In recent years, there’s been an increasing preoccupation in the media with stories on the liveability of cities. This is especially the case in Melbourne, which has topped the Economist magazine’s world liveability rankings for five years running. But not everyone is finding Melbourne as liveable as Economist editors – and an especially contentious issue is the matter of housing.
Rising property prices, urban sprawl and strained infrastructure are putting increasing pressure on our daily lives. The divide between homeowners and renters is become wider. What role will apartment living play in the future of housing in Australia? Are we building enough suitable housing for the elderly? What is the definition of affordable housing, and how can we do better by homeless people?
In the first of our Question Time series for 2016, Madeleine Morris will host a full hour of audience Q&A with the Grattan Institute’s Transport Program director Marion Terrill, Ken Morrison CEO of the Property Council of Australia, and Jenny Smith CEO of the Council to Homeless Persons. Come along with questions on property booms, affordable housing and urban planning.
Featuring
Madeleine Morris
Madeleine Morris is a Melbourne-based reporter for ABC television’s 7.30. She was formerly a presenter for the BBC in London and reported from dozens of countries before returning to her native Australia. She is the author of Guilt-Free Bottle-Feeding: Why Your Formula-Fed Baby Can Grow Up To Be Happy, Healthy and Smart, published by Finch.
Marion Terrill
Marion Terrill is a leading policy analyst and former public servant who has also worked in the private sector. Her public policy experience ranges from authoring parts of the 2010 Henry Tax Review to leading the design and development of the MyGov account. She has provided expert analysis and advice on labour market policy for the Commonwealth Government, the Business Council of Australia and at the Australian National University. She joined the Grattan Institute in April 2015.
Ken Morrison
Ken Morrison is the Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia, the national representative of the property industry. Ken is Deputy Chair of Business Coalition for Tax Reform, a director of the Green Building Council of Australia, a member of the executive committee of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, is a Property Male Champion of Change promoting women in leadership roles and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
He is passionate about the future of our cities and has played a significant role in shaping tax, planning and infrastructure policy for over a decade.
Before taking up his current position in 2014, Ken was the Chief Executive of the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF), the peak CEO forum for the tourism, aviation and transport sectors. Prior to this Ken held several executive positions at the Property Council of Australia, including Chief Operating Officer and NSW Executive Director.
Jenny Smith
Jenny Smith has had a long and distinguished career in the public sector and has well over 20 years of experience in leadership and management. She has worked in policy, management, government and in service delivery, and in health, mental health, and community health sectors. Jenny joined the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) in 2011, following her role as General Manager Medical Services at St Vincent’s in Fitzroy. There her responsibilities included emergency demand, addiction medicine, correctional health and mental health.
Jenny is passionate about applying her skills and experience to ending homelessness in Victoria and about working in partnership with those who have experienced homelessness, the specialist homelessness sector, government and the philanthropic and corporate communities.
Jenny began her career as a social worker and family therapist. She has since completed a Master’s degree in social work and a Master’s qualification in public policy and management. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Across her career, Jenny has partnered with colleagues to author a number of papers published in refereed journals. These include the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Australian Social Work and The British Journal of Psychiatry.