"BEMP is an annual conversation between parliamentarians and
industry leaders that showcases the relationship between Australian
communities and their built environment."
This year I was asked to participate in the panel discussing a
framework for building resilience into urban development. Building
on my experience of the Bluescope + PIDCOCK winning entry to the
Insurance Council of Australia's resilient and durable house
competition and my understanding of sustainable architecture, I
talked about the need to build resilience not just for the
increasingly severe weather events we are experiencing, but
importantly for the day to day life we need to enjoy in our homes
in a low carbon future.
It was great to see that both sides of parliament have committed
to putting both focus and funding into cities and the built
environment. Cities deliver 80% of the nations GDP so one would
think the federal government should be interested in the
environments that shape this. The lack of interest of my fellow
professionals was disappointing - and cannot be blamed on the
Chilean volcano. We need to engage more seriously in the political
landscape so that it develops in positive ways.