June 30, 2025 • 16 mins
- Steve Lowe, Director at the Agent Team Canberra provides the latest AI in Real Estate update.
- Anna Neelagama , CEO at the Master Builders ACT reviews the ACT budget through the lens of Construction and Housing
- Shannon Battison, Director of Architecture at The Mill, and former National President for the Australian Institute of Architects shares her insights on this year’s 2025 ACT Architecture Award winners
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Cavin Renee's Real Estate Show on Mix one oh six
point three be the Envy of Camera Live in de
Burg at Northbourne Village by JW Land.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Now Selling Orina Thanks to JW Land. Each and every
Saturday morning on Mix one O six point three when
we're live on the radio, we get to speak to
all sorts of incredible people in the real estate space
and beyond, and we get to relive it in the
podcast right now.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yep, And that's what we are doing. Absolutely. One of
the topics we got to chat about this time around
can was AI in real estate because we know it's
changing the world in so many transformative ways all different
sectors in real estate certainly is no exception.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
And we've spoken about AI before, but it changes that
almost changes every minute, doesn't it. Yes, And so we
had an update from Steve Load, director at the Agent
team at Canberra, and talked about some of the tools
that the agents are using, but then tools that are
sort of available for anyone to use as well to
make the whole process of buying and selling much much
easier and smoother.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
If you like.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Yes, absolutely so we spoke to Steve about that also
of course ACT Budget. Week the budget was handed down,
we spoke to Annanila Gama from Master Builder's Act, who
gave us a bit of a breakdown on what it
meant for the housing and construction sector. Here.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
The twenty twenty five ACT Architecture Awards were recently held
at the National Library of Australia and Shannon Battison joined
us once again. She's director of Architecture at the Mill
and former National President for the Australian Institute of Architects,
and she talked about the judging process. So she was
on the judging panel for residential properties and how she
(01:33):
and four other judges get to go out to the
properties and you speak to the owners and walk through
and just get a feel for what these properties are
all about.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Such a cool job. I mean, it's a hard job,
but a cool job because you get to go around
see them all for yourself and you'd get to see
some very very cool properties, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So and one of the things that she spoke about
that was interesting to me also was the fact that
you know, when we think of architecture, especially residential, you
think mcmacsen, don't you.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
No, She explained, it's certainly not that. No, in a
lot of ways, very.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Very much to the opposite. So Shannon joined us as well.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Thank you so much for listening if you did on
Saturday and then reliving it now on the podcast on
Mix one O six point three.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
All right, can well we know AI. So artificial intelligence
is changing the world in a number of different ways, transformative.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Way every minute. This is yes, So there's just something.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
New, Yes, And you know it spans across a range
of sectors, whether it's you know, like health, finance, whatever.
Real estate is no exception, and I'm going to find
out where that's all up to and sacand wanting to
Steve Low, director at the Agent Team Canberra. Hi, Steve, Hey, Now,
look how has AI changed the way agents are sort of,
you know, managing buying and selling property.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
In huge different ways. In simple terms, like a lot
of the property descriptions now are written by chat ept.
So as an agent, we'll go in and we'll take
all the details of the property and then we'll put
it in the chatch ept and keep on sort of
running it through the system until we get a really
good description for the property. That's a pretty basic way
of using it. But we're using it even now for
(03:10):
like really deep analytics on property prices and offers and
sort of deep research on whether that's a great deal
to accept or not. It still requires a human interaction though,
to sort of decide for a lot of that and
then put it into terms that people will understand.
Speaker 6 (03:25):
I guess yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
And so is there one big positive of using AI
in real estate?
Speaker 5 (03:34):
I think for anybody with AI, it's just basically, if
you use the right way, it can be a bit
of a superpower. It's going to help you get more productivity,
deeper insights into things that you're doing, and basically I
think it's going to become like your best friend in
a lot of ways, because the bot will be with
the bots that we're training, all the LLLM that we're
working with, we're sort of updating their knowledge basis and
(03:55):
they get to learn more and more about us the
way that we do business every day.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, gosh, it's interesting, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
What about?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Is there one big negative that you could describe? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:05):
I think the negative is is that these days social
media it's basically all all powered by AI. So all
the stuff you're seeing online now is becoming really really
AI intensive, So you're going to start to lose a
lot of reality, I think. So we're gonna be careful.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
With that, okay, And so what would be an example
of that that you've seen? You know, sort of happening
at the moment.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
So you can see a lot of videos online now
talking head, so somebody interviewing direct to the camera, and
a lot of that now is AI powered. So we're
gonna be careful because you know, the untrained eye, it
can be easily tricked. But you know what you're looking for.
It's still not quite there yet, just a bit interesting.
See what's can they go?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I better go and check some of those videos that
I've recorded for Zango and make sure that I'm not
an AI.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's only a matter of time. Can when they realize
all we can we can get a better deal here?
You hung onto campus so long? Now, Look, Steve, is
there one sort of outlandish AI real estate claim that
you've heard?
Speaker 5 (05:08):
I don't think anything can be outlandaged with AI at
the moment. It's moving that quickly and doing so many
things that you didn't think were possible only three months ago.
So I don't think you can make an outlandish claim
just yet. But I don't think it's going to replace
people that are in service based industries where there's that
human connection that's required to like in real estate for example,
(05:30):
like a lot of it's emotional based that AI just
can't do it this stage anyway.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, is it only a matter of time?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Maybe?
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Maybe?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
All right, Well, we'll have to say, you're still in
a job at the moment, so that's positive. That's a plus.
We've all still got work. We're here.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
I'm safe with my videos, mate, you better look out that. Yes.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Oh, Steve always great to chat to you, Thanks so much.
And we also just want to mention as well Steve's
new real estate online platform camp.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, so tell us give us thirty seconds on what
you've done the Agent Team Knowledge Portal.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Yeah, so we've started to roll out a heap of
online training courses. So, for example, if you're a buyer
in the Camera marketplace and you'd like to find out
more about how to negotiate with agents, how to research
the property market, how you know all the sort of
really not superficial stuff but the in depth stuff that
you need to know when before buying a property in Camera.
You can get access to our free buyas course by
(06:25):
going to our website Agent Team dot com dot A.
You and even if you're downsize and we've got a
thirty thirty video sequence of everything you need to know
about downsizing and camera that you can sign up to
absolutely free. Just provides all that information that you can
make an informed decision.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Yeah, that's excellent. People can learn a lot there. Well, Steve,
thank you so much again for your time this morning.
Have an awesome weekend.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
Yeah, thanks guys, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Steve low directed the Agent Team camera there and you
can check out that portal at agentteam dot com dot AU. Well,
Kem I work through the newsroom during the week here,
as you know, very busy week with the ACT budget
handed down, not just budget day but in the lead
up to and after. There's been a lot on it,
and so today we thought we'd better get a look
at it through, you know, the local lens of housing
(07:08):
and construction and what it means for those sectors here
in the Act. And Anna Nilagama is CEO of Master
Builders ACT and joins us. Now, Hianna, good morning. Now
take us through the budget and what did you like
about Tuesday's budget announcements?
Speaker 7 (07:26):
Thanks the Act Budget twenty twenty five that the bright
points were some skills funding both for employers and employees.
So we welcome that for all the twenty six construction
trades that are in shortage here in the Act and
emphasis and some funding for productivity from government. And again
I guess a focus on housing and construction, which is
(07:49):
you know what we want and what can Barans need.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And so when you say skills funding is you're going
to dig down on that for a second. That's nice
in a headline, but what does that actually mean on
the ground, Because I mean over at your facility at
Feaswook there you've got all the apprentices working away.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
So what does that mean on the ground.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
Two things.
Speaker 7 (08:08):
There's someone of payments for the apprentices themselves to help
navigate cost of living. So first years we'll get an
upfront cash payment of five hundred dollars and then continuing
students in their second and third year we'll get a
two hundred and fifty dollar payment. And then on the
employer side, the employers of course being the ones taking
on and training the apprentices, there'll be a lift to
(08:30):
subsidies up to ninety percent. So that's for foot carpentry
and a range of other central construction trades.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Okay, and what would you say was missing from the
budget with these sectors.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
I mean, budge budgets. You're always welcome what you get,
but you'd always like more. I mean, I think funding
to fast track those planning approvals. What the budget papers
reflect is really very much the governments relying on their
new machinery of government changes to boost those planning approvals
and getting them done really quickly. And really our question
(09:05):
is is that enough?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah, okay, And you know, if you were the Planning
and Development minister for a day, we're putting you in
a spot here. What's the first thing that you would
do to help solve the housing issue because it's a
big one in camera.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Complex and multi layers. Yeah yeah, but what would you do? Oh?
Speaker 7 (09:23):
I mean, I think it would be sign off on
some gebro charge resources to clear the planning backlog and
then also attract new projects because I think right now,
with the kind of current economic outlook, people aren't putting
those big das in for approval, which means in a
few years time you don't have that housing supply coming online.
(09:46):
So we want people to feel confident to put those
applications in and plans for you know, the mid term pipeline.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Yeah, absolutely, And what sort of happens from here now?
Speaker 7 (09:56):
Anna oh, I mean when it comes to budget. The
treasure has presented his books to kem Bern's and it's
over to the Act government to implement. So some of
the programs that they have announced will take effect on
Tuesday when we roll over to one Toulye. And for
us at Master Builders Act, it's really about continuing to
(10:19):
call on government and planning on the next budget cycle
to really give building construction businesses what they need policy certainty,
productivity change and a reduction to red tape.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Absolutely. The red tape is certainly something we hear about
all the time and I thank you so much for
breaking that down for us this morning and sharing that
with us.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
Thanks guys, have a wonderful weekend you two.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Annamila Gama who's the CEO of Master Builders Act well Cam.
The ACT Architecture Awards for twenty twenty five were announced
on Saturday night, so last weekend at an awesome ceremony
at the National Library there celebrating all sorts of architectural
contributions showcasing lots of Signify get local talent, which we
do have here in Canberra.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Oh, I tell you what. I visited a house in
Ainslie through the week, so it's a brand new build.
It is a father and two sons.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Have been working on this house for a number of
number of years, so he's an architect and the sons
of builders. It is the most incredible property and I
bet right from this moment you walk in you can
just see everything was just thought out.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Yes, and there's lots of those in Canberra, which is
fantastic that they've got these awards to be able to
recognize and celebrate and you know significant public works as well,
like not just you know, residential renovations like the whole
range of things. Are war memorials won an award, which
is great. They've had lots going on there. So let's
find out more and say good morning to Shannon Battison,
director of Architecture at the Mill and former National President
(11:46):
for the Australian Institute of Architects. Good morning, Shannon, good morning,
Thank you for having me, Yes, thanks for coming on.
Can you give us a brief overview of the awards
and what they set out to do of course, So
the awards are really kind of celebrated moment in the
profession's kind of year. And what it gives us the
opportunity to do is celebrate each other's work in a
(12:08):
way that we don't often get to do. It gives
us a night to come together and actually, you know,
stop and have a drink. But it also gives us
a chance.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
To see each other's work, which is often you know,
not really possible. And it gives us, I guess, one
of our biggest opportunities as a profession, to show the
public what working with an architect looks like, what the
results are, what the really amazing things around our city
we're lucky to have.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Yeah, and so the results are very very high quality.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
As we just sort of talked about, tell us about
the Residential award for News Houses this year.
Speaker 8 (12:40):
Yeah, Look, the residential is completely very close to my
heart because that's the type of work that I do myself,
but also because I think a lot of the public
thinks that architects are only involved in big public buildings,
and architects in housing is a really.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Really special thing. One of the things I.
Speaker 8 (12:56):
Loved particularly is the head of the jury who judged
this year's awards, is that the projects in our housing category,
especially the winning projects, we're all really small, highly bespoke,
really kind of well considered housing that was so beautiful
and intimate and really all about what a house.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
Is meant to be, which is shelter and sunlight and warms.
Speaker 8 (13:18):
And I think there's something incredibly beautiful about that, and
it's a really lovely thing to get to share, especially
as a city that's growing.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
And changing a lot. To see how people are building.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
New houses really well, but also to see how people
are giving that just that little bit of extra space
or a little bit of extra performance to our older
houses is so special.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And it sort of goes against mindset, doesn't it, Because
when you think about an architecturally designed house, and while
the one that I visited through the week was super special,
you do think make mansions, don't you.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
But you're saying it's opposite to that.
Speaker 8 (13:50):
Yeah, I mean, I actually think it is the opposite
of that. So I live in a new build in Lulongo,
so a new suburb, and one of the things that
we love about that opportunity for me as a practice
as a designer, but also in the projects that we
look at in the awards is that it's an example
to show how we don't. It's very rarely actually a
mc mansion. If you think about something before you build it,
(14:13):
very often it can be smaller because you make spaces
work harder for you and things like that, and so
you don't need a massive house.
Speaker 6 (14:22):
You just need a well fought through house, and so
they're very often actually not the Nick mansion scale at all.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Yeah, and was there a standout project that caught your eye, Shannon, Yeah.
Speaker 8 (14:34):
For me, one of my favorites was a beautiful, beautiful
renovation of an older house in now I'm going to
get the suburb wrong, but in the Inner South, near
that kind of hotel realm precinct.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
And it's a beautiful house. It's a very old camera house,
one of our real legacy pieces in terms of our
story as a city. And it didn't need a lot.
The family didn't need a lot.
Speaker 8 (15:00):
They just needed a little bit more space and they
wanted a little bit more connection to the garden. And
so the renovation that's happened is so so tiny, and
yet you could not everybody in the jury. You walked
in the door, you walked into this little space that
opened up to this beautiful window out to this fantastic,
very small but loved garden, and everybody gasped. There's nothing
(15:22):
in there that didn't need to be there, and there's
everything that we need in a house, right, And.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
So when you're judging, then from what you're saying, you
actually as a group go out to each of the
different properties, do you That must be an awesome experience.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
It is just such a treat.
Speaker 8 (15:36):
It takes a lot of time and a lot of energy,
and the judges are all volunteers, and so it's a
big commitment. But it's just such a special thing. And
I've judged. I've judged the awards here in Canberra a
few times now, but I've also been very lucky to
be the head of the National Awards jury, which means
you travel around the country to see the projects and
getting to experience being welcomed into someone's home.
Speaker 6 (15:59):
You know, there's nothing more generous than that.
Speaker 8 (16:00):
So when a client loves their homes so much that
they welcome a group of strangers, five strangers in to
judge it, they're.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Really that's such a gift.
Speaker 8 (16:10):
I think that's the most incredibly generous thing and to
get to hear what they love.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
About living in it or working in it, depending what
the project is. It's really special. So the jury, it's
a wonderful thing to get to do.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
What an awesome thing to get to do that. That's
very cool. Well, Shannon, thank you so much for explaining
all of that and sharing that with us this morning. Yeah,
it's really interesting.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
Thank you, No worries, have a great day.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
You two are Shannon Matison, who's director of architecture at
the Mill and former presidents for the Australian Institute of Architects.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Well, those are the interviews we most enjoyed in last
week's Mixed one o six point three real Estate Show.
If you love hearing about the latest trends, or you're
just up for a sticky beak, be sure to drop
by for a listen this Saturday between nine and ten
Keen and
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Renee's Real Estate Show on Mix one oh six point
three
Cavin Renee's Real Estate Show on Mix one oh six
point three be the Envy of Camera Live in de
Burg at Northbourne Village by JW Land.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Now Selling Orina Thanks to JW Land. Each and every
Saturday morning on Mix one O six point three when
we're live on the radio, we get to speak to
all sorts of incredible people in the real estate space
and beyond, and we get to relive it in the
podcast right now.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yep, And that's what we are doing. Absolutely. One of
the topics we got to chat about this time around
can was AI in real estate because we know it's
changing the world in so many transformative ways all different
sectors in real estate certainly is no exception.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
And we've spoken about AI before, but it changes that
almost changes every minute, doesn't it. Yes, And so we
had an update from Steve Load, director at the Agent
team at Canberra, and talked about some of the tools
that the agents are using, but then tools that are
sort of available for anyone to use as well to
make the whole process of buying and selling much much
easier and smoother.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
If you like.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Yes, absolutely so we spoke to Steve about that also
of course ACT Budget. Week the budget was handed down,
we spoke to Annanila Gama from Master Builder's Act, who
gave us a bit of a breakdown on what it
meant for the housing and construction sector. Here.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
The twenty twenty five ACT Architecture Awards were recently held
at the National Library of Australia and Shannon Battison joined
us once again. She's director of Architecture at the Mill
and former National President for the Australian Institute of Architects,
and she talked about the judging process. So she was
on the judging panel for residential properties and how she
(01:33):
and four other judges get to go out to the
properties and you speak to the owners and walk through
and just get a feel for what these properties are
all about.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Such a cool job. I mean, it's a hard job,
but a cool job because you get to go around
see them all for yourself and you'd get to see
some very very cool properties, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So and one of the things that she spoke about
that was interesting to me also was the fact that
you know, when we think of architecture, especially residential, you
think mcmacsen, don't you.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
No, She explained, it's certainly not that. No, in a
lot of ways, very.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Very much to the opposite. So Shannon joined us as well.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Thank you so much for listening if you did on
Saturday and then reliving it now on the podcast on
Mix one O six point three.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
All right, can well we know AI. So artificial intelligence
is changing the world in a number of different ways, transformative.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Way every minute. This is yes, So there's just something.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
New, Yes, And you know it spans across a range
of sectors, whether it's you know, like health, finance, whatever.
Real estate is no exception, and I'm going to find
out where that's all up to and sacand wanting to
Steve Low, director at the Agent Team Canberra. Hi, Steve, Hey, Now,
look how has AI changed the way agents are sort of,
you know, managing buying and selling property.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
In huge different ways. In simple terms, like a lot
of the property descriptions now are written by chat ept.
So as an agent, we'll go in and we'll take
all the details of the property and then we'll put
it in the chatch ept and keep on sort of
running it through the system until we get a really
good description for the property. That's a pretty basic way
of using it. But we're using it even now for
(03:10):
like really deep analytics on property prices and offers and
sort of deep research on whether that's a great deal
to accept or not. It still requires a human interaction though,
to sort of decide for a lot of that and
then put it into terms that people will understand.
Speaker 6 (03:25):
I guess yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
And so is there one big positive of using AI
in real estate?
Speaker 5 (03:34):
I think for anybody with AI, it's just basically, if
you use the right way, it can be a bit
of a superpower. It's going to help you get more productivity,
deeper insights into things that you're doing, and basically I
think it's going to become like your best friend in
a lot of ways, because the bot will be with
the bots that we're training, all the LLLM that we're
working with, we're sort of updating their knowledge basis and
(03:55):
they get to learn more and more about us the
way that we do business every day.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, gosh, it's interesting, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
What about?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Is there one big negative that you could describe? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:05):
I think the negative is is that these days social
media it's basically all all powered by AI. So all
the stuff you're seeing online now is becoming really really
AI intensive, So you're going to start to lose a
lot of reality, I think. So we're gonna be careful.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
With that, okay, And so what would be an example
of that that you've seen? You know, sort of happening
at the moment.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
So you can see a lot of videos online now
talking head, so somebody interviewing direct to the camera, and
a lot of that now is AI powered. So we're
gonna be careful because you know, the untrained eye, it
can be easily tricked. But you know what you're looking for.
It's still not quite there yet, just a bit interesting.
See what's can they go?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I better go and check some of those videos that
I've recorded for Zango and make sure that I'm not
an AI.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's only a matter of time. Can when they realize
all we can we can get a better deal here?
You hung onto campus so long? Now, Look, Steve, is
there one sort of outlandish AI real estate claim that
you've heard?
Speaker 5 (05:08):
I don't think anything can be outlandaged with AI at
the moment. It's moving that quickly and doing so many
things that you didn't think were possible only three months ago.
So I don't think you can make an outlandish claim
just yet. But I don't think it's going to replace
people that are in service based industries where there's that
human connection that's required to like in real estate for example,
(05:30):
like a lot of it's emotional based that AI just
can't do it this stage anyway.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, is it only a matter of time?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Maybe?
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Maybe?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
All right, Well, we'll have to say, you're still in
a job at the moment, so that's positive. That's a plus.
We've all still got work. We're here.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
I'm safe with my videos, mate, you better look out that. Yes.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Oh, Steve always great to chat to you, Thanks so much.
And we also just want to mention as well Steve's
new real estate online platform camp.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, so tell us give us thirty seconds on what
you've done the Agent Team Knowledge Portal.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Yeah, so we've started to roll out a heap of
online training courses. So, for example, if you're a buyer
in the Camera marketplace and you'd like to find out
more about how to negotiate with agents, how to research
the property market, how you know all the sort of
really not superficial stuff but the in depth stuff that
you need to know when before buying a property in Camera.
You can get access to our free buyas course by
(06:25):
going to our website Agent Team dot com dot A.
You and even if you're downsize and we've got a
thirty thirty video sequence of everything you need to know
about downsizing and camera that you can sign up to
absolutely free. Just provides all that information that you can
make an informed decision.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Yeah, that's excellent. People can learn a lot there. Well, Steve,
thank you so much again for your time this morning.
Have an awesome weekend.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
Yeah, thanks guys, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Steve low directed the Agent Team camera there and you
can check out that portal at agentteam dot com dot AU. Well,
Kem I work through the newsroom during the week here,
as you know, very busy week with the ACT budget
handed down, not just budget day but in the lead
up to and after. There's been a lot on it,
and so today we thought we'd better get a look
at it through, you know, the local lens of housing
(07:08):
and construction and what it means for those sectors here
in the Act. And Anna Nilagama is CEO of Master
Builders ACT and joins us. Now, Hianna, good morning. Now
take us through the budget and what did you like
about Tuesday's budget announcements?
Speaker 7 (07:26):
Thanks the Act Budget twenty twenty five that the bright
points were some skills funding both for employers and employees.
So we welcome that for all the twenty six construction
trades that are in shortage here in the Act and
emphasis and some funding for productivity from government. And again
I guess a focus on housing and construction, which is
(07:49):
you know what we want and what can Barans need.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And so when you say skills funding is you're going
to dig down on that for a second. That's nice
in a headline, but what does that actually mean on
the ground, Because I mean over at your facility at
Feaswook there you've got all the apprentices working away.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
So what does that mean on the ground.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
Two things.
Speaker 7 (08:08):
There's someone of payments for the apprentices themselves to help
navigate cost of living. So first years we'll get an
upfront cash payment of five hundred dollars and then continuing
students in their second and third year we'll get a
two hundred and fifty dollar payment. And then on the
employer side, the employers of course being the ones taking
on and training the apprentices, there'll be a lift to
(08:30):
subsidies up to ninety percent. So that's for foot carpentry
and a range of other central construction trades.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Okay, and what would you say was missing from the
budget with these sectors.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
I mean, budge budgets. You're always welcome what you get,
but you'd always like more. I mean, I think funding
to fast track those planning approvals. What the budget papers
reflect is really very much the governments relying on their
new machinery of government changes to boost those planning approvals
and getting them done really quickly. And really our question
(09:05):
is is that enough?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah, okay, And you know, if you were the Planning
and Development minister for a day, we're putting you in
a spot here. What's the first thing that you would
do to help solve the housing issue because it's a
big one in camera.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Complex and multi layers. Yeah yeah, but what would you do? Oh?
Speaker 7 (09:23):
I mean, I think it would be sign off on
some gebro charge resources to clear the planning backlog and
then also attract new projects because I think right now,
with the kind of current economic outlook, people aren't putting
those big das in for approval, which means in a
few years time you don't have that housing supply coming online.
(09:46):
So we want people to feel confident to put those
applications in and plans for you know, the mid term pipeline.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Yeah, absolutely, And what sort of happens from here now?
Speaker 7 (09:56):
Anna oh, I mean when it comes to budget. The
treasure has presented his books to kem Bern's and it's
over to the Act government to implement. So some of
the programs that they have announced will take effect on
Tuesday when we roll over to one Toulye. And for
us at Master Builders Act, it's really about continuing to
(10:19):
call on government and planning on the next budget cycle
to really give building construction businesses what they need policy certainty,
productivity change and a reduction to red tape.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Absolutely. The red tape is certainly something we hear about
all the time and I thank you so much for
breaking that down for us this morning and sharing that
with us.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
Thanks guys, have a wonderful weekend you two.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Annamila Gama who's the CEO of Master Builders Act well Cam.
The ACT Architecture Awards for twenty twenty five were announced
on Saturday night, so last weekend at an awesome ceremony
at the National Library there celebrating all sorts of architectural
contributions showcasing lots of Signify get local talent, which we
do have here in Canberra.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Oh, I tell you what. I visited a house in
Ainslie through the week, so it's a brand new build.
It is a father and two sons.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Have been working on this house for a number of
number of years, so he's an architect and the sons
of builders. It is the most incredible property and I
bet right from this moment you walk in you can
just see everything was just thought out.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Yes, and there's lots of those in Canberra, which is
fantastic that they've got these awards to be able to
recognize and celebrate and you know significant public works as well,
like not just you know, residential renovations like the whole
range of things. Are war memorials won an award, which
is great. They've had lots going on there. So let's
find out more and say good morning to Shannon Battison,
director of Architecture at the Mill and former National President
(11:46):
for the Australian Institute of Architects. Good morning, Shannon, good morning,
Thank you for having me, Yes, thanks for coming on.
Can you give us a brief overview of the awards
and what they set out to do of course, So
the awards are really kind of celebrated moment in the
profession's kind of year. And what it gives us the
opportunity to do is celebrate each other's work in a
(12:08):
way that we don't often get to do. It gives
us a night to come together and actually, you know,
stop and have a drink. But it also gives us
a chance.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
To see each other's work, which is often you know,
not really possible. And it gives us, I guess, one
of our biggest opportunities as a profession, to show the
public what working with an architect looks like, what the
results are, what the really amazing things around our city
we're lucky to have.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Yeah, and so the results are very very high quality.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
As we just sort of talked about, tell us about
the Residential award for News Houses this year.
Speaker 8 (12:40):
Yeah, Look, the residential is completely very close to my
heart because that's the type of work that I do myself,
but also because I think a lot of the public
thinks that architects are only involved in big public buildings,
and architects in housing is a really.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Really special thing. One of the things I.
Speaker 8 (12:56):
Loved particularly is the head of the jury who judged
this year's awards, is that the projects in our housing category,
especially the winning projects, we're all really small, highly bespoke,
really kind of well considered housing that was so beautiful
and intimate and really all about what a house.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
Is meant to be, which is shelter and sunlight and warms.
Speaker 8 (13:18):
And I think there's something incredibly beautiful about that, and
it's a really lovely thing to get to share, especially
as a city that's growing.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
And changing a lot. To see how people are building.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
New houses really well, but also to see how people
are giving that just that little bit of extra space
or a little bit of extra performance to our older
houses is so special.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And it sort of goes against mindset, doesn't it, Because
when you think about an architecturally designed house, and while
the one that I visited through the week was super special,
you do think make mansions, don't you.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
But you're saying it's opposite to that.
Speaker 8 (13:50):
Yeah, I mean, I actually think it is the opposite
of that. So I live in a new build in Lulongo,
so a new suburb, and one of the things that
we love about that opportunity for me as a practice
as a designer, but also in the projects that we
look at in the awards is that it's an example
to show how we don't. It's very rarely actually a
mc mansion. If you think about something before you build it,
(14:13):
very often it can be smaller because you make spaces
work harder for you and things like that, and so
you don't need a massive house.
Speaker 6 (14:22):
You just need a well fought through house, and so
they're very often actually not the Nick mansion scale at all.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Yeah, and was there a standout project that caught your eye, Shannon, Yeah.
Speaker 8 (14:34):
For me, one of my favorites was a beautiful, beautiful
renovation of an older house in now I'm going to
get the suburb wrong, but in the Inner South, near
that kind of hotel realm precinct.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
And it's a beautiful house. It's a very old camera house,
one of our real legacy pieces in terms of our
story as a city. And it didn't need a lot.
The family didn't need a lot.
Speaker 8 (15:00):
They just needed a little bit more space and they
wanted a little bit more connection to the garden. And
so the renovation that's happened is so so tiny, and
yet you could not everybody in the jury. You walked
in the door, you walked into this little space that
opened up to this beautiful window out to this fantastic,
very small but loved garden, and everybody gasped. There's nothing
(15:22):
in there that didn't need to be there, and there's
everything that we need in a house, right, And.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
So when you're judging, then from what you're saying, you
actually as a group go out to each of the
different properties, do you That must be an awesome experience.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
It is just such a treat.
Speaker 8 (15:36):
It takes a lot of time and a lot of energy,
and the judges are all volunteers, and so it's a
big commitment. But it's just such a special thing. And
I've judged. I've judged the awards here in Canberra a
few times now, but I've also been very lucky to
be the head of the National Awards jury, which means
you travel around the country to see the projects and
getting to experience being welcomed into someone's home.
Speaker 6 (15:59):
You know, there's nothing more generous than that.
Speaker 8 (16:00):
So when a client loves their homes so much that
they welcome a group of strangers, five strangers in to
judge it, they're.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Really that's such a gift.
Speaker 8 (16:10):
I think that's the most incredibly generous thing and to
get to hear what they love.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
About living in it or working in it, depending what
the project is. It's really special. So the jury, it's
a wonderful thing to get to do.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
What an awesome thing to get to do that. That's
very cool. Well, Shannon, thank you so much for explaining
all of that and sharing that with us this morning. Yeah,
it's really interesting.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
Thank you, No worries, have a great day.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
You two are Shannon Matison, who's director of architecture at
the Mill and former presidents for the Australian Institute of Architects.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Well, those are the interviews we most enjoyed in last
week's Mixed one o six point three real Estate Show.
If you love hearing about the latest trends, or you're
just up for a sticky beak, be sure to drop
by for a listen this Saturday between nine and ten
Keen and
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Renee's Real Estate Show on Mix one oh six point
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