Taking a team WA approach to housing delivery

Whether you’re a passionate Fremantle Dockers supporter or simply enjoyed the excitement that spread across Western Australia last week, Saturday’s AFL Grand Final represented what can be achieved when people unite behind a common purpose.

Fremantle Football Club AFL Senior Coach Justin Longmuir is known for his collaborative approach and ‘best idea wins’ mentality, embracing new ways of approaching the game and a commitment to constant improvement.

That approach took his team to the biggest game of the season.

The same principles can apply to WA’s housing supply challenges and delivering the homes and communities our growing state needs.

This is important, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent population data shows WA remains the fastest-growing state in the nation, with an annual growth rate of 2.1 per cent. That is well above the national rate of 1.4 per cent, while Queensland and Victoria have the second-highest rate at 1.6 per cent.

Continued population growth is important for our economy and workforce but puts further pressure on housing demand. That is why collaborating on proactive solutions to the housing supply crisis is critical.

UDIA WA’s recommendations for addressing blockages in the housing supply pipeline and getting homes on the ground faster focus on industry, government and the community working towards a shared goal.

The UDIA WA Strategic Plan FY27-FY29 ensures a collaborative, solutions-focused mindset is applied to one of our state’s biggest challenges.

Guided by the theme ‘Reform. Results. Resilience.’, the plan outlines an agenda for unlocking housing supply through practical reforms which improve certainty, speed and accountability across the planning and development system. It focuses on securing and leveraging housing funding commitments, strengthening infrastructure planning and delivery, tackling labour and construction capacity constraints, and cutting unnecessary red and green tape that slows delivery.

Looking further ahead, the strategy focuses on improving coordination between land use, infrastructure and environmental planning, building construction sector capacity, creating better economic and regulatory settings to support housing delivery, and ensuring increased housing supply continues to deliver the quality communities Western Australians expect and deserve.

Importantly, the plan recognises meaningful change requires collaboration, a willingness to challenge existing approaches and a shared commitment to better outcomes.

The Dockers’ performance over the season demonstrates what can be achieved when people unite behind a common purpose, embrace innovation and remain focused on continuous improvement. If we can bring that same commitment to tackling WA’s housing supply challenge, we will be far better placed to deliver the homes our growing state needs for generations to come.

For more information, you can read the UDIA WA Strategic Plan FY27-FY29 on our website.