The Built Environment Meets Parliament (BEMP) forum will bring together a panel of political and industry leaders to discuss the future of planning and design in Western Australia.
BEMP presents a platform for stakeholders to explore economic, social and governance issues that help shape national prosperity. This year, the concept will be initiated for the first time in Western Australia by host organisations, Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).
BEMP WA 2015 is being organised in Perth on Wednesday 22 July.
Media identity James Lush will facilitate the discussion between panellists the Hon John Day MLA, Minister for Planning, Culture & the Arts (Liberal); the Hon Ken Travers, MLC, Member for North Metropolitan Region (Labor); the Hon Lynn MacLaren MLC, Member for South Metropolitan Region (Greens WA); Dr Brad Pettitt, Mayor, City of Fremantle; Nicole Lockwood, Director, KPMG Australia; and John Daley, CEO, Grattan Institute.
Key issues on the table this year include capitalising on WA’s uniqueness, meeting infrastructure demands, and designing and delivering liveable, affordable and sustainable communities. The discussion will also analyse development issues in regional WA and how growth should be managed in such a vast State.
Observing that WA is at an important point in its economic and cultural history, Philip Griffiths, State President of the Australian Institute of Architects commented that significant growth and transformation have taken place in the last 10 years, especially in the Perth CBD.
According to Emma de Jager, Executive Officer of the Planning Institute of Australia, the fast pace of growth in WA presents the State with obvious infrastructure and management challenges; however, it is also an opportunity to demonstrate new and innovative thinking in the way communities are planned and designed.
Romilly Madew, Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia notes that it is the right time to discuss the outcomes and benefits sought by the community from future development and growth in Australian cities and regions, as well as how economic, social and environmental sustainability targets can be set and progress measured.
BEMP’s Principal Sponsor Jackson McDonald views the forum as a way to inspire WA’s political and industry leaders to think in a progressive direction about the future of the State’s built environment.
Julius Skinner, Partner, Jackson McDonald said that they have helped shape and grow WA’s changing landscape as an independent full-service law firm operating in the State for more than 90 years. The firm has advised many of WA’s largest companies, construction and property entities, as well as State and local government to assist with growth and development.
