The IFLA Asia Pacific Region (APR) has capped a busy year by working with the new secretariat to prepare the first in a regular series of news updates from the region, aimed at circulation before Xmas. The IFLA APR ExCo is seeking expressions of interest from each of our 14 national member organisations to nominate a keen newshound to regularly feed items of regional interest to the secretariat, but I think that with Landscape Architecture Aotearoa and our own NZILA news section both already available to the region we are pretty well covered! However, if there is a keen person who would like to contribute to the regional news updates in a writing or editing capacity, please us know at the office. 

Damian, the IFLA APR President, has been busy again, preparing for the 2019 regional awards recognising excellence in landscape design, planning and management. This year, the awards will be held in conjunction with the regional conference in the Philippines in November. The official awards announcement will be made at a special meeting of distinguished jury members, planned to coincide with another design conference in Shanghai in January. Jury members will, as previously, include each of the Presidents of our national organisations, so it looks like Brad will be just as busy as Shannon was, contributing to the regional awards in a senior role.

Happy holiday greetings to all NZILA members from the IFLA APR team!

Mike Barthelmeh
NZILA Delegate to IFLA