Lismore City Council, in partnership with Solve Property Group, has released its draft Economic Development Strategy (EDS) for public exhibition, marking an important step in shaping the city’s economic future.

Lismore City Council, in partnership with Solve Property Group, has released its draft Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) for public exhibition, marking a significant milestone in shaping the long-term future of the Lismore Local Government Area.

We’re proud to see the recent planning approval of BaptistCare’s Macquarie Park project — a significant milestone for a long-term client committed to aligning property decisions with evidence and purpose.

As strategic property advisor to the Board and project team, our team supported the project across its full lifecycle — from early-stage visioning and land use strategy through to masterplanning, feasibility, and ultimately planning approval.

We are, in many ways, still planning 21st century economies with 19th century land-use logic. While planning systems continue to rely on separating land uses, the structure of the economy has changed fundamentally.

Part 2 of our two-part series exploring the evolving role of employment and industrial lands — and how these areas are being reshaped by a changing economy.

There is an ongoing discussion about the distinction between industrial and employment lands. At one level, this is a question of terminology. At a deeper level, it goes to the foundations of how planning systems organise cities and manage economic activity.

This article is part one of a two-part series exploring the evolving role of employment and industrial lands — and how these areas are being reshaped by a changing economy.

Greater Western Sydney (GWS) has become the centre of Sydney’s growth story, with both data and advocacy pointing to an economy reshaping around housing, infrastructure and business expansion. NAB’s Horizons 2025 report highlights record levels of investment and property activity across the west, while Business Western Sydney has been pushing governments to match that momentum with reforms and infrastructure delivery. Together, these perspectives underline a region at a critical turning point for landowners, asset holders and developers.

Making headlines this week, the bold plan to make Rosehill Gardens racecourse a mini-city of 25,000 homes has failed, but the “Plan B” that Premier Chris Minns said he was looking for could be just one metro stop away: Sydney Olympic Park. Former Chief Planner for NSW Gary White, has called on the Minns government to develop the hectares of underused public land at Sydney Olympic Park into a “TOD-like” precinct centred around its future metro station.

In today’s rapidly evolving development landscape, looking beyond our borders for innovation and inspiration is more important than ever, especially when it comes to masterplan communities. International markets offer powerful insights on what it takes to create places that are not only functional, but thriving, connected, and enduring. Two standout examples from the US — Summerlin in Las Vegas and Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota — have become gold standards in masterplanned community development, consistently topping national rankings and sales charts. So, what sets them apart? And more importantly, how can we apply their winning strategies to the Australian context?

We’re all familiar with the housing predicament facing Australia. What is often missing from the conversation is the reality that housing delivery is intrinsically linked to the strength and foresight of local strategic plans. Investment decisions - whether by developers or government entities - rely heavily on the direction and clarity set by government strategic plans. These strategies aren’t about box ticking; they are foundational to unlocking housing supply, managing risk, and creating vibrant, sustainable places to live, work and play.

In a world reshaped by changing lifestyles and the aftershocks of the pandemic, cities must evolve to stay relevant. Enter the vibrant precinct — an urban strategy that blends community, commerce, culture, and connectivity to create thriving, inclusive spaces. A vibrant precinct is more than just a place, it's an experience.

The recent release of Plan Victoria was a welcome step toward a long-term and holistic planning vision for Victoria. But almost immediately, it felt like time for an update. While Plan Victoria sets bold goals, it lacks an explicit economic strategy to support, or underpin, those ambitions. What’s missing is a serious discussion about how planning will contribute to economic growth, productivity and prosperity over the medium to long term.

A thriving economy doesn’t happen by chance - it starts with a well-informed strategic policy framework. We explore the strategic planning implications that local economic development plans should consider in order to maximise economic growth.

Strategic urban and regional planning is at a turning point.  The rapid technological advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) are fundamentally reshaping how cities and regions evolve, presenting both opportunities and challenges for policymakers, planners and the real estate sector. 

Australia’s regional markets are continuing to attract the attention of buyers and new residents, outpacing capital city counterparts. While there are cyclical factors that can affect price growth, such as the level of interest rates and markets correcting after a period of sustained growth, there continues to be a range of underlying and long-term structural factors driving growth/decline.

Sydney of all cities in Australia has the potential to make a legitimate claim as tracking towards Australia’s premier global city. This has not come from its planning system, which continues to be amongst the most challenged in Australia. It will continue materialise on the back of the most aggressive infrastructure led city shaping programme seen in any Australian city over the last 40 years.

Solve Property Group’s Chief Planner Gary White has shared his perspective in the following article.

The UK’s housing crisis is a well-documented issue, with increasing demand outstripping supply in both urban and rural areas. The pressure to provide affordable housing, coupled with a desire for sustainable and community-focused living spaces, has fuelled calls for a dedicated task force to steer urban growth: the New Towns Taskforce.

The State Planning Commission recently released their Draft Greater Adelaide Regional Plan 2051, which sets out a long-term vision for Greater Adelaide, detailing where people will live and work, how they will move around and where they will access services, and importantly presents recommendations for managing growth and adapting to changes in the community and urban environment. The Plan reflects a practical approach to managing growth while addressing housing, employment lands, and infrastructure challenges.

As Australia continues to face an escalating housing crisis, the debate frequently focuses on planning related barriers to much needed supply. Internally we have been discussing various urban growth models and are interested in the market impacts related to containment and densification.

Read our discussion paper here.

Solve Property Group’s Chief Planner, Gary White, was recently interviewed about the housing crisis and his perspective on Housing Now!’ call for the NSW Government to appoint a dedicated co-ordinator general to boost housing supply in the state.

It won’t surprise many of you that a new study has found Australia is set to fall short of the housing targets designed to address the nation’s affordability crisis. While there are a number of factors contributing to the undersupply of housing, recent findings released by the UDIA indicate that Australia is on track for it’s lowest approvals since 2012.

Solve Property Group’s Northern Rivers Housing Forum has been featured by Australian Property Investor Magazine.

An article by Craig Francis.

Marked by an ageing population and with a determination “not to be the Gold Coast”, the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales has found itself with an affordability problem, housing shortages, soaring rents and something of an identity crisis.

At the recent Northern Rivers Housing Forum held in Kingscliff, acclaimed demographer Bernard Salt AM, and Gary White, former Chief Planner for the Queensland NSW state governments and now Chief Planner at Solve Property Group, addressed some of the biggest issues confronting the region.