Griffith University Urban and Environmental Planning students and alumni were well represented as this year’s winners at the Minister’s Planning Awards and Planning Institute of Australia Queensland Awards for Planning Excellence.

Griffith students have been dominating these awards for three consecutive years and this year won two of the three awards from among seven Queensland universities.

Tayla Miller receives the Minister’s award from Assistant Minister for Education Brittany Lauga. Photo: The Planning Institute of Australia

The ceremony was held on Friday, November 11 in Brisbane.

Minister’s Planning Awards

Fourth year Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning/Bachelor of Science studentGeorgia Quickwon theFemale Student in Planning Award, following in the footsteps of 2021 winner Ruby Stockhamand inaugural 2019 winnerJasmine Divall.

This makes it three for three for Griffith in this category as the awards were cancelled in 2020.

Georgia was awarded a one-month paid internship at the State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.

Both former winners now work at the Ministry after their successful internship.

Recent alumni of the Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning (Honours)Tayla Millerwon theThesis or Research Project Awardwith her Honours Thesis “Integrating First Nations Values, Perspective and Knowledge into State of Environment Reporting: A Case Study of Queensland State of Environment Reporting”.

Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Queensland 2022 Awards for Excellence

Tayla Miller also won thePIA Queensland Award for Planning ExcellenceinTertiary Student Projectcategory with her Honours thesis.

This was Tayla’s third award after winning the 2022 Planning Institute of Australia and Queensland Young Planners Student Innovation Showcase back in July.

Alumni Tim Beck receives a commendation for Young Planner of the Year. Photo: The Planning Institute of Australia

Tayla’s Honours project was part of a new initiative of linking Honours research projects to industry placements and was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Science, Environmental Policy and Planning and was supervised by Dr Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes.

The judges were impressed with the breadth of engagement undertaken for the project — with collaboration between the researcher, indigenous traditional owner groups and government agencies. The judges were also impressed with the potential for the recommendations to be incorporated across multiple Australian and international jurisdictions, leading to better representation of traditional knowledge in government decision-making.

Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning (Honours) alumniRuby Stockhamwas a runner up forWendy Chadwick Young Planner Bursary.

Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning (Honours) alumniTim Beckreceived a commendation forYoung Planner of the Yearcategory for his outstanding contribution to his workplace and the industry in a relatively short time.

The judges praised Tim’s dedication exhibited through his strong work ethic and technical skills along with the contribution he makes leading the Queensland Young Planners Group mentoring program.