Domonee van Heerden is a self-proclaimed Hobartian. ‘I love it here. My favourite thing to do if someone's coming over is to tell them where to go, where to eat and what to see.’ Her affection for her home city is perhaps matched by her passion for its residential building industry.

According to HIA Tasmania’s Regional Executive Director, Stuart Collins, the state received record numbers of overseas and mainland arrivals during the pandemic. So, the demand for residential housing is strong.

‘Extremely low rental vacancy rates across much of the state will sustain underlying demand for new home building, even as population growth moderates.’

Domonee’s appointment, following outgoing President Lee Tyers, is significant. ‘Lee was heavily involved in planning reform, reduction of red tape and government investment in skills programs, such as HIA Apprentices and youthBuild,’ says Dom. 

But if you ask her to talk about herself, it will take some strong nudging. ‘Some people like to talk about what they are good at. I’m not one of them,’ she says, laughing.
Luckily, her accomplishments speak for themselves. She has a wealth of industry experience in her day-to-day role as Pre-Construction and Developments Manager at Cunic Homes. She has also thrown herself into committees, such as HIA’s regional Planning and Environment Committee and, most recently, as the Chair of the Industrial Relations and Legal Committee.

Looking back on her career, perhaps fate, more than design, got her to where she is. Her first job after she left school was in a junior role in legal administration. For young Dom, the learning curve was great, moving through conveyancing before working alongside those specialising in planning and construction law.

It gave her invaluable insight into builders and the policies that govern them. 

‘I learnt it’s one thing to understand the planning and another to relate it to how to get something approved.’ This led to how to design a home that best sits on the block. ‘It took time, but once you learn it’s a language you can interpret quickly, and it helps lead the team onsite.’

Her natural problem-solving abilities and streamlined approach are her greatest attributes: ‘It’s satisfying to find performance solutions and see the frustrations onsite disappear.’ 

On the topic of delays, one thing she acknowledges about Tasmania is the state’s direct access to ministers. ‘Even in my first week, picking up the phone and asking questions directly was amazing. It’s exciting to be part of affecting change.’

However, she can’t make changes alone. ‘We need to engage as many people as possible. We need to get back to our grassroots and have robust conversations.’ Many are in her corner, including Vice President Nick O’Brien of O’Brien Joinery and the other members who form the Tasmanian Regional Executive Committee.

According to Stuart Collins, Dom comes to the position with much respect. ‘The role of the Regional Executive Committee is to exchange ideas, develop policy, and take action to support and improve the business environment for the housing industry in Tasmania, and really the industry as a whole.’

‘I am confident that her experience and relationships across the industry, backed by the enthusiasm of the Regional Executive Committee members, will strengthen our ability to respond to both local and national matters,’ Stuart says.

On reflection, if you were to ask Dom who her biggest cheerleader is, there is a clear winner: her husband Mark. ‘I was speaking at a function recently. Everyone in the crowd was upbeat, and of course, he heckled me,’ she says, laughing. ‘But when I looked up, he was filming me with the biggest smile, ready to send the video to our friends and family.’

There is a lot for Dom and the Tasmanian residential building industry to be excited about in the future. Welcome, Dom, Tasmania’s “lucky” thirteenth and first female president.

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First published on 9 July 2025