The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) will work with the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) to implement mutually acceptable solutions to the nationwide shortage of planners. The PIA’s recent report, Planners for Tomorrow, makes several recommendations to address planning workforce issues.
“ALGA generally supports those recommendations that seek to address the shortage of planners without imposing an additional financial burden on Local Government,” ALGA President, Councillor Mike Montgomery said.
These include an increase in fully funded university places for planning students, inclusion of planning on the list of ‘migration occupations in demand’ and sharing or pooling planners in rural and regional Australia.
According to the PIA, nationwide, Local Governments face a shortage with a vacancy rate of about 16 per cent for planners particularly in sea change areas. However, Cr Montgomery said some recommendations were not acceptable, particularly those that sought to impose additional financial burdens on already hard pressed council budgets or required councillors to undertake ‘compulsory training’ on planning roles and responsibilities.
