Experts sought for WA State Design Review Panel

The Property Council welcomes the State Government’s call for qualified experts for a new panel to provide independent advice on the design of buildings and infrastructure projects.

Specialist built environment design experts can now apply to join the newly established Western Australian State Design Review Panel.

The panel will contribute to improving the design quality of major State, local and private sector buildings and infrastructure projects.

The panel will be chaired by the Government Architect, Geoff Warn. Along with experts from the built environment disciplines, including architecture, urban design, urban planning and landscape architecture, expressions of interest are also sought from specialists in sustainability, heritage, accessibility, public health and master planning.

The initiative is part of the State Government’s Design WA policy suite, which aims to put good design at the heart of all development and which, when advertised, included a design review guide, updated apartment design guidelines and an overarching State Planning Policy to guide the development of the built environment. The establishment of the State Design Review Panel is the first step in finalising the draft policies and represents a significant step forward towards the certainty that industry has been calling for.

The Property Council encourages members to have a look at the EOI criteria and to consider applying. Quality, expert assessment is critical to the development application process. The new panel will play a welcome role in ensuring strategic and significant proposals are assessed by technical practitioners with best practice design principles central to decision-making.

Expressions of interest close on December 21, 2018. Visit www.dplh.wa.gov.au/sdrp for more information.