Chris Banks

After matriculating in 1956 Chris Banks joined AVJennings Construction as an office boy while studying the Building Diploma at RMIT part time, three nights a week. At the age of 23 he moved to Perth to establish the AV Jennings Housing Division. After that success he was moved to Sydney to establish the Housing Division there.

In 1978 at age 39 Chris was appointed General Manager of the AVJennings Housing and Land Group which he led to pre-eminence in the Housing Industry for the next 12 years. In 1981 he was appointed the youngest Executive Director of Jennings Industries Ltd.

In 1985 the Federal Government appointed Chris as Chair of the Joint Venture for more Affordable Housing which oversaw a radical reshaping of Australia’s planning regulations dramatically increasing housing choice. In 1990 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

In 1993 Chris was appointed Managing Director of Delfin Property Group – a recently floated Community Development Company. He led the company to become Australia’s most respected Community Developer creating such landmark new suburbs as Caroline Springs in Melbourne, Mawson Lakes in Adelaide and Varsity Lakes in the Gold Coast.

In 2005 he was appointed Inaugural Chair of what is now the Victorian Planning Authority, a role he held for 10 years. This Authority leads the orderly planning and design of Melbourne’s new suburbs.

Chris’s career spanning some five decades has been totally devoted to creating and delivering real housing choice and beautiful liveable places for everyday Australians.