing crisis with connected communities
Our recommendations:
Promote the opportunities afforded by the Medium Density Code.
Continue to support build to rent.
We need to change the way we plan for housing. We can’t keep building out. Urban sprawl comes at a cost for all Western Australians with the State Government subsidizing the cost of providing essential and community infrastructure.
We need to create capacity for more infill, providing alternate, denser forms of housing while maintaining urban canopy. Architects have led the way in innovative apartment design across Perth for decades – and the State Government’s new Medium Density Code now provides even more options for well designed, sustainable infill.
Priority 4) Build quality apartments through sector reform
Our recommendations:
Support State Government’s “Building Better reform package” to enhance building design documentation and procurement.
Mandate that architects are required to prepare plans and specifications for specific types of building work of a certain scale and complexity, including all apartments of three or more storeys.
A critical part of the proposed “Building Better reform package” is enhancing building design documentation and procurement. We believe this can be best achieved by mandating engagement of architects for buildings of a certain scale and complexity.
The architecture profession already has the systems in place to ensure appropriate education, training, and registration, overseen by the Western Australian Architects Board established and governed by State Government legislation.
Mandating architects for certain buildings has been in place in NSW for decades. This recognizes that due to their scale, permanence and complexity, the design and construction of apartment buildings is different to a single home.
Priority 5) Build skills for the future by expanding access to the Construction Training Fund
Our recommendations:
Amend the legislation to include a definition of the construction industry in the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund and Levy Collection Act 1990 to permit architects, design professionals, and other relevant off-site workers to be included in this definition – equipping our State for the future.
Include this initiative in the State Government’s “Building Better reform package” to enhance building design and construction.
Architects are currently part of a group of key offsite workers excluded from the definition of “construction worker” under the Construction Industry Portable Paid Long Service Leave Act 1985 rather than being defined directly as “construction worker” in the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund and Levy Collection Act 1990.
At this time of significant challenge in the construction sector, a focus on skills and training for all participants is crucial, particularly as we move in new directions including AI and prefabrication.
Priority 6) Support the State Government’s Urban Greening Strategy
Our recommendations:
Implement the proposed Urban Greening Strategy.
Help build community understanding of the benefits – social, environmental and economic – of the State’s urban canopy.
Support Local Governments in establishing tree planting/urban forest strategies.
Continue to support urban canopy through the Residential Design Codes.
The State Government’s proposed, whole-of-government Urban Greening Strategy recognizes the importance of tree canopy and green spaces, providing a variety of significant social, economic and environmental benefits for people and the neighbourhoods in which they live.
Priority 7) Support the State Government’s sectoral emissions reduction strategy
Our recommendations:
Support, through WAPC, collection of data from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) at the Development Application stage at Local Governments.
State Government as model client to showcase sustainability initiatives, including LCA assessment for all State Government projects.
Establish a government procurement principle of adaptive re-use as the default option for re-developing state-owned assets with a ‘show-cause’ principle for full-demolition and new building.
Extend LCA assessment to infrastructure projects including roads.
As the built environment accounts for 39% of all carbon emissions globally, the sector is uniquely positioned to lead in targeting a zero-carbon economy.
The pace of change required cannot be left to individual initiatives to decarbonise. Action by all levels of government is required. This has been commendably recognized in this State in the Sectoral Emissions Reduction Strategy.
In considering the pathway for managing carbon in the construction industry downwards, measuring the current performance of buildings through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial. There is already one local government in WA already requiring LCAs to be submitted with Development Applications.
But it’s not just new builds. The built environment needs to play a central role in the push to net zero through the adoption of more sustainable alternatives to traditional demolition and redevelopment. Adaptive reuse is one way to reduce carbon emissions, significantly reduce embodied carbon compared to a ground-up scenario.
Priority 8) Support the State Government as Model Client
Our recommendation:
As one of the largest principals in WA, State Government to take a leadership role in supporting a more sustainable building industry by setting the standard in assessing design tenders across multiple criteria, providing true value for money in the long term.
The ongoing cost implications for the project in its entirety must be considered – given that the quality of construction drawings and contract administration impacts the overall project cost.
High quality documentation and contract administration, and sufficient budget for this, protects all parties, resulting in fewer variations. Incomplete and substandard documentation ultimately leads to more variations and an increase in the overall project cost.
Priority 9) Support Good Design and Design Review
Our recommendations:
Continue to recognize the importance of performance-based design principles, allowing flexibility for designers and developers to provide innovative solutions to design challenges, addressing the complexities of individual sites and context.
Continue to support Design Review as an essential component of development approvals.
Good design is not a subjective idea; it can be defined and measured. Design quality is not judged solely on aesthetics; it encompasses functionality, sustainability, response to context, structural integrity, flexibility in use, and cost efficiency, both during construction and over the life of the building.
Priority 10) Recognise the crucial role of the Western Australian Government Architect
Our recommendations:
Continue to recognise the whole-of-government leadership role of the Government Architect in Western Australia.
Support the Government Architect in providing strategic, independent and expert design advice to Government and industry about architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.
Promote awareness of how good design contributes to successful urban environments for public benefit.
The Western Australian Government Architect plays a crucial role in shaping an integrated approach to planning, architecture, and urban design to enhance and improve our built environment. The creation of design value increases amenity, supports economic development, and enhances livability for all residents of our State.
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Thank you once again to the WA Chapter Council, Committees, Taskforce members, Workshop participants and the Institute team for their valuable contributions to this election platform.
Yours sincerely,
Sandy Anghie RAIA
State President, Western Australia
Australian Institute of Architects
