Workshop spaces are limited and you must be pre-registered to attend. Attendance is at no additional cost to your congress registration. Once booked out we are unable to increase numbers however can put you on a wait list.
Due to the limited spaces available for workshop sessions, if you have pre-registered and are no longer wanting to attend your workshop session, please email congress@planning.org.au to cancel and allow us to provide more opportunities to other attendees.
Workshop 1: Will It Actually Get Built? Financing Realities of the Infill Affordable Housing Scheme Theme: Turning Plans into Places
Thursday 21 May | 90 Minutes
Workshop Abstract: NSW's infill affordable housing bonus provisions offer developers additional floor space in exchange for affordable housing commitments. But are these approvals translating into built dwellings? This workshop examines what happens after the Housing Delivery Authority grants consent—unpacking the financial, operational and institutional factors that determine whether affordable housing actually gets delivered.
Drawing on original research conducted by Astrolabe Group in collaboration with UDIA NSW, this session presents findings from stakeholder interviews across the affordable housing value chain: developers, banks, non-bank lenders, valuers, community housing providers and local government. We examine how each actor assesses risk, where friction points emerge, and what conditions enable or prevent projects from reaching construction.
Participants will explore four delivery pathways: selling completed dwellings to community housing providers; selling to individual purchasers with covenants attached; selling to institutional investors; and developers retaining ownership. Through case studies, we demonstrate how market dynamics, policy requirements and financing arrangements interact differently across each pathway.
The workshop includes a hands-on demonstration of a project viability calculator, enabling planners to test how key variables including CHP equity constraints, lender security requirements, valuation methodologies and lot size thresholds affect project bankability. Participants will leave equipped to evaluate whether infill affordable housing projects are likely to be financeable, identify the critical success factors for delivery, and hold more informed conversations with developers, community housing providers and lenders about turning approvals into apartments. This session is relevant for planners working in development assessment, strategic planning and housing policy, as well as those advising government on affordable housing program design.
Presented by Michael Comninos MPIA, Astrolabe Group
Workshop 2: From Engagement to Relationship: A Practical Caring for Country Workshop for Planners
Theme: Country, Climate & Resilience
Thursday 21 May | 90 Minutes
Many planners understand the importance of working with Aboriginal communities, but fewer feel confident building the long-term, trust-based relationships that Caring for Country requires. This interactive workshop provides a guided, hands-on introduction to the Caring for Country Relationships Framework and Toolkit, equipping planners with practical tools they can immediately apply in their projects.
Co-facilitated by D’harawal man Gregory Andrews and NSW Government planner Edna Grigoriou, the workshop introduces the intent of the Framework and then moves participants into experiential learning. Through small-group work, yarning-based reflection and real-world scenarios, participants will map current and needed relationships with Traditional Custodians, test organisational readiness using a capability matrix, practise using meeting protocols and remuneration guidance, and explore application across precinct planning, infrastructure and site renewals.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what relationship-centred practice looks like and tangible next steps for embedding Caring for Country within their teams, organisations and planning processes.
Presented by Gregory Andrews, Lyrebird Dreaming and Edna Grigoriou, NSW Government Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
Workshop 3: Is This the End of the Open Space Culture in Australia?
Theme: Planning for a Changing Nation
Friday 22 May | 90 Minutes
Australia needs an additional 1.2 million homes to house current and future generations. As the cities and regions densify, adequate open space must support these growing communities. Open space provides a range of social, economic, and environmental benefits and the open space network should be planned with consideration to quantity, quality, accessibility, and diversity.
Across Australia, a benchmark of 30sqm of open space per person is widely used to guide planning. At the metropolitan scale (Sydney, Brisbane and the ACT), current and projected provision generally meets this standard. However, when broader open space planning principles are applied, a different picture emerges. Several infill municipalities already face significant access gaps, and these gaps are expected to widen as density increases. Increasing density in infill areas brings significant benefits, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of providing essential infrastructure.
If we don’t find ways to increase open space in high-density areas, families and individuals will need to travel outside their neighbourhoods for sporting reserves, join long waitlists for local clubs, compete for limited space, or miss out on the benefits of public open space entirely. This presentation will explore the current state of open space, the opportunities ahead, and whether having a kick of the footy in the local park is becoming out of reach in high-density neighbourhoods.
Presented by Jo Noesgaard MPIA and Aliza Levy, SGS Economics and Planning
Workshop 4: Digital Engagement Strategies for Regional Communities: From Consultation to Coalition Building Theme: The Future of the Profession
Friday 22 May | 90 Minutes
Regional Australian communities present unique engagement challenges: vast distances, variable connectivity, aging populations and dispersed stakeholders. This interactive workshop equips planners with practical digital-first strategies designed to overcome these barriers while maintaining meaningful participation.
The workshop demonstrates that effective regional engagement prioritises strategy and core engagement principles over sophisticated technology. Participants will discover how basic, low-connectivity tools, when applied thoughtfully, can achieve meaningful outcomes without requiring expensive platforms or reliable broadband. Through demonstrations and practical exercises, participants will explore SMS polling, simple digital mapping tools and multi-channel approaches that blend virtual and face-to-face participation. The emphasis will be on accessible solutions that work in real contexts.
As regional Australia navigates economic transitions, climate adaptation and demographic shifts, effective and practical digital engagement is an essential capability for contemporary planning practice. Participants will learn to: apply SMS and low-bandwidth tools strategically for genuine participation, design practical multi-channel consultation approaches, use accessible digital mapping for stakeholder communication, and select appropriate engagement strategies based on context and constraints.
Drawing on successful regional case studies, participants leave with practical tool selection guides, ready-to-implement templates and frameworks for choosing appropriate strategies based on project complexity, community capacity and available infrastructure.
Presented by Nicola Morgan Aurecon Australia