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Business View Australia - August 2015 117
PERTY DEVELOPMENT
The Economist, one of the most
respected news magazines, lists four
Australian cities amongst the top 10
in the world. The ranking is based on
30 factors spread across five areas:
stability, infrastructure, education,
healthcare
and
environment.
Melbourne achieves first rank and
Adelaide, Sydney and Perth are placed
fifth, seventh and ninth, respectively.
An institution that has been intimately
involved with urban development in
the country since 1962, The Urban
Development Institute of Australia
(UDIA), must be immensely satisfied
with the recognition earned by the
nation’s cities at an international level.
UDIA has been at the forefront of
helping to win recognition for land
development as a major component
of the economy for the last 53 years.
The Institute was established by
Bruce McDonald, who was a senior
parliamentarian in New South Wales.
It was originally based in Sydney
but is currently headquartered in
Canberra so that it can devote its
energies to working on raising issues
with the Federal Government to
ensure the advancement of the urban
development industry in Australia.
TherearestatebasedchaptersofUDIA
which function at a local level to drive
policy initiatives for the promotion of
the urban development industry. UDIA,
New South Wales, is one of the major
state bodies and its chief executive
officer, Stephen Albin, explained that
amongst the most important functions
of UDIA is the role it plays to act as
a catalyst for urban development
activities by connecting key industry
leaders and organisations.
The Institute has a very broad based
membership and counts amongst
them developers, financiers, builders,
suppliers, architects, contractors,
engineers, consultants, academics
and state and local government
bodies. In fact, practically each
and every component of the urban
development industry is amply
represented within UDIA.
The Institute serves as a common
platform and provides an opportunity
for interaction amongst its members.
The networking which takes place at
events organised by UDIA has played
an important role in the country’s
urban developmental activities.
Speaking about this aspect of
the Institute’s role, Stephen Albin
says, “We have approximately 550
member-companies. About 10,000
people attend our events in New
South Wales alone and they range