Victorian State Election 2022
VICTORIAN STATE ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2022
The Architecture for Quality and Sustainability in Victoria
The Institute’s 2022 Victorian Election Priorities is a call to the Victorian Government to take action on issues that are critical for Victoria’s future. The decisions made in the next few years will impact generations to come.
The Institute looks forward to working closely with the next Victorian Government and offers its advice and support to help achieve the best outcomes for Victoria.
The 2022 Victorian Election Priorities was developed by our Policy and Advocacy team and Victorian Chapter Council, identifying six key priorities in architecture for quality and sustainability in Victoria.
This document summarises what the Victorian Chapter finds most important and seeks to put forward to the next Victorian Government.
Australian Institute of Architects
2022 Victorian Election Priorities
Learn more about the priorities outlined by our Policy and Advocacy team and share with local candidates in your electorate.
Member Research
INSTITUTE MEMBERS SPEAK OUT ON THE KEY ISSUES TO SECURE AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE
We thank those of our members who participated in our Federal election survey open from December 2021 until end of January 2022. The survey showed that:
The greatest concern for more than half of members (55%) about the current federal government is the lack of action on key issues.
The two most critical issues for the Architecture profession are:
- Transitioning to a net zero emissions future – rated as “Absolutely critical” by 72% of members
- Housing affordability – rated as “Absolutely critical” by 62% of members.
Built-Environment Priorities
Leading up to the elections, we will disseminate communications that break down each of the six priorities (as listed below) to communicate our concerns and position for the built-environment. We hope this helps you understand what we seek to achieve with the next Victorian Government and why these issues are imperative to voice on behalf of architects in Victoria.
1. Create a roadmap to zero-carbon buildings
The Institute calls for the Victorian Government to develop a roadmap to quickly move our building stock to zero carbon where that will:
- undo regulatory roadblocks to sustainable design
- create incentives for retrofitting and upgrading existing buildings
- support local manufacture of sustainable building materials
- invest in research, training, and consumer education
2. Built environment that respects Country
The Institute calls on the Victorian Government to ensure building and infrastructure procurement processes that respects Country, and are developed in partnership with Victorian First Nations communities.
We recommend that the Victorian Government collaboratively develops a framework and guidelines to ensure that the planning, design and delivery of built environment projects in Victoria addresses the implications for Country.
3. Deliver building reforms to enhance quality
Three reforms and safeguards that the Victorian Government needs to include as part of Building Reform in Victoria are:
- Scope of practice for design practitioners
The Institute recommends that the Victorian Government regulates that only an architect can prepare or oversight the design for complex and larger buildings.
- Design and construction declarations
The Institute recommends that the Victorian Government introduces design and construction declarations and certifications for different types of buildings.
- Industry code of practice for novation
The Institute recommends that the Victorian Government adopts the Australian Institute of Architects Code of Novation as a safeguard for all state government building projects where novated design and construct procurement is selected to help ensure buildings are built according to their intended standard.
4. Raise apartment design standards and quality
The Institute calls upon the next Victorian Government to immediately restore the long term core funding of the OVGA to ensure it is able to help establish DRPs across the state.
To ensure sound processes for good design of Apartments, the Institute calls for three key recommendations of the 2022 Apartment Design Standard Inquiry report to be implemented as follows:
- all apartment designs are to be verified by an architect
- a statewide framework is established for local design review panels
- mandated settings for design review are legislated
5. Make the business of building Victoria easier
There are multiple and vastly differing approaches to procurement and requirements for buildings across various Victorian government departments and agencies. This is inefficient for the Victorian Government and the taxpayer as businesses passes on, the costs of accommodating these unaligned procurement approaches. Victorian needs:
A single government building procurement framework
The Institute calls for a single Victorian Government building and consultancy procurement framework to be developed in partnership with industry.
Fair, sensible and insurable procurement contracts
The Institute calls for a major review of risk mitigation including contract terms and insurance requirements to be included as part of single building and consultancy procurement framework.
6. Strengthen heritage and sustainability together
The Institute calls for the Victorian Government to:
Establish a tax incentive framework for heritage preservation and adaptive re-use of privately owned buildings, structures and sites. Include such measures as payroll and land tax relief and rebates for stamp duty paid on site acquisitions.
Allocate $50M for Heritage Victoria to ensure that places of significance are efficiently assessed and listed on the state’s heritage register and to strengthen the Living Heritage Grants Program.
MEDIA RELEASES
VICTORIAN ELECTION PRIORITIES
Victorian State Election 2022: Time to act on better quality apartments for Victorians
Victorian State Election 2022: Call for improved building and procurement practices ahead of Victorian election
