Urban & Regional Planning

Kareena May

Graduate Achievements

Curtin graduate named National Young Planner of the Year - 2007

Curtin University of Technology Urban and Regional Planning graduate Kareena May of South Perth was named the National Young Planner of the Year at the annual Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) awards night held in Perth recently as part of its annual national conference.

Curtin's Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment Art and Design, Professor Dave Hedgcock congratulated Kareena on her achievement.

'I am delighted for Kareena and very proud that she has received such high industry recognition with this national award,' Professor Hedgcock said.

'Kareena is a talented and outstanding Curtin graduate who is very committed to urban and regional planning,' he said.

'We congratulate her on this major achievement.'

Kareena May said as a young planner she was greatly honoured by the PIA award.

'One of the things that I feel strongly about is acknowledgment of the contribution of young planners to the industry as we have so much to offer,' Kareena said.

'This PIA award recognises the positive contribution young planners make to the profession and the industry and gives us something to aspire to in our working life,' she said.

Kareena May graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Eco-Tourism Development from Curtin in 2003.

Currently she is a senior town planner with Koltasz Smith - a town planning and urban design project management consulting firm with offices based in Burswood and Busselton.

'I have been with Koltasz Smith for just over three years, it's a fantastic place to work and I am really happy here,' Kareena said

'My first planning job was with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure through its student vacation program while I was still studying at Curtin - it was a great start for me and the experience and knowledge I gained has underpinned my career in planning,' she said.

'Studying at Curtin was the best foundation for learning the fundamentals of planning and design that have helped me make it to where I am today.'

Professor Hedgcock said it was great to see outstanding graduates like Kareena making such inroads into the exciting and competitive world of urban and regional planning.

'Employers are crying out for our qualified planners to keep up with the housing boom and our graduates are in great demand for well paid positions in the government and private sectors,' Professor Hedgcock said.

'Curtin offers PIA accredited courses and this is a particularly exciting year for us as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original course that commenced in 1967 at the then Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT).'