National Planning Awards Announced in Sydney

Australia’s major Planning Congress featuring experts from around the world has ended with the
announcement of the country’s top planning projects for the year.

The 2014 National Awards for Planning Excellence have capped off a highly successful PIA
National Congress and turned the spotlight onto projects that represent excellence in planning.

Among planners’ projects honoured by industry peers include a research project highlighting
planning implications for coastal settlements in South Eastern Australia in light of climate
change, an initiative that has transformed development assessment processes in Queensland
and the redevelopment of Perth’s Forrest Place.

PIA President, Dyan Currie said the array of different project types entered for this year’s
awards is an indication of how planning enters many aspect of our daily lives.

“These award winning projects are not just about bricks and mortar,” Ms Currie said. “The award
categories allow for the inclusion of good planning initiatives from all corners of the Australian
community.

“This year there is a commendation for an iPad application that improves planning processes.

“So the entries can stretch from a piece of software to a major vision such as the Newcastle
Urban Renewal Strategy.”

The awards and commendations announced in Sydney last night cover planning projects from
all Australian States and the ACT. However, as in previous years entries from Queensland were
well regarded with that state taking out 5 of the 14 awards.

Among them is the Hall of Fame category which went to popular Queensland University of
Technology retired Associate Professor Phil Heywood.

Inducting Mr Heywood into the PIA Hall of Fame the judges said ‘He has changed the shape of
many communities and in particular contributed positively to the development and
transformation of Brisbane’.

Dyan Currie said the annual PIA Awards for Planning Excellence are designed to incentivise our
professional planners and take clear messages to the community about the value of good
planning.

“When a great place, a good development or the creation of open urban space is awarded,
people in the community can see what good planning is all about.

“The awards don’t just help planning colleagues become aware of each other’s work, they help
planning to connect with the community.

“A great example of this is this year’s ‘Great Place Award’ winner. In giving this award to the
Redevelopment of Forrest Place in Perth, the judges made this comment.”

‘The redevelopment is an example of a well-designed, high quality public space that creates an
intimate relationship with its surrounding context and achieves a significant level of interaction
with the community that uses it’.

The Annual PIA Awards for Planning Excellence start at State level with winners from each
state going on to be judged at a National Level.

Category Winners
Category: Improving Planning Processes and Practices Award
Project Team: Department of State Development
Infrastructure and Planning, Regional Services Group,
and Planning and Property Group
Winner: State Assessment and
Referral Agency (SARA)
QLD
Commendation: Aboriginal
Cultural Heritage Development
Assessment Toolkit
NSW
Commendation: BAL Plan iPad
Application
Victoria
Category: Public Engagement and Community Planning Award
Project Team: Transport for NSW (North West Rail Link)
Winner: North West Rail –
Stakeholder and Community
Engagement
NSW
Commendation: Kerb Ramp &
Footpath Community
Consultation
SA
Category: Promotion of Planning Award
Project Team: Department of Infrastructure and Regional
Development
Winner: The State of
Australian Cities Reports
(2010 – 2013)
ACT
Commendation: Ideas Fiesta
QLD
Commendation: Stephen
Yarwood – Lord Mayor of
Adelaide
SA
Category: The Great Place Award
Project Team: City of Perth, Woodhead, PlanE, BG&E
Hutchinsons Associates
Winner: Redevelopment of
Forest Place
WA
Commendation: Surfers
Paradise Foreshore
Redevelopment
QLD
Category: Outstanding Student Project
Project Team: Jessica Crane, Christina Hill,
Michelle Squires, Hayden Gianarakis, Brylee English,
Genevieve Denny – The University of Queensland
Winner: Browns Plains Centre
Strategic Plan 2033
QLD
Category: Planner of the Year
Winner: Alexander Rix
SA
Category: Outstanding Achievement by a Young Planner
Winner: Tim Sneesby
NSW
Commendation: Brittany Lauga
QLD
Category: Planning Champion Award
Winner: Senator Scott Ludlum
WA
Category: Cutting Edge Research and Teaching Award
Project Team: University of Canberra (Canberra Urban
and Regional Futures), ANU and University of
Wollongong
Winner: South East Coastal
Adaptation (SECA) – Coastal
Urban Futures in South East
Australia
ACT
Category: From Plan to Place Award
Project Team: LandCorp, Cardno, Urbis
Winner: Cockburn Central
WA
Category: Hard Won Victory Award
Project Team: Brisbane Housing Company (BHC)
Buckley Vann Town Planning Consultants
Winner: Blackwood Street
Affordable Housing
QLD
Category: Best Planning Ideas Award – Small
Project Team: Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council,
Buckley Vann Town Planning Consultants, AECOM,
Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and
Multicultural Affairs
Winner: Kowanyama Aboriginal
Shire Council Planning Scheme
QLD
Commendation: Dee Why
Town Centre Master Plan
NSW
South Australia
Category: Best Planning Ideas Award – Large
Project Team: NSW Planning and Infrastructure,
City of Newcastle Council
Winner: Newcastle Urban
Renewal Strategy
NSW
Commendation:
Rural Planning Project –
Planning for Healthy Agriculture
QLD -VIC
Commendation: South West
Victoria Landscape Assessment
Study
Category: Hall of Fame Award
Winner: Associate Professor
Phil Heywood
QLD
Planning Institute Australia