PIA NSW’s The Planner’s Summit – Infrastructure, Funding and Delivery 2026 raises the bar
25 JUNE 2026
GLN are grateful to have facilitated the 2026 PIA The Planner’s Summit – Infrastructure, Funding and Delivery and share the latest updates and thinking in the infrastructure funding and delivery space.
The pressure to fund and deliver infrastructure across New South Wales has never been greater—or more complex.
At the PIA Planner’s Summit 2026, we brought together planners, policymakers and local government leaders to tackle one of the most critical issues shaping our communities: how to fund and deliver the infrastructure that underpins growth, liveability and resilience.
From high-growth metropolitan councils navigating the pace and scale of infill and greenfield development, to the accelerating rollout of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Low and Mid-Rise Housing (LMR), and Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) projects—expectations are rising while funding pathways remain uncertain. At the same time, rural and regional councils face a very different, yet equally pressing challenge: sustaining and upgrading essential infrastructure with limited growth, constrained revenue bases, and increasing community needs.
We received insightful presentations on the funding tools, policy settings and delivery models needed to bridge these divides.
Day 1
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Peter McKenna and Patricia Sim from GLN Planning provided a pulse-check on the current development contributions climate in NSW, latest happenings over the past year, and an online quiz and survey.
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Ellen Mannix presented on the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s Urban Development Program, along with insights into the Housing and Productivity Contribution’s Infrastructure Opportunities Plan and Works in Kind Guideline
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Alyce Kliese and James Kingston from Urban Legal shared their insights into land dedication and maintenance policies and the role of planning agreements. As and other mechanisms to “give power” to Councils accepting the dedication of land, via a Western-themed presentation titled “The Good, The Bad, and The Voluntary”
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Gavin Horobin presented on the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s policy framework and processes relating to higher-rate section 7.12 contributions plan, including what is required to obtain approval to levy contributions above the standard maximum 1% rate.
- Our Day 1 presenters were joined by Ben Richards, GLN’s Infrastructure Funding and Delivery Strategist, for a panel discussion on infrastructure funding and delivery challenges and the lived experiences of our panellists and questioned posed from the audience through the online chat.
Day 2
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Kevin Craft presented on Byron Shire Council’s extensive and early community engagement and consultation undertaken during its recent contributions framework review project.
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Peter McKenna and Ben Richards presented on the infrastructure challenges facing many regional and rural Councils across New South Wales, making the observation that Sydney’s growth councils are dealing with the challenge of funding growth, but rural and regional councils are increasingly dealing with the challenge of funding their existence.
- Silvija Hadzic spoke about her experience leading the implementation of Camden Council’s developer agreements and the delivery of quality assets and community infrastructure, with a focus on building genuine relationships, establishing trust and ownership, attention to detail and managing risk.