Housing and Infrastructure
Policies on the Agenda of National
Housing Development Conference in March
The
announcement yesterday of the Federal Election date of 14 September 2013 by the
Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has heightened the importance of all parties to
articulate their policies on housing and infrastructure funding, one of the major
areas of job creation, the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Victoria)
said today.
Tony De Domenico, Executive Director,
UDIA (VIC) said, "A National Conference to be held by the UDIA in Melbourne
in March, titled 'Population
Vision for a Nation,' will provide a major platform to explore
the potential policies being put forward by major parties as Australia heads to
one of its most important elections of modern times."
The Federal Minister
for Housing, Brendan O'Connor, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Federal Shadow
Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Greg Hunt, Victorian Minister
for Planning Matthew Guy, and Queensland Planning Reform Minister Ian Walker will
be key note speakers.
Mr De Domenico said, "Australia is
facing a battle on three fronts to provide for the forecast expansion of its population
by 2050 to 35.9 million*. There is a massive backlog of infrastructure which
is leaving capital cities in gridlock. The cost of the great Australian
dream has moved beyond an increasing number of people".
"With the development industry in
Australia representing in excess of 12% of the country's economic development
and recognised as a major key to economic recovery as the mining industry slows,
this National Conference is timely for a debate on the issue of Australia's rapidly
growing population."
Julie Katz, National President of the
UDIA said, "The Conference will profile views of Government, Industry and
the Community to open up a national Public Conversation on the pressing issues
of population growth which impacts on every Australian".
"We see the National Conference as
being an important and critical event to review the current and proposed future
policies on housing affordability, the development of robust and sustainable planning
policies, the development of sustainable employment and skills retention and the
provision of funding for urgently needed infrastructure as key issues."
Media Enquiries:
Tony
De Domenico, Executive Director, UDIA (VIC) - Mobile: 0412 306 885
Julie Katz, National President,
UDIA - Mobile: 0413 307 030
Ron
Smith, Corporate Media Communications, UDIA (VIC) - Mobile: 0417 329 201
Source:
* Treasury modelling contained in the third Intergenerational Report forecast
a population of 35.9 million by 2050.
