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July 5, 2025
What Can You Expect?
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INDUSTRY EXPERT
Our Industry Experts present on topics relevant to you and address the challenges that you will face on your property development journey
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REAL DEAL
These are members of the community presenting their own deals, showcasing the good / bad and the sometimes 'ugly'
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MASTERMINDING
Our very unique Masterminding process where we help you to overcome your current challenges so that you can achieve a successful return
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+ NETWORKING
Don't forget the after meeting drinks...where many a JV partnership is found and at times this part can go for as long as the formal meeting, so be sure to get a 'leave pass' to join us!
Vic Planning Streamline Approvals! (Amy Mak - DTP & Cara Wiseman - OVGA) + 1 Single Storey Build (Michael Silverstein)
Bringing together the collective knowledge & experience of your local community to assist you in progressing on your Property Development journey.
Amy Mak - DTP & Cara Wiseman - OVGA
Amy Mak leads the Future Homes team at the Department of Transport and Planning. She has over 20 years’ experience in statutory and strategic planning and has held various positions in both the public and private sector. Amy is passionate about facilitating great built form outcomes through planning and design and plays a lead role in facilitating projects though the Future Homes planning pathway.
Cara Wiseman has a wide range of experience across the built environment sector. An architectural graduate, her practical industry experience delivering award-winning residential architecture complements her advocacy roles at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) in England, and teaching roles at universities across Germany. At the Office of the Victorian Government Architect, she provides advice to government and advocates for a better and fairer built environment for all.
Cara Wiseman has a wide range of experience across the built environment sector. An architectural graduate, her practical industry experience delivering award-winning residential architecture complements her advocacy roles at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) in England, and teaching roles at universities across Germany. At the Office of the Victorian Government Architect, she provides advice to government and advocates for a better and fairer built environment for all.
Industry Expert
Vic Planning Streamline Approvals! - Amy Mak from the Department of Transport and Planning and Cara Wiseman from Office of the Victorian Government Architect
Fixing the Missing Middle!! Why We Need Smarter Medium-Density Now.
We all know housing supply is tight… but have you stopped to ask why we keep getting it so wrong?
How to tackle a problem that is hiding in plain sight: the lack of well-designed, small-scale (3-storey) apartment developments in the right locations close to amenity, transport, and the kind of lifestyle people actually want.
Instead of smart, liveable apartments that serve families, downsizers, and future generations… we keep chopping land into tiny townhouse blocks. Quick wins? Maybe. Smart long-term planning? Not even close.
The result? Massive housing shortages in the very suburbs people are desperate to live in and prices that are climbing out of reach. Families squeezed out. Older residents forced to leave their communities. And developers missing the opportunity to deliver true value on sites with serious potential.
So, what is the alternative?
This month’s Industry Experts Amy Mak from the Department of Transport and Planning and Cara Wiseman from Office of the Victorian Government Architect are here to unpack the Future Homes model. A new way to approach medium density that is not just about cramming more people in, but about creating homes that are functional, beautiful, and feel like places you'd want to live.
Join us to learn:
• How to investigate opportunities to develop a Future Homes model.
• Why townhouses might not be the best solution for high amenity sites
• What "missing middle" really means and why it matters
• How the Future Homes exemplar designs were created to embed great amenity and design
• How to access the streamlined dedicated planning process for faster approvals
• The key principles of the Future Homes model you can start applying now
If you are looking to do more than just develop for profit, if you want to build smarter, more sustainable communities and stack your numbers at the same time then this session is one you don’t want to miss.
Come along to challenge the norm, rethink what is possible, and walk away with a strategy to future-proof your next project.
The market’s shifting. Don’t get left behind.
Fixing the Missing Middle!! Why We Need Smarter Medium-Density Now.
We all know housing supply is tight… but have you stopped to ask why we keep getting it so wrong?
How to tackle a problem that is hiding in plain sight: the lack of well-designed, small-scale (3-storey) apartment developments in the right locations close to amenity, transport, and the kind of lifestyle people actually want.
Instead of smart, liveable apartments that serve families, downsizers, and future generations… we keep chopping land into tiny townhouse blocks. Quick wins? Maybe. Smart long-term planning? Not even close.
The result? Massive housing shortages in the very suburbs people are desperate to live in and prices that are climbing out of reach. Families squeezed out. Older residents forced to leave their communities. And developers missing the opportunity to deliver true value on sites with serious potential.
So, what is the alternative?
This month’s Industry Experts Amy Mak from the Department of Transport and Planning and Cara Wiseman from Office of the Victorian Government Architect are here to unpack the Future Homes model. A new way to approach medium density that is not just about cramming more people in, but about creating homes that are functional, beautiful, and feel like places you'd want to live.
Join us to learn:
• How to investigate opportunities to develop a Future Homes model.
• Why townhouses might not be the best solution for high amenity sites
• What "missing middle" really means and why it matters
• How the Future Homes exemplar designs were created to embed great amenity and design
• How to access the streamlined dedicated planning process for faster approvals
• The key principles of the Future Homes model you can start applying now
If you are looking to do more than just develop for profit, if you want to build smarter, more sustainable communities and stack your numbers at the same time then this session is one you don’t want to miss.
Come along to challenge the norm, rethink what is possible, and walk away with a strategy to future-proof your next project.
The market’s shifting. Don’t get left behind.
Michael Silverstein is a registered builder and is currently working as a private building inspector. He has been doing property developments as a sideline not as his permanent job in order to build up a retirement fund.
Over the last decade he has completed projects in Lakes Entrance, a renovation and flip in Shepparton, a backyard in suburban Melbourne, a one into three units in Geelong and the single dwelling in Woodend.
Over the last decade he has completed projects in Lakes Entrance, a renovation and flip in Shepparton, a backyard in suburban Melbourne, a one into three units in Geelong and the single dwelling in Woodend.
'Real Deal' Presentation
1 Single Storey Build (Michael Silverstein)
740m2, R1, Woodend – Macedon Ranges Council , Victoria
When Pre-Approval Isn’t a Green Light…
You’ve done all the right things, crunched your numbers, got your finance pre-approval, and secured the site. The plan is solid, the timeline is tight, and the bank says yes… what could possibly go wrong?
Well, here’s the thing they don’t tell you, pre-approval is not a promise. And sometimes, just when you’re ready to hit the go button, the bank decides to move the goalposts.
That’s exactly what happened to our next Real Deal speaker, Michael Silverstein.
Midway through the deal, after months of preparation and planning, Michael’s bank changed the rules. Suddenly, they required pre-sales before they’d release any funds, a condition that hadn’t been mentioned at the outset. And with no way to meet the new requirements in time, he was forced to make a tough call: forfeit one of the blocks, lose his deposit, and drastically pivot his strategy.
But rather than walk away from the whole deal, Michael did what any seasoned developer would do - he adapted. He salvaged the project from the brink and walked away with some hard-earned lessons in his back pocket.
Join us as Michael shares the raw, unfiltered truth about:
• What went wrong and why it caught him off guard
• The cost of relying too heavily on bank promises
• What he'd do differently if he had his time again
• And most importantly how you can protect yourself when lenders change their tune mid-deal
Because let’s be honest: if this hasn’t happened to you, it could. And when it does, you’ll want to know exactly what to do next.
740m2, R1, Woodend – Macedon Ranges Council , Victoria
When Pre-Approval Isn’t a Green Light…
You’ve done all the right things, crunched your numbers, got your finance pre-approval, and secured the site. The plan is solid, the timeline is tight, and the bank says yes… what could possibly go wrong?
Well, here’s the thing they don’t tell you, pre-approval is not a promise. And sometimes, just when you’re ready to hit the go button, the bank decides to move the goalposts.
That’s exactly what happened to our next Real Deal speaker, Michael Silverstein.
Midway through the deal, after months of preparation and planning, Michael’s bank changed the rules. Suddenly, they required pre-sales before they’d release any funds, a condition that hadn’t been mentioned at the outset. And with no way to meet the new requirements in time, he was forced to make a tough call: forfeit one of the blocks, lose his deposit, and drastically pivot his strategy.
But rather than walk away from the whole deal, Michael did what any seasoned developer would do - he adapted. He salvaged the project from the brink and walked away with some hard-earned lessons in his back pocket.
Join us as Michael shares the raw, unfiltered truth about:
• What went wrong and why it caught him off guard
• The cost of relying too heavily on bank promises
• What he'd do differently if he had his time again
• And most importantly how you can protect yourself when lenders change their tune mid-deal
Because let’s be honest: if this hasn’t happened to you, it could. And when it does, you’ll want to know exactly what to do next.
Pricing & Ticket Options
Pricing & Ticket Options
'Existing Annual Member' (Included for you, simply RSVP below)
'Casual Attendee' ($25 for 1 meeting only)
'Annual Member' ($250/year)
OR.....If it's your FIRST TIME
You can trial our PDN Annual Membership for JUST $1!
'Existing Annual Member' (Included for you, simply RSVP below)
'Casual Attendee' ($25 for 1 meeting only)
'Annual Member' ($250/year)
OR.....If it's your FIRST TIME
You can trial our PDN Annual Membership for JUST $1!
July 5, 2025
**Space Is Limited - RSVP NOW**
Partners & Affiliates
Partners & Affiliates
