Planning at 75: How PlanTech Will Shape the Next Era of the Profession
Transform with Objective’s PlanTech
As the Planning Institute of Australia marks 75 years, the profession stands at a pivotal moment. Planning remains central to shaping our communities, but the scale and complexity of today’s challenges demand a step change in how the profession operates.
Across Australia, planners are being asked to deliver more housing, respond to climate pressures, and build trust with communities. Workforce pressures are intensifying. There are more than 13,600 planners across Australia, a profession that has grown by over 80 percent since 2006. Demand continues to accelerate, with the workforce expected to exceed 16,000 by 2026. Despite this growth, nearly two thirds of organisations report difficulty filling roles, and almost half say shortages are already impacting housing supply and affordability.
The challenge is not only capacity. It is how planners spend their time. Much of the day is still consumed by administrative work, navigating fragmented systems and repetitive processes. This limits their ability to focus on outcomes, apply professional judgement, and engage meaningfully with communities.
This is where PlanTech will shape the next era of the profession. It is not about digitising what already exists, but reimagining planning systems to reflect the values of the profession: transparency, fairness, collaboration, and community outcomes.
PlanTech is not new to Objective. Planners across Australia use Objective Trapeze daily to assess, compare, annotate and approve digital plans. Objective Isoplan supports strategic ePlanning and community consultation, connecting policy, spatial data, and long-term planning decisions.
At PIA Congress 2026, Objective will showcase the next evolution through Objective Build, co-innovated with councils to transform development assessment. By reducing manual effort, connecting systems, and surfacing insights, it has the potential to enable faster, more consistent decisions with real community impact.
Schedule a connect with Objective at PIA 2026 here.
Progress will not happen by accident. It requires leadership, investment, and a clear business case for change. The opportunity is to return time to planners, strengthen consistency, and enable better outcomes for communities.
As PIA marks 75 years, this moment is more than a celebration. It is a call to define the future of the profession, where planners are empowered by PlanTech to meet the challenges ahead.
This session will challenge assumptions, cut through the noise on AI and planning reform, and explore what is really required to unlock capacity, confidence, and community outcomes across the profession. Because the future of planning is not just digital. It is human, enabled by technology, and focused on community outcomes.