Mitra Anderson-Oliver

Mitra Anderson-Oliver has over a decade of experience in strategic planning and design, sustainable cities and housing policy. Mitra has been instrumental in bringing to life ground-breaking urban policy and legislation, including for affordable housing, improvement of apartment standards and protection of urban waterways. Her current role is with the Melbourne Arts Precincts Transformation Group at the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, working to deliver Australia’s largest cultural infrastructure investment program, including a new contemporary art gallery for Melbourne and 18,000 square metres of new public realm. Before joining DJPR, Mitra worked as Head of Urban Design and Strategy at Impact Investment Group and as an Associate in the Better Cities and Regions team at HIP v. HYPE.

As Senior Adviser to the Victorian State Planning Minister, Mitra led planning reform projects including amendments to the Victorian Planning and Environment Act which saw a reframing of the Act to ensure that the State’s critical need for affordable housing could be addressed through the planning system.

Mitra is active in the not-for-profit and community sectors, and was a founding Board member and Secretary of the artist-run Schoolhouse Studios in Collingwood. She is also a co-founder and Committee Member of Yarra Pools, a community-led proposal to re-introduce recreation and water-play to the lower Yarra and, in doing so, to transform an under-used section of the iconic river’s northern bank into a thriving community facility.

Mitra publishes regularly in urban and design journals about inspiring places and people leading positive change in cities. She has a Bachelor of Arts/Law (Hons) and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Melbourne, and was twice awarded the Dean’s Honours Award. She was part of the teaching team in the Urban Environments and Inclusive Cities subjects in the Masters of Urban Planning and Bachelor of Environments at the University of Melbourne.