In PX111, our interview guest is Jesse Suskin, Head of Government Relations & Public Policy at Wing Aviation (https://wing.com).
We talk all things drone delivery particularly the experience learnt in Logan in Queensland, Australia where there has been extensive delivery operations over a lengthy time period.
Wing Aviation is an offshoot of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc.
Jesse Suskin is the head of government relations and public policy in Australia for Wing, a company that sees a future where drone delivery is the safest, fastest and most environmentally friendly way to transport small items. Before joining Wing in 2018, Jesse spent over six years with Google, working in government relations, public affairs, and public policy in Washington, DC and Sydney, Australia. Earlier in his career, Jesse worked in politics and public service including at the White House as Associate Director of Communications for President George W. Bush, and as Director of Media Services for Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Jesse also worked for the Government of Australia at its Embassy in Washington, DC, advising Ambassador Kim Beazley.
Jesse serves on a number of advisory committees including the Australian Department of Infrastructure’s New and Emerging Aviation Technology Consultative Committee, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Regulatory Roadmap Technical Working Group, and the University of New South Wales School of Aviation’s Industry Advisory Committee.
In the interview we talk about how drone delivery works, the testing that has gone into the systems, how drone delivery offers alternatives to car based delivery methods and lessons learnt in the various trials around the world. Jesse also discusses working with local authorities including the sharing of data.
In podcast extra / culture corner, Jesse recommends the ‘The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York’, a 1974 biography of Robert Moses by Robert Caro. Details at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_Broker
Jess recommends ‘The Days’ a Netflix production on the Fukushima nuclear plant that experienced a Tsunami and earthquake in 2011. Details at https://en.wikipedia.org/wikiThe_Days_(Japanese_TV_series). Technical details of the incident can be found at https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/fukushima-daiichi-accident.aspx
Pete recommends ‘Fauda’ a Netflix series on the Middle East conflict. Details at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauda
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 5 December 2023.
In PX110, our interview guest is Professor Tim Parkin, we talk all things Roman particularly their city life.
Tim Parkin joined the Classics and Archaeology department at the University of Melbourne in 2018 as the inaugural Elizabeth and James Tatoulis Chair in Classics. Before this he had spent over 11 years as Professor of Ancient History at the University of Manchester (UK).
Tim is a New Zealander by birth who was awarded a D.Phil. at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and who, since 1989, has worked in universities in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as spending over a year in Germany as an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow. His teaching covers both Greek and Roman history and classical languages. His main research is in ancient history, particularly Roman social, cultural, and demographic history. Among his publications are Demography and Roman Society (1992), Old Age in the Roman World: A Social and Cultural History (2003), Roman Social History: A Sourcebook (2007), and The Oxford Handbook of Childhood and Education in the Classical World (2014). Tim is currently working primarily on ancient sexual health, in particular sexually transmitted diseases, as well as co-editing a cultural history of old age from antiquity to the current day and a BICS supplement on domestic violence in the Roman world, and working on papers on elders in the early Christian church and the demographic realities of the ancient countryside. He is currently supervising research students in a wide range of topics including feminist readings of Ovid's Metamorphoses, the geographical writings of Solinus, concepts of revenge in the Roman world, and the uses of food, magic and drugs in the works of Apuleius. In 2023 he continues in his role as Deputy Head of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies and he takes on a new role as Deputy Associate Dean (Partnerships) in the Faculty of Arts. He is also Honorary President of the Classical Association of Victoria.
In podcast extra / culture corner Tim recommends the NZ actor Sam Neil’s Memoir ‘Did I Ever Tell You This?’ https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/did-i-ever-tell-you-this. Tim also recommends ‘Kellis: A Roman - Period Village in Egypt’s Dakhleh Oasis’ https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2749916/Kellis-A-Roman-Period-Village-in-Egypts-Dakhleh-Oasis.pdf.
Jess recommends ‘Dead Tide’ by Fiona Mcintosh https://www.penguin.com.au/books/dead-tide-9781761344633
Pete recommends ‘My father and me’ by Nick Broomfield. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/my-father-me-nick-maurice-broomfield-working-class-photographer-life Also the work of Maurice Broomfield recognised by the V & A in the book ‘Maurice Broomfield Industrial Sublime’ https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/maurice-broomfield-industrial-sublime (available in many libraries). See also https://mauricebroomfield.photography
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 30 October 2023.
Doug is an American entomologist, ecologist and conservationist. He is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Doug advocates for home gardens and landscaping that bridge the gaps between parks and preserves in providing habitat for native species. He has spoken on the connections between plants and insects and how those relations are important to birds. He has called for smaller lawns.
He has written a number of books on nature including: ‘Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that starts in your yard.’ (Feb 2020), ‘Bringing Nature Home: How you can sustain wildlife with native plants.’ (April 2009), ‘The Nature of Oaks: The rich ecology of our most essential native trees’. (March 2021), with Rick Drake - ‘The Living Landscape: designing for beauty and biodiversity in the home garden’. (July 2014) and for children along with Sarah Thomson ‘Nature’s Best Hope (Young Readers Edition): How you can save the world in your own yard’. (April 2023)
Doug has authored 97 research publications and has taught insect-related courses for 40 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His research has been ground breaking showing links between insects, plants and wildlife that had never before been envisaged. His book Bringing Nature Home, published by Timber Press in 2007, was awarded the 2008 Silver Medal by the Garden Writers’ Association. Among his awards are the Garden Club of America Margaret Douglas Medal for Conservation and the Tom Dodd, Jr. Award of Excellence, the 2018 AHS B. Y. Morrison Communication Award, and the 2019 Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award.
There is an interview with Doug in the Smithsonian magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/meet-ecologist-who-wants-unleash-wild-backyard-180974372/
He appears on a number of YouTube talks and interviews.
In podcast extra / culture corner Doug talks about David Attenborough’s latest show, ‘Wild Isles’ about nature in Great Britain and Ireland. Jess recommends ‘Mirror Man’ by author Fiona Mcintosh (https://www.penguin.com.au/books/mirror-man-9781760894337). Pete mentions his ambitious plan to grow grass trees (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthorrhoea). Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 3 October 2023.
In PX108, our interview guest is Dr Stefan Gruenert, the CEO of Odyssey House Victoria.
Odyssey House Victoria is a state-wide, specialist treatment organisation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals who experience significant or long-term problems from alcohol and other drug use.
Stefan describes the work of Odyssey House and the clients they serve. He talks of the various programs on offer. He describes how the OH facilities work and about the knowledge gained in providing effective treatment. Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation projects run the gauntlet of the development approval system. Stefan talks of his experiences with the development assessment process and makes observations about common misconceptions.
As a disclaimer, Pete has worked as a planning consultant for Odyssey House.
Podcast extra / culture corner Stefan talks about the joys of learning German listening to the podcast ‘Coffee Break German’ (https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/coffeebreakgerman/). Also he recommends the Netflix documentary series ‘Alone’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alone_(TV_series)). Jess recommends a Netflix documentary ‘The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari’ https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81410405. Pete recommends a documentary on NHK (Japanese state broadcaster) ‘Return to an Abandoned Village: 50 Years in Tsubayama)’ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/worldprime/20230429/3016152/
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 5 September 2023.
In PX107, our interview guest is Kate Hardwick an exceptional planning professional originally from Australia who now works in South East Asia.
Kate takes the listener on a fascinating journey describing her professional career. Along the way she offers tips to those starting out and also to those seeking a new direction after a number of years in the job.
She talks of recognising and responding to cultural variations and social norms in many different countries. Also in gaining humility and the value, often overlooked, of actually listening and observing.
Kate looks back on her early career and identifies key change moments. She also talks of the challenges and rewards of working on large scale 'new world' urban development projects both oin the west and east. There is a particular segment of note on how Singapore does planning.
In Podcast Extra / Culture Corner, Kate recommends ‘War Transformed’ by Major General Mick Ryan https://mickryan.com.au/books-%26-writing. Jess recommends the pleasures of farmers markets while Pete reads a poem about his new dog.
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 27 July 2023.
In PX106, our interview guest is James Vincent who is the CTO at NCS NEXT Australia, a global digital, data and cloud services consultancy (https://www.ncs.co/en-au/next/). James is a senior people leader with 25 years’ commercial IT experience and an established authority in large-scale strategic transformation in enterprise environments and delivering business outcomes through technology.
In this episode James shares four smart city technology solutions government could adopt to improve citizen services amid a rapidly growing urban population. Smart meters, sensor technology and AI in buildings to reduce environmental footprint are some of the examples that James touches on.
With Australia’s population projected to reach 30 million between 2029 and 2033, adding pressure to the quality and delivery of services for the community, James describes how it’s becoming more important to leverage modern technology to improve experiences and the efficiency of infrastructure, public transport, travel and roads.
He has previously stated: “Urban populations are growing at unprecedented rates, so we need to keep investing in smart city technology to create a brighter and more stable future. When further demand is added to systems such as public transport and traffic networks, some will struggle to cope – leading to overcrowding and poor-quality experiences.
“Modern technology is making safe, scalable, sustainable cities and performant governments a reality. In particular, smart city technology helps accommodate large and rapid urban population growth, facilitate resource conservation such as water and carbon, and improve the quality of services for the community across utilities, transport, healthcare, waste management, air quality, safety and wellbeing, and emergency response.
“We’re already starting to see various levels of Government engage in public-private partnerships and sponsored collaboration to modernise and advance services through technology. It’s a great step in improving access for citizens and the broader community and one we hope will continue in response to the changing population’s needs.”
The concept of ’Smart Cities’ has been touted before. In this episode we talk about how technologies and systems thinking has created previously unrealisable outcomes. James, in a very broad discussion talks about how these technologies are just as relevant in developing nations as they are in first world countries. We also talk about the potential downsides of such technologies in terms of civic life. In the interview we also discuss visions of the future portrayed through popular culture.
A wide ranging and testing interview on a topic that those responsibility ofor cities and towns will have to grapple with. We hope the episode makes a positive contribution to an understanding of the issues.
In Podcast Extra / Culture Corner, James recommends the Emperor series by British author Con Iggulden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conn_Iggulden. The series follows the life of Julius Caesar. On another note he describes his efforts trying to build an acoustic guitar, quite a challenge! He revels in the hands on, craft aspect of the task.
Jess has a TV show recommendation, Fisk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisk_(TV_series)).
Pete recommends Wuthering Heights (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights) and the PlanningxChange Spotify playlist!
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 3 July 2023.
In PX105, our interview guest is Torie Brown, Executive Director of the Student Accommodation Council. The Council was formed in 2022 by the Property Council to give a voice to the critically important purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector which provides homes for over 76,500 students per year, a figure that continues to grow. https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/advocacy/our-divisions/student-accommodation-council
Providing vibrant and connected housing options for students underpins Australia’s largest service export – international education. Ensuring a strong pipeline of beds also reduces pressure on the broader residential rental market by providing a safe, student-only housing choice.
Torie talks about the vital importance of this type of housing stock and along the way dispels various misconceptions about the users of such housing and the housing type. She talks about the evolution of design practice and how this is linked to the constant feedback provided by occupants. She also identifies good locational PBSA criteria and makes various suggestions to policy makers on how to facilitate the growth of this sector. There are 200+ PBSA developments in Australia. It is the fourth largest student market in the world.
In Podcast Extra / Culture Corner, Torie recommends an article ‘Investors backing student beds in downturn’ (https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/investors-backing-student-beds-in-downturn) and ‘Poker Face’ on Stan (https://www.stan.com.au/watch/poker-face-2023).
Jess has no book ar film recommendations but does discuss the joy of setting aside an hour each week, early morning, in a cafe, for ‘life admin’.
Pete recommends the film clip of AC/DC - It’s a Long Way to the Top (If you wanna rock ’n’ roll). The band plays the song on the back of a flatbed truck travelling slowly down the main street of Melbourne’s CBD, in 1976. A great audacious, larrikin performance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQluGs2SFRs).
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 5 June 2023.
In PX104, our interview guest is Vanessa Schernickau, the Chief Executive Officer of the Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC). The GRLC provides library and information services to residents and visitors across the Geelong region on behalf of five local government councils.
The network consists of a central library, 18 community libraries, three mobile libraries and website. It provides free, universal access to lifelong learning, reading and discovery.
The Geelong Library began in 1858 as part of the Mechanics Institute.
Vanessa talks about her first library book and a lifetime love of libraries. She talks of the dynamic changes that have led to the modern library model. This model has changed with the times and now a substantial component of user requirements are not associated with physical books.
As the industrialist and great patron of public libraries Andrew Carnegie famously put it more than a century ago, “A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never-failing spring in the desert.” His words ring true today.
We chose libraries as an interview topic as they represent one of the few public places in our towns and cities. They also provide a good deal of assistance to people navigating government services and simply as pleasant places to rest and relax.
In Podcast Extra / Culture Corner, Vanessa recommends two books, ‘The Colony’ by Audrey Magee and ’Small things like these’ by Claire Keegan.
Jess recommends ‘The House of Eve’ by Sadeqa Johnson.
Pete recommends ‘100 Poems, 100 Poets (Hyaku-nin isshu).
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 1 May 2023.
In PX103, our interview subject is Tim Jackson, a +40 year veteran of local government. Tim recently retired for a second time from the paid workforce after completing his four year role as the State Government appointed Administrator at the District of Council of Coober Pedy in South Australia in February. This was the first time an Administrator had been appointed to a South Australian Council in almost forty years.
Prior to his first retirement, Tim was CEO of the City of Playford in South Australia for eighteen years. Playford was and is South Australia’s fastest growing local government area. At the time of his departure, it was the eleventh fastest growing local government area in Australia. Prior to his time in South Australia, he was employed in Victoria by the City of Prahran which became the City of Stonnington after the reorganisation of local government in Victoria in the early 1990s.
Tim principal interest throughout his career has been about empowering citizens and employees. Tim has simultaneously performed many voluntary non executive roles in the for purpose sector.
In Podcast Extra / Culture Corner, Tim recommends Utopia the TV series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(Australian_TV_series) and the biography of Sir Edmund Hillary, ‘Edmund Hillary – A Biography: The extraordinary life of the beekeeper who climbed Everest’ by Michael Gill. Details on Hillary are found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Hillary
Jess recommends ‘Madoff - The Monster of Wall Street’ on Netflix.
Pete recommends the short stories of W. Somerset Maugham including ‘Far Eastern Tales’ on Audible. Details of Maugham can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Somerset_Maugham.
Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 24 March 2023.
In this episode, PlanningxChange delves into the history of heritage conservation in Australia. James Lesh is an urban historian specialising in heritage conservation. He is interested in the potential for history and heritage to enhance cities, places and society.
His latest book is Values in Cities: Urban Heritage in Twentieth-Century Australia (Routledge, 2022). It synthesises the history of the Australian heritage movement and advocates for innovative modes of heritage practice.
James is a Lecturer in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. He has previously researched and taught at the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and King’s College London.
In podcast extra or culture corner:
James recommends ‘The Lost City Of Melbourne’ documentary, ‘Monkey Grip’ - film, ‘Dogs in Space’ - film. ‘The Bear’ TV show.
Jess recommends ‘King Richard’ film and yoga as an exercise.
Pete recommends ‘The Legend of Ben Hall’ (bushranger movie) and on Youtube ‘The making of The Legend of Ben Hall’.
Episode released 23 February 2023. Audio production by Jack Bavage.
In PX101 our guests are Natalia Weglarz and Peter Johns. Natalia is a planner at the Canberra office of WSP (www.wsp.com). She has been in Canberra for eight years, prior to that she was in Sydney and the UK. Peter Johns has lived in Canberra since the mid 1960's and has worked as a planner in Canberra over several decades.
They describe the history of Canberra, the orginal grand plan for the city developed in 1911, how it has evolved and its role as Australia's most planned city. Should there be greater expectations of a planned city is one of the questions raised. They also talk of the difficult balance (and tensions) between respecting the original strategic plan whilst grafting on changes that reflect modern societal needs.
In podcast extra / culture corner, Peter Johns recommends: Jane Harpers ‘Exiles’ (Rural noir theme):https://janeharper.com.au/books/exiles
A recommendation Jess endorses.
Natalia recommends two items: the podcast ’99% invisible’ https://99percentinvisible.org and Netflix's ‘Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81287562
Pete recommends 'Aussie Mega Mechanics'
https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/aussie-mega-mechanics-series-1-2018/37983/
Audio production by Jack Bavage. The episode was released on 8 January 2023.