February 2009

President’s Message

Dear Members and Sponsors

By way of introduction for those whom I haven’t met, I come to the Presidency after being on the NSW AILA Executive Committee for the last 2 years as Vice President. I’m a Sydney-sider, graduated from RMIT, and am currently the National Studios Director of ASPECT Studios, and having in 1999 established ASPECT’s Sydney Studio. I was an associate lecturer at UNSW FBE for three years where my core role was to re-write the first year program and teach Design Studios. It is highly rewarding to see many of those former students excelling now as professionals.

I have sat on various design review panels and am most interested in raising the quality and discussion of design through practice of Landscape Architecture. This is a core interest and the motivation for being involved on the AILA Committee.

On a personal note, with two kids under the age of three, I am also acutely aware of the pressures of trying to establish work life balance with professional life.

I look forward to meeting you throughout the year and I welcome your input. If you have any suggestions about AILA for the coming year, please feel free to give me a call.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank and congratulate everyone on making it through a turbulent year.

Globally, the world of finance has buckled, and many of us have shared experiences of this close to home. Our new federal government has turned one, we have a new version of our old government in NSW, and in down town Sydney we have Clover's team restored and revitalised.

Climate change and its related environmental implications continue to be talked about, but as of yet we are waiting to see what substantive initiatives will be made by our governments and institutions. The new Executive Committee and I see this as an opportunity to bring Landscape Architecture to a point of public recognition by advocating on behalf of our profession.

The promotion of sustainability in all its forms embedded in design and planning of the landscape will continue to be central to our public agenda. We have the opportunity to do this through a series of international and local events, inspiring talks and technical workshops throughout the year.

There is a strong collective focus on the committees and I welcome expanding the involvement by members throughout the year who have an interest in elevating our profession's profile.

You will find it a highly rewarding collaborative process which brings rewards beyond day to day practice.

The Talks and Workshop program has the theme of 'The Four Pillars' of sustainability (Environmental/social/economic/and corporate). We will be running one session a month throughout the year and the talks will be pod cast so that our regional and international members won't miss out.

The events that we are committed to participating in are:
The Smart Light Festival (Sydney's first lighting festival www.smartlightsydney.com), Sydney Design 09, The Sydney Architecture Festival, AILA Design Salons (in which we would continue to encourage members to participate), and of course our annual NSW Awards.

I look forward to seeing you at some of these throughout the year, and of course if you would like to participate in the committees please contact Christina Bunbury.

I am proud to welcome the new NSW Executive and the Events Committee which will be presiding over a larger than ever calendar of events, talks, workshops and the NSW Awards in September.
 
New to the Executive in key roles are Adrian McGregor as Vice President, and Roxanna Vlack as Treasurer, Adam Hunter as our National Council Representative, and Helen Mansfield, Chair of the Urban Design Committee. Within the Environment Committee David Martin has taken on the new Climate Adaptation sub-group, We welcome the ongoing contributions being made by Garth Paterson and Paul Melrose in their respective new roles of managing AILA Sponsorship and AILA Advocacy, James Grant as Secretary/CPD and Events Committee Chair, Jim Osborne Chair Environment Committee and Matthew Taylor, Chair Education Committee, and of course Christina Bunbury our State Manager.

Finally, I would like to thank those who continue to dedicate their time and intellectual content to AILA.

Cheers
Sacha Coles