Neil Hobbs FAILA - AILA National President
Dear members,
Greetings from Canberra
I have been reading the edited version of the draft Garnaut report this morning, something I am sure many of you have also been doing.
As my mother used to sing in the sixties “For the times they are a-changing”
While the political debate is yet to be had, the necessity for change is clear. The Canberra Times edited extract of Garnaut took a while to mention environmental amenity – the report focusing on economic outcomes and economic challenges for the first few thousand words – but the adaptation and moderation of environmental amenity will be one of the growth areas for the next several decades. So what will AILA and landscape architects do about it? Please read on…
The following report is a record of National Council and the National Offices current activities. Clearly the Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program is a major opportunity for the AILA, in securing our first ever Commonwealth grant. One idea further down the report is also exciting, see ‘A New Proposal for National Landscape Awards’. If this idea transpires it will allow AILA to recognise and publicise works undertaken outside the traditional realm of landscape architects – that can have a massive positive impact on the function of cities and natural ecologies - think major public transport initiatives, major water management projects, and implemented urban planning changes. The positives for AILA will be an increased profile, and further opportunity to influence decision-making.
I would also like to thank the NZILA for hosting a joint executive meeting in Auckland just prior to the national conference in April this year. It was invaluable to have the face-to-face discussion with the NZILA Executive, covering membership, registration, accreditation, education, and of course the Landscape Charter. Further collaboration and cooperation with our near-neighbours will enhance existing relationships. I for one was struck by how many Australian-trained landscape architects work in New Zealand, and vice-versa. And the rack of lamb at the awards dinner was easily the best ‘conference’ food I have eaten.
A finally a thanks to the State Group Executives. These last few years has seen a marked rise in the profile of the AILA through the work of our volunteer Executive members. On behalf of National Council, thank you to all of you.
and further to greetings from a Canberra winter - a quick walk around the garden this morning: Our Prunus x blireana is about to blossom - in 17 winters here the range of bud burst has been 8 - 16 August (you tend to obsess on these things during Canberra winters), and our Magnolia denudata has already opened - a first for July.
Major Directions
Following the development of the Australian Landscape Charter in 2007, the AILA National council identified several key initiatives for the next three years:
- To work towards a set of Landscape Principles to underpin urban development throughout Australia.
- To assist the profession in Australia in dealing with the issues of Climate Change
- To ensure that future AILA Education Policy has a much stronger emphasis on climate change and environmental issues.
- To place more emphasis on the recognition of the disciplines of landscape architecture: namely landscape design/construct, landscape planning, landscape management and urban design.
- To ensure the AILA awards system reflects the future directions of the profession within Australia (not just where it has been).
One critical Issue for 2008 and beyond… is to address the shortage of landscape architects in Australia. There is no foreseeable let up in demand for landscape architects but the shortage of available landscape architects continues to be a major issue.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
In April this year The Minister for Climate Change, Senator Penny Wong, announced that the AILA was to be funded through The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change to undertake a Three Year Major Project (2008 – 2011).
The contracts and the funding have just been finalised and the project is due to start soon.
The Commonwealth Program is:
Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program
The purpose of the Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program is to integrate understanding of the implications of climate change into education and training for professionals involved in developing planned adaptive responses to the impacts of climate change.
The specific objectives for the AILA project are as follows.
The AILA will develop the National Landscape Principles and to use these to develop and implement professional development programs that increase the expertise of landscape architects in assisting their clients and governments develop adaptive responses to climate change impacts.
For more >> click here
An overview of some of the AILA's activities
The AILA Registration Scheme
In 2007 the AILA introduced a new two tier system of membership assessment. Stage one involves at least 6 months of mentoring and stage two is based around an oral assessment.
The first year of this new scheme was successfully received and the scheme has been rolled out once changes were incorporated based on the feedback from both mentors and candidates. The entry documentation has also been refined to cover criteria that is relevant to Landscape Design/Construct, Landscape Planning and Landscape Management. The documentation for Urban Design is still in preparation.
Welcome new members
The National Office has reported that there the registration process for 2007 - 2008 has been completed and about 40 new members are about to be welcomed.
The AILA Awards in Landscape Architecture
In 2007 the AILA amended the awards category to include the category for Landscape Management. The main categories now read as: Design, Planning, Landscape Management, and Research & Communications.
The AILA has also introduced a Residential category as a sub-set to Design and has introduced a “Future Leaders’ award to recognise those new landscape architects who are demonstrating leadership in their early years of practice.
The AILA National Council is looking to initiate strategies this year that will hopefully see more marketing and publicity for the profession's national project awards. This means that this year there is to be no national dinner event for the national awards, instead the resources are to be allocated to the promotions.
But meanwhile the National Council encouraging the State Groups to place more emphasis on the state award functions and to enhance the promotions around these local events. The last two years have seen many very successful state awards events - our thanks goes out to all the members involved in making these events happen.
The National Jury met at the end of the first week of July and the announcements are to be made in September. Watch for more details on this over the next months.
Shortages of Landscape Architects
Australia continues to have a desperate shortage of landscape architects. The AILA web site averages about 50 jobs being advertised per month.
The AILA is encouraging an increase in placements at all universities as well as examining the options for new programs to be established or for some present programs in landscape planning or landscape management to be recognised/accredited.
Landscape Architecture Australia
The Landscape Architecture Australia magazine in its new format has been with us now for just over two years and as AILA's national magazine is heading into next year as its 30th year of publication. Something to celebrate! The publishers are planning a few surprises for us - so we look forward to the champagne and cocktails courtesy of the publisher. Possibly a special event at the 2009 national conference.
LAonline
The online publication LAonline continues to well read with there being a continual high level of hits on the online web pages. The winter issue will be published soon. If you are considering submitting for the next issues, Spring 2008, please make contact with the National Office.
Education
Anyone watching the job section of the AILA web site would have seen that for the last few years the current demands for landscape architects has continued to outstrip the number available. There is still is no sign of any lessening of this shortage; the trend now is that landscape architects are being called on to do an ever expanding range of projects. Which is all great!.
One area of interest for National Council in addressing this issue has been the number of students being graduated. Nearly all the landscape architecture programs have queues of students wanting to get into the courses. As a consequence the AILA is talking to several other universities about new programs or about accreditation.
Accreditation
Thanks to the members of the new National Accreditation Panel, the AILA is gathering important information on the current programs. The new visiting panel commenced its work last year and will be visiting all programs over several years - about two each year. A special thanks for the time and work by the panel members, Nel Rickard, Hilary Hamnett and Peter Haack who recently completed a visit to RMIT and will be visiting the University of NSW in August.
IFLA international conference
The AILA is being represented at the IFLA International Conference in the Netherlands by our delegate, John Easthope. We are aware that a small band of other AILA members are also in attendance. So besides the official report from our delegate, we hope to see lively postcards and discussions in all our publications in the near future. Maybe even a picture or two.
AILA national conference May 2009 Melbourne
A small band of members are busy putting together another engaging national conference. this time it is to be staged at Docklands in melbourne in May 2009.
The international speaker list has just been finalised and details are about to be announced. This will be followed by a Call for papers for locals, being both NZILA and AILA members, to put forward abstracts to be either published online and/or to be presented at the conference.
There is a plan to stage some debates 'in the round' on the second day. All that and more is to be announced soon. WATCH THIS SPACE.
NZILA Conference 2008
About 40 AILA members attended the NZILA conference in April this year. The NZILA are to be congratulated for their hospitality and their work to bring such a successful event together.
We hope more of the AILA members will attend the next major NZILA conference in 2010. And we also look forward to seeing NZILA members fly across the water to mix with the AILA members in May 2009 in Melbourne.
>> more comments on the NZILA conference
Regional Conference 2008 - Newcastle NSW
Planning has commenced on a one day conference in Newcastle NSW to debate some of the regional development and planning issues in the context of the current environmental priorities. the topic is yet to be settled, so watch the NSW web site for details - as well as announcements in the national communiques.
National Stewardship Awards
National council is still calling for new submissions for the AILA Stewardship Awards. Contact the national office for details or check the web link...
A New Proposal for National Landscape Awards
The AILA National Council is to consider a proposal for the establishment of a new national award for (non-AILA) professionals or agencies that have overseen or been responsible for successful landscape works. The concept is for the AILA to recognise our collaborators and those organisations, individuals and agencies that have made significant contribution to the stewardship of the landscape, who have enhanced the cultural value of our landscapes and/or who have made a significant and innovative contribution to our built environment with the emphasis on landscape values.
If these are introduced, the inaugural awards will likely be announced at the national conference in May 2009.
BEDP NEWS
The Australian Council of Building Design Professions (BDP), through which the AILA works on national advocacy for the broader issues, has been successful in gaining a commitment from the Commonwealth Government to the Built Environment. There is lots of news on their web site.
Wages Survey
The National office has just completed the national survey of wages,. The results are yet to be analysed. Thanks to all that participated; we had about 100 more responses than last year. "Standing on the desk' must have worked!
WEB Site – Jobs Advertising
The National Office has maintained the busy job section on the national web site. This has become the main Australian portal for anyone looking for LAs within Australia. Even more oversea companies are now using this valuable resource.
State Group Management
2008 saw the establishment of two new State Manager positions by the National Office. These two officers, Lisa Johnston in Queensland and Kathryn Green in Victoria, join the present NSW Manager, Christina Bunbury, to form a network of support for the AILA across these three states. Both Lisa and Kathryn have hit the ground running and already their levels of activities, enthusiasm and skilled management have benefited the AILA membership.
The employment of the State Managers through the National Office and the re-arrangement of the all the AILA accounts within the one grouping overseen by the National Office has signaled an improvement in resource management that is part of the strategy to shift such time consuming management tasks away from the volunteer State Group Executives.
