Supporting the Next Generation of Planning Professionals

Beveridge Williams was once again proud to sponsor and present the VPELA Young Professional of the Year Award, continuing a long‑standing commitment to supporting emerging talent across the planning and development sector.

The planning profession is operating in an environment of growing complexity. Challenges such as housing supply, affordability, urban density and infrastructure delivery demand fresh thinking, strong technical capability and a willingness to engage thoughtfully with policy and practice. As an organisation working at the forefront of these issues, we see firsthand the critical role that young professionals play in shaping better outcomes for our cities and communities.

This year’s award was particularly meaningful for Beveridge Williams, with the 2026 VPELA Young Professional of the Year Award being awarded to our own Tasma Eddy. Tasma was recognised for the strength of her research proposal, which was selected on its merit, relevance and potential contribution to planning policy and practice.

Her proposed research will examine the gap between Victoria’s policy commitments to affordable, diverse and accessible housing and the planning system’s ability to deliver these outcomes in practice. Using the funding provided by the award, Tasma will explore Singapore’s approach to housing delivery as a comparative case study. Melbourne and Singapore share many characteristics as dense, highly urbanised cities experiencing population growth, land constraints and increasing development intensity, yet they operate within very different housing and governance frameworks.

By comparing Melbourne’s predominantly market‑led housing delivery model with Singapore’s centrally coordinated approach (incorporating legislation, universal design standards, and large‑scale public housing provision), Tasma’s research aims to generate practical insights to inform future planning policy and delivery mechanisms in high‑growth, higher‑density urban environments.

Beveridge Williams is proud to support initiatives that invest in the development of emerging professionals and promote thoughtful, evidence‑based planning reform. The VPELA Young Professional of the Year Award plays an important role in recognising innovation, leadership and critical thinking within the profession, and we value the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing success.

We congratulate Tasma on this well‑deserved achievement and look forward to following the outcomes of her research as it progresses.