RAA Advocacy
The RAA have formed an Advocacy working group in order to explore representation on pressing issues affecting regional architects. Meetings so far featured areas of advocacy that each committee member may explore within the Association such as development that demonstrates positive suburban development while retaining housing quality. A review and discussion of the draft RAA Vision document paves the way for us to explore a number of avenues as we look to build the membership over the coming 12 months and beyond. Greater involvement of Architects at a local government level, potentially able to assist with skill and resource pressures for regional council and the need for positive engagement with local councils will be one of the avenues explored.
The working group will collaborate with our publications working group in capturing the good work in the regional network through publications and stories as a way of archiving a regional body of work, while we also explore the idea of short video content to further document built work and as a tool to tell positive stories in regional architecture.
The group has discussed the merits of opening the groups work with a focus on holding an online regional housing affordability summit. It has become clear that this is one of the most critical items impacting regional communities one year on from COVID with soaring property prices in the regions which has been compounded by material and labour shortages in the construction sector.
The group resolved to hold this Regional Housing Affordability Summit in September as we launch the new membership categories for the Association as a way to engage regional practices, but also to enable a statewide conversation around the matter as the foundation of a discussion paper that can then be used to engage informatively with state and local governments, in particular in the lead up to the announcement of the findings of the new Regional Housing Taskforce in NSW.
NSW RAA Advocacy Working Group Members:
Cameron Anderson - Co Chair (Mudgee NSW)
Tony McBurney - Co Chair (Bathurst NSW)
Jaya Param (Coffs Harbour)
Malcom McNeil (Port Macquarie)
Tim Lee (Goulburn)
Marcus Piper (Moruya)
