PlanningxChange 92: Phil Priest: Overseeing Inner City Rejuvenation - Rules of the Game

In PlanningxChange episode 92 we interview Phil Priest, Group Manager City Development at the Moreland City Council. The following is an extract from the VPELA Journal Revue of October 2021 describing Phil’s career and his recent awarding of the Paul Jerome Award for contributions to the public sector. “When planners think of Moreland Council, they think of Phil Priest. Phil has been a mainstay in planning in the inner city for decades, providing exemplarily service to the public sector and leading Moreland’s successful transition from a dying industrial heartland to a beacon for inner city urban renewal. Phil earn’t his stripes at City of Melbourne, before joining Moreland in 2003 as the Manager of Urban Development. For the next 17 years, he had a variety of managerial and planning roles, including Group Manager City Development, where he led multi disciplinary teams of over 70 professionals with responsibilities for town planning, building and environmental health. After a brief stint at DELWP as the Director of Developer Approvals and Design, Phil has returned to his old stomping ground at Moreland Council as Acting Director City Futures. But Phil’s contribution to planning and the public sector goes beyond titles. He is very approachable, facilitative and reasonable, always finding a sensible balance between local community pressures to limit development and pursuing urban consolidation inMoreland’s activity centre’s and transit corridors. As the manufacturing industry dwindled in the 80’s and 90’s, Phil oversaw a seismic shift in Moreland’s industrial precincts that has seen them embrace change and become exemplars for inner city urban renewal. During his time, Moreland has earned a reputation as a pioneer and leader in Local Government planning circles. He has led many planning initiatives including the Moreland Apartment Design Code prior to the introduction of BADS, the introduction of the ESD Policy in the Moreland Planning Scheme and more recently initiatives to reduce emissions. He has championed planning leadership at Moreland through proactive, forward looking initiatives such as VicSmart for 2 lot subdivisions. These are consistent with Phil’s unwavering commitment to process improvement and driving efficiencies. Phil directed the implementation of a digital planning system at Moreland, well before others. This proved fortuitous when Covid hit, with Moreland well prepared for the mad scramble away from paper. A quick look at the Moreland website today shows a leading Council who understands their community’s needs and the responsibilities of an effective planning system. Phil is particularly supportive to planners entering the industry and provides an excellent working environment where staff are encouraged to succeed. His sensible approach and ‘can do’ attitude has earn’t him a solid reputation amongst planners and the wider industry.” Audio production by Jack Bavage. The episode was released on 27 April 2022.