Female Achiever of the Year Award 2022, Thursday 24 March 2022

The Pavilion, Arts Centre Melbourne

 

On behalf of all the Directors and staff at Hansen Partnership, we are delighted to continue our sponsorship of this Award. The Women’s Planning Network Female Achiever of the Year (or FAY) Award provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the important contribution that women make to Planning and Planning related industries in Victoria. Even with progress being made around gender equity since the initiation of this award, we firmly believe that acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of women is valuable to us all.

The Female Achiever of the Year Award is not only about recognition but also support in the form of a one-year membership of PIA and registration to this year’s national congress (so a trip to Tassie is on the cards).

In selecting a winner, we look at the following criteria:

• Demonstrated outstanding commitment to her work (either paid or volunteered)
• Demonstrated contribution to the industry via leadership role, volunteer work or mentoring
• Demonstrated support for women in the industry or related industry
• Exceptional leadership of colleagues and/or the profession, particularly throughout the past two years.’

This year’s nominees represent an incredible depth of female talent and leadership in the planning profession and the diversity of roles we fill.

We are delighted to announce the 2022 PIA Victoria’s Women’s Planning Network Female Achiever of the Year is Estella Qing, Senior Planner at DELWP.

Following her completion of Master of Urban Planning, Estella has been an active and a stout supporter of the Victorian Young Planners. She was re-elected as the VYP committee member four times and served as convenor for two years.

Estella has established herself as a highly active and agile member of the industry, known for a rigorous and intellectual approach to statutory planning across both public and private sectors.

She has mentored young planners, many also from the Bachelor of Environments program, and simultaneously taught across both undergraduate and postgraduate subjects in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne.

Her efforts to forge and strengthen both social and professional connections amongst young planners—in a period impacted greatly by COVID-19 restrictions—showed her generosity and passion for the social dimension of the planning profession.

We are delighted to award the Female Achiever of the Year Award to Estella, for her achievements as a colleague and as an emerging leader in the planning industry. Estella’s contribution is notable in raising visibility for young women and second-generation migrants in the planning world.

On behalf of all the Directors and staff at Hansen Partnership, congratulations Estella on your achievements so far.