Small strategy: Good design is everyone’s business

“Architecture and architectural freedom are above all a social issue that must be seen from inside a political structure, not from outside it.” – Lina Bo Bardi

In my mind, the terms “small” and “state government” don’t immediately sit together. In 2019, the state of New South Wales employed more than 400,000 people, making it the largest employer in the country. In the 2019–20 financial year, it will oversee a budget of more than $90 billion and implement more than 200 public infrastructure projects. The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, within which the Government Architect (GANSW) is located, employs 14,000 of those 400,000, with the GANSW accounting for around 20. We are not the only employees with a design background in state government, but we are the only team with a dedicated design focus. We account for less than 0.2 percent of our department and 0.005 percent of the overall. Small is our reality, but as