Hygge Property Director Joseph van Dyk joined industry leaders at UDIA Victoria's Regional Industry Briefing, Ballarat's Next Neighbourhoods, on 16 October 2026.
Held in Ballarat, the event brought together representatives from across the property and development industry to consider the opportunities, challenges and policy reforms needed to support the city's next phase of growth.
The briefing opened with a market update from Michael Staedler, Head of Research at RPM, examining Ballarat's housing demand, land supply and changing purchaser preferences.
With land sales recovering, growing demand for smaller housing options and continued pressure on development feasibility, the findings reinforced the need for planning and policy settings that better reflect the realities of regional markets.
Joseph joined Eliza Minney of Best Hooper Lawyers and Anton Pound of Bauenort Management for a panel discussion moderated by Tom Trevaskis of Moremac Property Group.
The discussion explored the challenges facing regional developers, including ambitious housing targets, infrastructure constraints, lengthy planning processes and the increasing costs of bringing new homes to market.
Drawing on Hygge's experience delivering residential projects across regional Victoria, Joseph contributed a developer's perspective on the importance of practical industry reform to support housing delivery.
As Ballarat continues to grow, meeting future housing needs will require more than ambitious targets. Greater coordination between government and industry, timely planning approvals, infrastructure investment and development settings that support project feasibility will be critical to delivering more homes and greater housing choice.
Thank you to UDIA Victoria for bringing together the regional development industry and continuing to advocate for the reforms needed to support regional Victoria's growth.