A thriving economy doesn’t happen by chance - it starts with a well-informed strategic policy framework. We explore the strategic planning implications that local economic development plans should consider in order to maximise economic growth.

Strategic urban and regional planning is at a turning point.  The rapid technological advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) are fundamentally reshaping how cities and regions evolve, presenting both opportunities and challenges for policymakers, planners and the real estate sector. 

Australia’s regional markets are continuing to attract the attention of buyers and new residents, outpacing capital city counterparts. While there are cyclical factors that can affect price growth, such as the level of interest rates and markets correcting after a period of sustained growth, there continues to be a range of underlying and long-term structural factors driving growth/decline.

Sydney of all cities in Australia has the potential to make a legitimate claim as tracking towards Australia’s premier global city. This has not come from its planning system, which continues to be amongst the most challenged in Australia. It will continue materialise on the back of the most aggressive infrastructure led city shaping programme seen in any Australian city over the last 40 years.

Solve Property Group’s Chief Planner Gary White has shared his perspective in the following article.

The UK’s housing crisis is a well-documented issue, with increasing demand outstripping supply in both urban and rural areas. The pressure to provide affordable housing, coupled with a desire for sustainable and community-focused living spaces, has fuelled calls for a dedicated task force to steer urban growth: the New Towns Taskforce.

The State Planning Commission recently released their Draft Greater Adelaide Regional Plan 2051, which sets out a long-term vision for Greater Adelaide, detailing where people will live and work, how they will move around and where they will access services, and importantly presents recommendations for managing growth and adapting to changes in the community and urban environment. The Plan reflects a practical approach to managing growth while addressing housing, employment lands, and infrastructure challenges.

As Australia continues to face an escalating housing crisis, the debate frequently focuses on planning related barriers to much needed supply. Internally we have been discussing various urban growth models and are interested in the market impacts related to containment and densification.

Read our discussion paper here.

Solve Property Group’s Chief Planner, Gary White, was recently interviewed about the housing crisis and his perspective on Housing Now!’ call for the NSW Government to appoint a dedicated co-ordinator general to boost housing supply in the state.

It won’t surprise many of you that a new study has found Australia is set to fall short of the housing targets designed to address the nation’s affordability crisis. While there are a number of factors contributing to the undersupply of housing, recent findings released by the UDIA indicate that Australia is on track for it’s lowest approvals since 2012.

Solve Property Group’s Northern Rivers Housing Forum has been featured by Australian Property Investor Magazine.

An article by Craig Francis.

Marked by an ageing population and with a determination “not to be the Gold Coast”, the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales has found itself with an affordability problem, housing shortages, soaring rents and something of an identity crisis.

At the recent Northern Rivers Housing Forum held in Kingscliff, acclaimed demographer Bernard Salt AM, and Gary White, former Chief Planner for the Queensland NSW state governments and now Chief Planner at Solve Property Group, addressed some of the biggest issues confronting the region.

We recently hosted the Northern Rivers Housing Forum, an initiative aimed at tackling the housing crisis in the region. The forum brought together key stakeholders, counsellors, community leaders, and experts to discuss the housing challenges faced by communities in the region.

The forum highlighted the growing concern over housing affordability, availability, and delivery in the Northern Rivers area. A report completed by Solve Property Group found that housing affordability has significantly declined, with rental costs increasing in excess of 35-50% across the region, while the cost to service mortgages continues to grow. With limited options for affordable housing, the need for innovative strategies and collaborative efforts has become increasingly urgent.

Tweed Shire Council have released a Draft Options Paper, Growth Management and Housing Strategy. It acknowledges that the Tweed is the fastest growing LGA in NSW with an additional 31,182 persons projected in the next 20 years, reaching 128,333 persons by 2041. The Tweed is in a housing crisis, experiencing, as much of Australia is, housing not meeting community needs.

Sydney is on the path to become an exemplar global city, not because of any prowess around the planning system, but the potential that has been presented by one of the most significant infrastructure programs shaping future investment of any capital city in Australia over the last 10 years. As the past and first Chief Planner for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment this might be considered a surprise statement.

The Queensland State Government recently released their Draft South East Queensland Regional Plan 2023 Update for public consultation, signalling that South East Queensland’s recent strong growth is expected to continue over the coming decades.