ThurSday 21ST MarCh 2013
Informed and passionate, Master of Ceremonies Hamish McLachlan will join us Chatting with Champions.
Covering topics as diverse as leadership, courage, captaincy, AFL, cricket and horse racing,Cameron Ling and Simon O’Donnell will inform and entertain you with stories from the game and business.
With Hamish McLachlan, Cameron Ling and Simon O’Donnell
Time: 12.30pm for 1.00pm to 2.30pm
Location: ZINC at Federation Square
Pricing (incl GST): Members: $145.00 Non Members: $215.00
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Property’s Voice
Victoria ready to flex its economic muscle.
Jennifer Cunich, Executive Director Property Council of Australia 5
Fairytale Year for Commercial Property
In 2013, all things are possible.
Richard Jenkins, Knight Frank
Expanding Melbourne’s Port Capacity
Creating jobs and boosting Victoria’s reputation as the freight and logistics capital of Australia.
Stephen Bradford, Port of Melbourne Corporation
Partnership Approach for Urban Renewal
Places Victoria faces clear challenges and opportunities going into 2013.
Ken Fehily, Chairperson, Places Victoria
Community Retailing and Placemaking Technology is changing the need for retail space and in turn, the response of the retail sector is evolving.
Rob McGauran, MGS Architects
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EDITOR
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Residential Property
The residential sector has a big year ahead as it resets its market fundamentals.
Ashley Williams and Kris Daff, Evolve Development
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Inaddition to the State’s AAA credit rating being reaffirmed late last year, Victoria received another, very welcome Christmas present. Simply wrapped, with few frills and little fuss, the Coalition delivered its strategy for Victoria’s economic future.
Government deals with land ownership. Land sales between Departments are extraordinarily complex and unnecessarily lengthy. Getting this process right has the potential to unlock a number of large scale and high profile urban renewal areas, and a more commercial approach is the best way forward.
Jennifer Cunich Executive Director, Victoria Divisionclear signal to the market that Victoria will no longer put up with such high costs. By the same token, the Government itself has many opportunities to enable the private sector to gear its investment toward the infrastructure Victoria needs most. Getting the framework right for ‘Works in Kind’ arrangements for the Growth Areas
Infrastructure Charge will instil much needed confidence in the Government’s ability to understand and work with the commercial realities faced by residential developers. With a framework that shares risk, allows for an appropriate amount of flexibility within agreements and brings parties together to work toward a common goal, these arrangements can be extremely fruitful.
Securing Victoria’s Economy - Planning, Building, Delivering has been touted by Premier Baillieu as the Government’s plan to position Victoria as Australia’s leading state. Brimming with ideas and action plans for boosting productivity and generating investment, it is packed full of detailed policy recommendations across a wide range of sectors. As the title suggests, there is a strong emphasis on ‘planning’, ‘building’ and ‘delivering’ for the Victorian economy.
Addressing Victoria’s approach to public land ownership is also a key platform of the strategy. The Government is getting proactive with its land holdings and is making clear moves toward a rejuvenated approach to selling surplus government land. Gearing the sale of surplus land toward generating revenue for infrastructure investment is a sensible move, but this path is still to be mapped out. In the meantime, there are huge efficiencies to be gained in how the
The commitment to foster increased competition within the Government’s infrastructure and procurement activities is also an area of reform which the private sector will welcome. In order to drive efficiencies we need to inject more maturity into this discussion.
In our home lives, many of us would avoid giving a handyman the full details of what we have budgeted for a job in the hope of a quote that will allow us to do more with our money. The Government’s new direction in this area is exactly the same.
The move toward creating more competitive tension in the tender processes is good news for taxpayers. Such reform will inevitably deliver greater benefits to the Victoria’s communities and send a
But the bureaucracy must award these issues with greater priority than it currently does. The private sector is eager to invest in urban renewal and infrastructure that will open up our suburbs, our city and improve our quality of life. However, as with any commercial arrangement, the terms must be fair and attractive to both parties. Neither the public nor the private sector can afford to lose sight of this.
If fully implemented, the Government’s strategy will help kick-start Victoria’s economy and put our State back at the front of the pack. The Premier and Treasurer have come up with the plan to renew the private sector’s confidence. With Victoria ready to start flexing its economic muscle, this strategy may be the gift that just keeps on giving.
Jennifer Cunich Executive Director, Victoria Division Property Council of Australia
TheVictorian Government released its economic strategy titled Securing Victoria’s Economy – Planning, Building, Delivering in December 2012 (the Strategy).
The Property Council of Australia has consistently called for Premier Baillieu and Treasurer Wells to outline the Coalition’s economic strategy and we welcome the release of this document and the opportunities it outlines for Victoria’s property industry and wider business community.
For the property sector, the new initiatives outlined below will be of particular importance.
• Building a world class road network to link people, products and markets both in Melbourne and across Victoria. The Government will engage with the private sector to consider financing and delivery options, while taking careful steps to consult with the community and protect the environment.
• Working more effectively with the private sector to deliver new infrastructure projects, including using more competitive procurement processes. The Government will continue working with the private sector to access capital and build new infrastructure, including new forms of value capture, and refining the existing public private partnership (PPP) model.
• Implementing a clear framework for consideration of unsolicited private sector proposals for infrastructure investment, which may involve innovations in project scope or financing structures.
• Streamlining Government processes for identifying surplus land and bringing it to market. This will put Government-owned land to better use to benefit the whole community.
• Accelerating planning and environmental approval reforms to
increase certainty for businesses looking to invest in Victoria, including:
» Amending the Victorian Planning Provisions to give effect to the Government’s planning zone reform, once the Ministerial Advisory Council provides its advice on the proposed reforms.
• Creating certainty for communities, developers and investors by establishing new criteria for the Minister for Planning to act as the Responsible Authority to approve major developments with the potential to make significant contributions to the economic future of the State.
• Amending native vegetation regulations to ensure more proportionate regulation and reduce regulatory burdens on low impact activities while improving biodiversity outcomes for the environment.
• Establishing Major Investment Victoria (MIV) to proactively seek and attract new and productive investment in Victoria. MIV’s role will be to raise Victoria’s investment profile globally and promote Victoria as a safe, secure and welcoming place to do business and invest.
• Establishing a Coordinator-General of Investment to oversee all private sector investments facilitated by the Victorian Government.
• Undertaking the next wave of regulatory and public sector reforms , led by the Better Services Implementation Taskforce, aimed at reducing costs to taxpayers, business and the community, including:
• Establishing a Cost Control and Efficiency Unit to augment the Essential Services Commission’s price regulation and benchmarking role. The unit will provide specialised advice to government entities on efficiency opportunities. It will initially focus on those entities imposing direct costs onto businesses, the community and taxpayers.
• Working with local government to identify opportunities to place councils on a sustainable path and ensure that the community is well-informed on comparison data. While local governments deliver valuable services to their communities, the Government considers that cost control is an important priority.
• Further reforming the water sector to ensure urban water businesses are focused on driving productivity and lower cost delivery for consumers.
• Implementing a new regulatory reform agenda to reduce the regulatory burden on the community and business, with a stronger focus on private sector consultation and input, improved performance by regulators and more streamlined and efficient enforcement.
InJanuary the Property Council lodged its 2013-14 Pre-Budget Submission with the Victorian Treasurer.
Our submission outlined the budget priorities for the property sector and highlighted the risks facing the broader Victorian economy.
We have called on the State Government to begin the task of long term land tax reform to improve Victoria’s national competitiveness and resolve a number of the anomalies which undermine overall investment.
Improving Victoria’s unfair and unusually designed Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL) is also a priority within our submission. We have asked the Government to restore fairness and equity to their proposed model by introducing a cap on FSPL rises, extending the FSPL to vehicles and by introducing a discount for property owners who enjoy a low fire risk.
Fixing Victoria’s planning system also features prominently with a request to establish a State-wide Planning Authority to oversee the delivery of strategic projects and infrastructure in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Under our proposed model, the Authority’s remit will include:
• Implementing the State Government’s Metropolitan Planning Strategy (MPS) and nine Regional Growth Plans;
• Integrating the planning, development and investment visions of government departments such as DPCD, DOT and DBI;
• Assuming planning approval powers for sites of strategic
economic, infrastructural, social and environmental significance;
• Resolving planning disputes between local and state planning frameworks; and,
• Overseeing targeted revenue collection for the development of urban renewal and growth area sites.
Improving transport infrastructure in Melbourne’s growth areas is another area which we have focused on. We have recommended the creation of a $500 million Growth Areas Road Transport Fund to directly fund arterial road development. The Property Council believes that congestion in the growth areas will progressively worsen over the years ahead unless substantial road investment is undertaken.
In regard to the management of the state’s public finances, we have called on the Government to increase the size of the budget surplus to $250 million and commence a new wave of privatisations to improve services and unlock funding for future infrastructure investment.
The Property Council has identified the Port of Melbourne, the Snowy Mountain Hydro Scheme and a variety of public land sites as key assets which could be transferred to the private sector.
In addition to these requests, our submission also highlights our concerns about the performance of VCAT, Victoria’s
long term infrastructure pipeline, rising levels of industrial disputation, the burden of red tape, soaring construction costs, tight capital access and the CBD’s lagging energy efficiency upgrade campaign.
The Victorian Division is now proceeding with its campaign to secure Government support for the above budget priorities.
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The Property Council of Australia’s OurNation app has won an Australian Graphic Design Association biennial award for Digital Media: Mobile, tablet or desktop apps.
The OurNation app is an online tool that models demographic, infrastructure and fiscal scenarios in Australia to 2050.
The app was designed by Fusion, an Adelaide-based web development company. Damien Mair, Principal at Fusion, says that receiving the award validates OurNation as a “world-class digital solution”.
The awards recognise design excellence across web, mobile and print media, graphics and corporate branding.
For more information visit ournation.propertyoz.com.au
Mark Woodland and Sarah McQuillen have established a specialist urban planning consultancy that helps organisations plan for and deliver urban developments. With extensive careers in both private sector organisations and government, Mark and Sarah’s skills lay a solid foundation for Echelon Planning’s work with state and local governments, property developers, landowners and private companies. Their focus will be providing advice to clients on development and environmental matters, as well as preparing development frameworks, scheme amendments, and development applications.
Robyn Stewart
Rosemary Hartnett
Janes Kelly
David Scalzo
Lale Ieremia
Paul Beale
Virginia Streit
Jennifer Garbett
Peter Cotterell
Jeremy Marsden
Ciaran Mooney
Tim Price
Fraser Main
Bart O'Callaghan
Adrian Young
Bruce Neill
Rebecca Reid
Aurecon’s Melbourne office has made the move to its exciting new Aurecon Centre at Level 8, 850 Collins Street, Docklands. Collaboration and consultation has driven the delivery of the Aurecon Centre. Featuring state of the art technology and an open plan design, our new purpose built office embodies Aurecon’s vision.
Industry leaders have spoken out against the lack of major infrastructure projects that is placing the Victorian economy under intense pressure.
A special report by The Age on 5 February 2013, noted that the decline of Government commissioned capital projects has fallen by almost 37 per cent, or $1.5 billion.
The decline in construction is expected to trigger thousands of job losses in the building industry as the pipeline of major infrastructure projects slows down over the next few months.
Victoria is currently facing the largest decline in construction jobs since the 1990s, forcing related companies to shed hundreds of skilled workers.
Industry leaders are calling for an increase in capital spending, by accelerating the funding for upcoming major projects, such as the East-West Tunnel and the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel.
Jennifer Cunich, Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia in Victoria,
stressed that uncertainty of not knowing where the next building projects would come from is causing the downsizing of the Victorian workforce.
Ms Cunich added that Victoria was at risk of severely constraining its ability to manage a future economic resurgence if the loss of workers to competitor states continued.
On9 February 2013, an article titled ‘Tale of contrast in two cities’ reported the dramatic difference in office vacancy rates between Melbourne and Sydney since July 2012, based on the Property Council’s latest Office Market Report findings.
The Age’s commercial property editor Carolyn Cummins highlighted that Melbourne’s office vacancy rates had increased to its highest in six years, from 5.6 per cent to 6.9 per cent. Sydney on the other hand, had witnessed the lowest vacancy levels in four years, at 7.2 per cent.
Victorian Executive Director of the Property Council, Jennifer Cunich said that despite the rising vacancy rates in some areas, Melbourne’s office market
remains in good shape, particularly in the north-eastern and Docklands precincts. The Property Council’s findings also showed a marked demand for Premium and A Grade stock, over office stock of lower grades.
Ms Cunich said that planners, investors and decision makers should not be distracted by short term fluctuations, stressing Greater Melbourne’s unique potential to build Australia’s largest and most dynamic CBD in the long term.
“Melbourne is unique blessed with high quality city planning, attractive urban design and ample room to grow. The Government should take every opportunity to maximise these advantages by building a truly global city,” she said.
Updated every six months, the Property Council’s Office Market Report has been the industry’s most respected independent office market research publication for more than twenty years.
For further information, please visit www.officemarketreport.com.au
• End of Lease Make Good / Dilapidations Negotiations
• Schedules of Condition
• Tax Depreciation
• Project & Contract Administration
• CAPEX & Maintenance Forecasting
• Expert Witness Reporting / Defect Reports
• Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Registers / Assessments
• Environmental Investigations (PSI / DSI) •
During the holidays, as the parent of a toddler, my days were spent reading stories of fairytales and princesses. After reading Jack and the Beanstalk for the umpteenth time I reflected on how children’s stories often contain hidden messages. Like Jack and the Beanstalk , where the boy trades a cow for a handful of beans but eventually makes a fortune off the deal, for example. I suspect that this tale is best interpreted as implying that risky enterprises can occasionally pay off, but taking on this kind of outcome volatility also creates a perilous chance of being eaten or stomped on by a giant.
2013 could be a fairytale year for property. As an asset class, property is becoming increasingly attractive for investors, offering better returns than cash or government bonds and demonstrating that it is a less volatile alternative to equities.
Investment appetite in Australia remains strong from both domestic and offshore investors attracted by the resilience of the economy, high transparency levels and stability of government. Investors have already sought to capitalise on the spread between the cost of debt and property investment yields in Victoria with the number of major commercial transactions in the final quarter of 2012 making it the busiest of the year.
Economic indicators suggest that global growth will improve on the back of the recovery in the United States and as China holds steady. While Victoria’s economy is expected to remain soft in 2013 given its heavy reliance on manufacturing being detrimentally impacted by the high Australian dollar, the State’s economy is still forecast to grow, albeit modestly.
Occupied space within Melbourne’s CBD is expected to decrease in the short term while the amount of identified backfill and sublease space is forecast to outweigh the leased accommodation of the incoming tenants, leading to a rise in vacancy over 2013. Looking forward, white collar employment growth within the CBD office market is expected to be subdued with many tenants more tentative to commit given the present global economic malaise.
Beyond the CBD, tenants looked elsewhere to fulfill their accommodation requirements resulting in significant leasing activity in Melbourne’s fringe office markets over 2012. Office vacancies are forecast to continue their fall in the St Kilda Road office market office in 2013, with rental levels rebounding. In response to the positive outlook, transactional activity in the St Kilda Road and Southbank precincts also increased, dominated by private investors.
Retailers are likely to continue to face tough trading conditions in 2013. While interest rates have helped consumers, the cuts are yet to flow to traditional retail sales. Increased competition from online sales and the influx of international retailers to Australia emerged last year and Knight Frank research expects this trend to continue to gather momentum in 2013. Despite the subdued consumer environment, Melbourne’s CBD retail market vacancy remains below long term averages, however rental growth is anticipated to be minimal in the short term. In contrast, Melbourne’s renowned retail strips recorded significant rises in vacancy levels in 2012, particularly impacted by the softness in discretionary spending.
Melbourne’s cost competitiveness continues to see tenants expand and relocate in Victoria. As a result of the tighter funding conditions but steady tenant demand, available vacant accommodation continues to diminish. Despite the abundance of existing secondary stock, prospective tenants’ preference for prime stock has resulted in the majority of speculative developments being leased prior to completion.
Investment appetite in the sector also gathered momentum over 2012, buoyed by the high yields with institutions and offshore groups both active. Offshore groups are becoming increasingly attracted to the Melbourne industrial market, seen as a core industrial sector in the Asia Pacific region with offshore groups acquiring 20 per cent of all Melbourne industrial transactions in 2012, up from 17 per cent in 2011.
Sentiment for residential property has shifted, with median dwelling prices seemingly bottoming in the final quarter of 2012. Affordability will continue to aid the recovery of the residential sector but prices are unlikely to rebound significantly over the next 12 months.
Investor lending finance levels have risen recently, boosted by purchasers looking to acquire property through their selfmanaged super funds. However, there remain some downside risks in certain markets within Melbourne with some precincts at risk of a period of oversupply given the current pipeline of new construction underway.
So while I am not sure which fairytale will best reflect 2013, it is (according to the Chinese Zodiac) the Year of the Snake, where according to legend, all things are possible.
expanding Melbourne’s port Capacity
On the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, tightly pressed between the West Gate Bridge and the mouth of the Yarra River is Webb Dock.
Part of the Port of Melbourne, its rugged, industrial appearance reflects the waterfront’s proud and sometimes controversial history. With a collage of wharves, warehouses and ageing buildings, Webb Dock has linked Melbourne to markets around the globe and created employment for generations of local families and helped to support thousands of businesses across Victoria.
For more than 175 years the Port of Melbourne and the city have grown side by side. Now, with a rapidly growing population, the westward expansion of the CBD and continued trade growth, Webb Dock is about to undergo a $1.6 billion renovation as part of the Victorian Government’s Port Capacity Project.
Expanding the Port’s capacity will create more than 2,600 jobs and enhance the economic future of the state by providing short to medium term cargo handling capacity - enhancing Victoria’s reputation as the freight and logistics capital of Australia.
The centrepiece of the Port Capacity Project will be the construction of a new international container terminal capable of handling at least one million standard containers per annum. The project also includes the consolidation of Victoria’s car and automotive trade at a new facility to be built at Webb Dock West, opposite the new container terminal, and an integrated ‘on-port’ automotive pre-delivery inspection facility.
Since the project’s announcement by the Victorian Government in April 2012, Continued next page >
expanding Melbourne’s port Capacity
enormous progress has been made and several significant milestones have already been achieved. Before the first sod of dirt can be turned there is a vast amount of work to be done. To date we have not only accelerated the program but we have also established one of the Victoria’s most stringent environmental controls for infrastructure delivery which has assisted in obtaining a number of approvals from both the State and the Commonwealth.
The Port of Melbourne is keen to keep this momentum going in order to protect Victoria’s future trade and has commenced the process of selecting leading contractors for the various maritime and civil work packages. These tenders form part of the largest landside development project undertaken at the Port in a generation. The Port of Melbourne handles about a third of Australia’s container trade and it remains south-east Australia’s primary trade gateway with direct links to manufacturing, retail, agriculture and many other industries. Goods come to the Port from South Australia, southern New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania as well as from New Zealand and are exported to markets across the globe including China, New Zealand, Japan, USA, South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia. The Port also handles a variety of imports from countries including the USA, New Zealand, Japan, Germany and from across Asia.
In 2011-12, container trade at the Port reached an Australian record of 2.58 million containers, an average of around 6,800 containers every day.
In announcing the expansion of Melbourne’s port capacity, both the Victorian Government and the Port of Melbourne Corporation highlighted the significance of the Project to the Victorian economy. The Port of Melbourne is a key strategic economic asset for Victoria and regular and reliable shipping services are critical for business success especially as demand from Melbourne’s expanding population continues to increase. This is a significant project for Victoria and for the future of the Port of Melbourne as Australia’s premier trading gateway. It delivers certainty, capacity and assurance that we will be able to meet Victoria’s trade demand for years to come.
Funded entirely by the Port of Melbourne Corporation and the private sector, the project will initially provide the essential ‘backbone’ infrastructure required by the yet to be appointed private sector Port operator to develop and expand container capacity ahead of forecast trade growth.
In addition to these capital works, the Port of Melbourne Corporation has embarked upon a competitive bidding process in which interested parties are competing for the rights to operate the new container and automotive terminals, as well as the predelivery inspection facility.
The Webb Dock Precinct comprises a 175 hectare area which includes the last significant vacant land parcel available at the Port of Melbourne. This means that any future growth at the Port must be achieved within the existing footprint. This further highlights the need to seek and deliver greater efficiency and productivity gains alongside the inclusion of new technologies and innovation.
The successful bidder for the new international container terminal will be appointed enabling operations to start and the first ship to dock in late 2016. Operators for the pre-delivery inspection hub and the open access automotive terminal are expected to be appointed in time for expedited commissioning of the new facilities.
The new terminals and on-port operations will promote efficiency and help to ensure the Port remains commercially viable, sustainable, and conducive to private
sector investment. The new container terminal at Webb Dock, which operated as a container terminal between the 1970s and 1990s, would provide the opportunity for exporters and importers to receive the benefits that come from three international container terminals all competing for trade.
With the choice of a third terminal there are significant opportunities for importers and exporters – Traders from Tasmania and other coastal areas that already transit their containers through Webb Dock potentially can also reduce costs by removing the need to transport containers by truck through the City to Swanson Dock.
In addition to containers, Melbourne is also Australia’s premier automotive hub for the export and import of motor vehicles. Each year more than 350,000 motor vehicles pass through the Port.
The new automotive terminal to be established will have the capacity to handle more than 600,000 motor vehicles annually rising to around one million vehicles in 2040. In addition, the automotive pre-delivery inspection facilities will reduce the shuttling of imported vehicles between the Port and off-site facilities before despatch to car dealerships further improving transport productivity.
Webb Dock will offer world class facilities for the automotive import and export trade and consolidates all of Victoria’s auto trade into one location.
Like the opportunity to operate the new container terminal, the automotive and pre-delivery inspection market offerings all have attracted an impressive field of high calibre, private sector bidders who are
serious about doing business at Australia’s premier port.
The bid process is being conducted under a strict probity regime – it’s a significant, unique opportunity and the offerings are well subscribed.
The Port of Melbourne Corporation has also affirmed its commitment to ensuring a positive future for the existing port users, shipping lines and businesses by recognising the need to carry out the Project’s construction works in a manner that minimises impacts on existing trade and shipping movements.
This is large scale infrastructure and its being delivered in the middle of a working port – there will be some berth closures and some delays, however the ‘business of the port doing business’ will be a priority. The works at Webb Dock will enhance the critical landside linkages with the Project constructing new, dedicated road connections between Webb Dock and Melbourne’s M1 West Gate Freeway access ramps.
The road design takes into account the potential for the future use of high productivity freight vehicles in order to balance supply chain demands and overall operational efficiency.
Clean, green, high productivity vehicles taking multiple containers onto freeways and highways outside of peak hours to be’ staged’ at depots and distribution hubs in non-residential areas is an important consideration in the design of the terminals and why new purposebuilt roads will connect Webb Dock to Melbourne’s M1 Freeway.
These new roads will also take Port traffic off the local streets and away from residential areas around Port Melbourne. Amenity for the surrounding neighbours and amenity for a growing on-port workforce are important inclusions in the overall Webb Dock plan.
Alongside the development of additional operational capacity, these enhancements will enable Webb Dock and the Port of Melbourne to traverse the changes that the city of Melbourne will undergo during the next two decades.
Napier & Blakeley is Australia’s leading acquisition technical due diligence consultant and in the last 2 years has advised Vendors and Purchasers on over $10 billion of real estate transactions and capital expenditure planning nationally.
was no doubt a challenging year for the property sector and Places Victoria was not immune from the same market pressures and difficulties that have been experienced by all.
2013 promises again to be a year where we need to work even harder to ensure that our urban renewal projects continue to deliver on the Victorian Government’s policies, the needs of the market and importantly provide opportunities for the private sector.
Those who attended the Property Council’s Division Breakfast on 4 December 2012 and heard about Places Victoria’s ‘new direction’ will know that our organisation will be operating differently to achieve our urban renewal mandate.
The presentation, attended by up to 500 of Victoria’s leading property experts, came after an intensive 90 day period of self reflection and analysis undertaken by both the board and the leadership team of Places Victoria. During that time we engaged with our developer and builder stakeholders to try and identify new ways we could work better with you.
The process of analysis identified where we should focus our business. Following our review we felt that we had tried to do too much by ourselves. We now recognise that to be successful in delivering urban renewal we need to do this in partnership with the private sector.
Working together with the private sector is now a major theme of our business. Delivering urban renewal on behalf of our government and the people of Victoria cannot be done without the support of the private sector.
To this end, we have run four market based Expression of Interest and Request for Tender processes since December in order
to engage the private sector in the delivery of urban renewal. As an organisation Places Victoria is leaner, but still retains the capability, drive and experience to deliver great places into the future.
So will the future be the same old, same old?
We are working with the Government to ensure our business strategy and structure is robust to deliver on our mandate of urban renewal.
The sole purpose of Places Victoria is to deliver urban renewal on a commercial basis. Our vision and mission drives our behaviour and decision making. What we are ultimately seeking to achieve is to breathe life into dormant, underutilised land and turn it in to great places for Victorians to live and work.
Design and place making principles ensure everything we deliver creates more vibrant and liveable communities. Placemaking is critical to how we think and for why we
operate in this sector. We believe we go the extra mile in this space.
So how have we changed our business to better deliver on our mandate? Instead of 43 separate projects across five areas of the business, those projects now reside in one of our three distinct business units –
• Precincts Urban Renewal
• Neighbourhood Urban Renewal
• Greenfields
We also still have a strong focus on place making and regional development but the three divisions have streamlined and focused our business.
My central message to the industry is and will continue to be that, if you have great ideas, if you think things need to be changed or you have an opportunity then please come and see us. If you think we can both deliver urban renewal in partnership then let’s talk.
My board and the Places Victoria leadership team in 2013 will continue to work towards strengthening our business and hope that with your potential partnerships we can work together to increase the volume of urban renewal activity in Victoria.
Theretail sector is facing unprecedented challenges. Technology is changing the need for retail space and in some instances, the purchasing patterns of customers.
The digital age and the emergence of electronic media have diminished demand for hardcopy books and newspapers at a rate faster than anticipated. Amazon has surpassed Borders; Apple TV and iTunes have overwhelmed HMV; and there is no doubt more sectors will follow. This virtual retailing phenomenon is driving rapid growth in online sales at a time when most retail sectors providing services through traditional models are seeing declining or stagnant demand. Unless the retail experience is a special one, retail stores are likely to be vulnerable.
Lifestyle, shopping needs and the habits of customers has shifted. While employment growth in Victoria has largely occurred in the services and hospitality sectors, over 80 per cent of the highest paying new jobs have been generated within 5km of Central Activities Districts and this has been matched by an inner urban housing boom. This growing sector of the population seeks venues with a distinctive, personalised, specialist, authentic and local flavour.
Inner city householders have been prepared to sacrifice space for place to enjoy proximity to their workplace, services, entertainment, diverse public spaces and a retail environment that is aligned with their lifestyle needs.
These choices also extend to transportation, with an increasing number of inner urban householders foregoing car ownership for active or public transport options. A rebalancing of transport modes and shorter distances of travel is evident. People are tramming, walking and cycling in much higher numbers and the city is expected to respond accordingly.
In our work for Melbourne Central with GPT and ARM, MGS Architects reimagined the centre without a department store, recognising the potential to elevate the role of hospitality as a legitimate anchor and to diversify the nature of these offerings by incorporating complementary entertainment activities and urban environments such as laneways.
melting pot of cultural and sub-cultural diversity. They are networked retail experiences.
Melbourne’s coffee culture represents an example of a retail response that is built around its social and commercial networking relevance. Business networks and retail activities that are aligned with the emotional, social, lifestyle and purchasing needs of new communities thrive.
Similarly, we have seen numerous examples of the successful re-emergence of the comer store, the breakfast meeting place, the collaborative business incubator, the wellness centre and even new bookshops. They each understand who their customers are and how they can best align themselves with their customer’s lifestyle needs and desire for meaningful engagement. Each builds on the strengths that are Melbourne’s strengths as a generally harmonious and passionate
Communities, businesses, landscapes, infrastructure and cultures bring rich traditions and attributes to places that are difficult to replicate or compete with. Melbourne has successfully developed of retail enclaves that celebrate our various immigrant communities. Fresh food and hospitality are important points of emotional connection with these consumers. Retail places offering diverse relevant local services and an urban character matched to local lifestyle and workplace needs remain central to successful retail environments. In Glen Waverley, we are working with Council on how to best develop council owned land to deliver local services, connect neighbourhoods and achieve commercial and housing targets for the precinct. The solution that serves the community and the retail stakeholder’s best is a networked one; a solution aligned with an understanding of community needs, gaps and values. These needs are integrated with an understanding of the physical challenges of connecting retail precincts through a high quality public network of streets, destinations, transport nodes, events and open space areas. Partnerships have to be forged and new connections made.
Universities present an opportunity for quality retail experiences to be part of their educational and workplace offerings. In the next few years we will see great opportunities for new retail models to be embedded in places with large resident student, workforce and visitor populations. In Footscray, Victoria University and the City of Maribyrnong have forged a partnership to integrate the university into the life of the city. Whilst in other university settings we can expect a blurring of boundaries between
universities and surrounding communities with retail forming an important linking partnership role.
Engaging with the surrounding community and diversifying the land-use mix is in most circumstances going to significantly increase the customer base and relevance of retail centres.
Only recently has the ongoing viability and relevance of the retail mix and character of the suburban retail shopping malls been challenged. The shopping mall model has traditionally been introverted and disconnected from its surrounding neighbourhood by a large car parking resource and dependant on internal majors as anchors. It is energy intensive and
provides a typically antagonistic position towards co-location of land uses that are not retail, and access to the centre that is not by private car. To not engage with the surrounding community and diversify the land-use mix is in most circumstances going to significantly limit the customer base and relevance of the centre they ostensibly serve and one with increasing choices around how they acquire goods 24-7.
More enlightened owners are opening out to and connecting with communities through the inclusion of entertainment and hospitality precincts, community venues, childcare and improved public space as they recognise the demand for these environments is not limited to inner urban dwellers. These offerings can help a centre rebalance its retail mix in a manner
aligned with changing community need and in addition preserve and enhance incomes.
New external places are becoming legitimate anchors for centres new points of local identity and social engagement for communities.
We are also seeing this shift aligned with stronger interest in shopping locally for fresh food and ingredients, enabling access to centres under your own steam and not in a car and for centres to provide other lifestyle choices including gym and wellness facilities and outside oriented hospitality venues and spaces.
Reimagining our retail environments to respond to changes right across Melbourne, lies at the core of this new paradigm of retailing and the successful alignment with a neighbourhood visions.
InFebruary 2013, Planning Minister Matthew Guy released the Standard Development Contributions Advisory Committee’s proposed framework for standardised development contributions levies.
The proposed framework applies to development settings across Victoria including the growth areas, urban areas and strategic redevelopment sites.
The new system would give councils a set of standard development contribution levies for different development settings based around five infrastructure categories:
• Community facilities
• Open Space facilities
• Transport infrastructure
• Drainage infrastructure
• Public land
The new system will provide capacity to set a different levy for different development settings such as greenfield development, metropolitan infill development and regional and rural development, as well as a levy for residential and non-residential development.
The report Setting the Framework is the first of two reports to the Minister from the Advisory Committee. It summarises
the views of a range of industry experts and sets out the following framework for consideration:
• A new development contributions system that provides for three development settings: Growth Areas, Urban Areas and Strategic Development Areas (large and small scale);
• A Standard Levy as the default in each development setting, but with the opportunity to apply a tailored Development Levy Scheme (in Growth Areas and Large Scale Strategic Development Areas) if strategically justified;
• A Standard Levy be applied per net developable hectare for Growth Areas, or per dwelling for Urban Areas and Strategic Development Areas in both a metropolitan and non-metropolitan context;
• Lists of Allowable Items are proposed for each infrastructure category and each development setting in order to set clearly defined limits on what can be included in a development levy; and
• The new system will operate as a contribution towards infrastructure and not full cost recovery.
The Property Council has long been concerned that the cumulative effect of new regulations and rule changes
are undermining Victoria’s long term development and housing affordability advantages. The Property Council’s initial submission to the Advisory Committee outlined industry concerns around:
• Rising cost of development and its impact on housing affordability and the property sector;
• Consolidation of the infrastructure categories and expenditure areas;
• Allocation of Standard Contribution funding;
• Drainage charge reform;
• Equitable transport infrastructure funding arrangements;
• Market based mechanisms for the acquisition of public land; and
• Expansion of growth area infrastructure funding methods.
The Property Council’s submission to Advisory Committee in response to the report Setting the Framework, will be available online in mid-March 2013. The Advisory Committee’s second report will detail a schedule of standard levies and is due with the Minister for Planning by 31 May 2013.
Further information is available at www.dpcd.vic.gov.au or by contacting Danni Addison at the Property Council at daddison@propertyoz.com.au
Jane Baddeley, DLA Piper Australia
Ross Boreham, 101 Collins Street Pty Ltd
Andria Carniato, Investa Property Group
Ian Gardner, Wood & Grieve Engineers
Michelle McNally, ISPT Pty Ltd
Glen Pederick, Meinhardt Australia Pty Ltd
Mark Quinn, Davis Langdon
Angela Schooneman, Minter Ellison Lawyers
Ken Stickland, Arup
Sean Treweek, WSP
Mitchell Turner, Jones Lang LaSalle
Darren Whitelegg, Colliers International
Ingrid Bakker, Hassell Pty Ltd
Andrew Beasley, Colliers International
Jason Cornwall-Jones, Ashurst
Sally Franklin, Investa Property Group
Peter James, ISPT Pty Ltd
Melissa Kidd, DEXUS Property Group
Barry l aycock, Davis Langdon
Frank McMahon, Brookfield Multiplex
Matthew O’Halloran, Equiset
Michael Spence, Walker Group Holdings Pty Ltd
Victoria Sutton, Australia Post
Nik Tabain, Gray Puksand Pty Ltd
Roland Van Benten, Lend Lease
Mark van Miltenburg, Charter Hall Holdings Pty Limited
Matt Ainsaar, Urban Enterprise Pty Ltd
James Bennett, Aurecon
David Brown, MacroPlan Dimasi Pty Ltd
Sarah Emons, Urbis
Paul Grgurich, The Shell Company of Australia Limited
Andrew Iles, CBRE
Robert Papaleo, Charter Keck Cramer
Teresa Rados, Stockland
Paul Wheate, Colliers International
Nicholas Wilkinson, Equiset Grollo Group
Andrew Wisdom, Arup
Future Directions
Huy Chau, The Buchan Group
Pablo Fernandez , DLA Piper Australia
Amy Holmes, Slattery Australia Pty Ltd
Kylie Jasinski, Judd Farris Property Recruitment
Nicholas Johnson, Wood & Grieve
Engineers
Edward Krushka , Stockland
Stuart Macl eod-Smith, Thinc
Julian McVilly, Australian Unity Property Ltd
Ryan Molloy, QIC
Johan Moylan, Urbis
Kristen Neri, Suters Architects
Angelo Pavanello, Jones Lang LaSalle
Robert Steele, Mirvac Group
Stephanie Tassigiannakis, Lend Lease
luke Thornton, Savills
Madeleine Tillig, Arup
Steve Aitchison, Holding Redlich
David Allen, The Corporate Property Consultancy
Paolo Bevilacqua, Australand Holdings Ltd
Diana Dezilwa, Cardno Victoria Pty Ltd
Jordan Grigg, Vaughan Constructions Pty Ltd
Greg Harrison, AECOM Australia Pty Ltd
Paul O’Brien, Investa Property Group
Rob Purdue, Gallagher Jeffs Consulting
Shane Robb, Urbis
Darren Searle, Toll Holdings Ltd
Nicholas Sparks, Maddocks
Anneke Thompson, Colliers International
Infrastructure
David Allington, Stockland
Peter Gill, North Projects Pty Ltd
Christian Griffith, GTA Consultants
Alan Herrman, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Julia Hicks, Grocon Pty Ltd
lara Poloni, AECOM Australia Pty Ltd
Geoff Thomas, Hickory Developments
Andrew Young, Sinclair Knight Merz
Dominic Arcaro, CBRE
David Barnes, Hansen Partnership Pty Ltd
Mark Bartley, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Jon Brock, Meinhardt Australia Pty Ltd
Bernadette Gooda, ALDI Stores, Dandenong Region
Roz Hansen, Roz Hansen Consulting Pty Ltd
Richard Jenkins, Knight Frank Australia Pty Ltd
Anne Jolic , Lend Lease
Joan Ko, Arup
Brendan Rogers, Urbis
Phil Rygl, The Planning Group Australia
Jason Shaw, Stockland
Justin Slater, Tract Consultants Pty Ltd
Kelvin Walsh, Hume City Council
Paul Zennaro, The Shell Company of Australia Limited
Drew Banks, Australand Holdings Ltd
Matthew Belford, ID_Land
Greg Bursill, Dennis Family Corporation
Ben Cantwell, Stockland
Alice Dore, Lend Lease
Penny Forrest, Peet Limited
Christian Grahame, Mirvac Group
Sean Hogan, ISPT Pty Ltd
Nick Holuigue, Maddocks
Bryce Moore, Moremac Property Group PTY LTD
Sam Nathan, Charter Keck Cramer
Brad Paddon, APD Projects
Chris Plant, Investa Property Group
Ashley Williams, Evolve Development
Arthur Williams, Contexx Pty Ltd
Mark Woodland, Echelon Planning Pty Ltd
Stephen Andrew, Colliers International
Dean Arnel, The GPT Group
Julie Busch, Julie Busch Consulting
Tony Caljouw, Jones Lang LaSalle
Maxwell Cameron, Minter Ellison Lawyers
Alistair Capp, ISPT Pty Ltd
John Gilbert, Securecorp
Troy Gleeson, Stockland
Peter lambden, Australian Unity Property Ltd
Grant l evy, Lander & Rogers
Steve luby, Colonial First State Global Asset Management
Ivor Phillips, Charter Hall Holdings Pty Limited
Rhys Quick, Urbis
Sean Stephens, Essential Economics Pty Ltd
Mark Woolley, Gadens Lawyers
Stephen Bloch, Tigcorp Pty Ltd
Angela Buckley, Aveo Live Well
Mark Dunne, Catholic Homes for the Elderly
Scott Francis, Suters Architects
Andrew Giles, Retirement Village Association
David Inglis, Minter Ellison Lawyers
Susan Malone, IMG
Stuart Nicolson, Becton Living
Peter Nilsson, Community Villages Australia
Andrew Philip, Retirement Communities Australia
Robert Putamorsi, Australian Unity Investments
Tony Randello, Lend Lease
Noral Rich, Jones Lang LaSalle
Stuart Shaw, The Village Baxter
Rosemary Southgate, Russell Kennedy
Wayne Wright, Stockland
Speakers
luke Borg, Judd Farris Property Recruitment
John Corrigan, Meinhardt Australia Pty Ltd
Peter Hutchins, Charter Keck Cramer
Phil Gardiner, Irwinconsult
Andrew Maher, Arup
Gerry Neylan, John Holland Pty Ltd
lucas Stewart, Lend Lease
Heidi Stowers, Gray Puksand Pty Ltd
Mark Allan, Billard Leece Partnership Pty
Ltd Architects & Urban Planners
Charles Bryant, Brookfield Multiplex
Australasia Pty Ltd
Peter Cass, Rider Levett Bucknall
Christopher Chuah, ISPT Pty Ltd
Kim Farrant, Net Balance
Gerard Healey, Arup
David Jarratt, WSP
Ros Magee, Spowers
Paul O’Connell, Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd
Kate Pearsall, Lend Lease
Bryon Price, A.G. Coombs Group Pty Ltd
Justin Ray, Stockland
Fin Robertson, John Holland Pty Ltd
Jeffrey Robinson, Aurecon
Martin Williams, Jones Lang LaSalle
Biljana Apostolova-Antunovic , Gadens Lawyers
Darren Bates, Grant Thornton
Sarah Bidinost, Freshwater Place Commercial
Tom Cantwell, DLA Piper Australia
Milton Cations, Property Dynamics
Nicholas Clifton, Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu
Sian Gunson, Urbis
laura Hoskins, Lend Lease
Rachel O’Donnell, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Stephen O’Flynn, Moore Stephens
Melbourne Pty Ltd
Greg Steedman, ISPT Pty Ltd
Phil Witherow, Cbus Property Ltd
confidence, low interest rates, a looming federal election, stabilisation of house prices and the availability of cash are all factors influencing the Victorian residential property market in 2013.
With ten years’ experience in Melbourne’s development industry, Evolve Development’s projects range from inner city apartments to new communities along Melbourne’s growth areas and total over $800m of projects under development, with over $1.5b in the pipeline.
Our research has found the macro factors effecting demand for new dwelling construction are strong based on an extremely low interest rate environment coupled with steady employment prospects for the majority of Victorians.
While the economic signs are positive, translating this sentiment into consumer confidence is the biggest challenge and is the strongest impediment for buyers making purchase decisions, particularly in the growth corridors.
The largest market sector holding back on making purchase decisions is the second home buyer. The trend within this sector is a ‘wait and see’ approach which has emerged over recent years. These purchasers are unique as they don’t have an immediate need for accommodation as first home buyers do, but do not generally possess the equity of a third or fourth home buyer. Recently, with lower interest rates, increased employment prospects and more competitive land prices, the second home buyer is re-emerging as a significant player in the buyers’ market.
We believe retail lot prices will remain the same with a definite stabilisation of prices across all projects through the second half of 2013. There is a natural floor in all developments that relates to the cost of delivery, as costs have increased through government levies and construction costs, the natural ‘floor’ has been set in dwelling prices and cannot economically be delivered for less.
Strong leadership and initiatives from Federal and State Governments is vital in keeping the property sector buoyant and in instilling buyer and market confidence. Government investment in infrastructure has always resulted in increased business confidence, employment opportunities and the flow on is increased housing demand through population increases and investment.
With the federal election in September 2013 and the Victorian state election in late 2014 it is expected that there will be key announcements on new infrastructure.
Spending commitments will have a positive flow on effect on consumer sentiment and further investment from the private sector.
Another key economic driver in a strong housing market is the availability of cash. Household savings are at record levels and the capacity of people to fund a new purchase is similar to early 2010 when we saw a wave of new buyers come into the market off the back of government stimulus measures through 2009 and 2010. This is conceivably the situation that we could see in 2013, although the latent demand through inactivity will not be as great this year due to the amount of activity over the last three years.
If households form a view that it is time to deploy some of their savings either into a new home for themselves or into
an investment property then we will see solid demand through 2013 given the alignment of interest rates and government commitments.
Evolve is also confident about the success of the apartment market in Melbourne in the areas it says are where people want to live. Two of Evolve’s key projects due for completion this year are the Guilfoyle, South Melbourne (353 apartments), and Monarc, Queens Road, Melbourne (228 apartments). Planning applications are also before Hobsons Bay Council for a staged development in Williamstown and another planned development in Dorcas Street, South Melbourne.
Our view is that the apartment market will stay steady throughout the year although volumes will not reach the highs of 201011. We expect that demand will continue for smaller projects such as the sub 150 apartment projects in high amenity city fringe suburbs.
We have always seen strong latent demand from purchasers for specific areas which have consistently low supply like Carlton, North Melbourne, South Melbourne compared to higher supply areas like CBD or Southbank. In those locations purchasers will often quite happily sit on the sidelines for long periods until a project is realised in their specific location of choice.
2013 will be a big year for Victoria’s residential property sector. Evolve Development, along with its industry peers will have to live up to the challenge.
TheProperty Council of Australia’s (Victorian Division) 2013 Mentor Programme was launched in spectacular surrounds on the rooftop of Hassell’s Melbourne design studio on Tuesday 5th February.
70 guests including Mentorees and their Mentors, Committee members and representatives from the Victorian Division Council were in attendance to show their support to the property industry’s future leaders.
Following an overwhelming response to the call for Expressions of Interest, 30 Mentorees were selected to participate in this year’s programme, including Mentorees and Mentors from a wide range of disciplines that cover every stage of the property cycle. This huge response again provided clear evidence of the underlying need for mentoring in our industry.
We have identified need for people in the early phase of their career to connect with their more experienced counterparts – no matter what their background or future direction is. The sort of mentoring that is being sought by young industry professionals isn’t necessarily a reaffirmation of technical focus. Rather it is about how business is conducted, forming relationships and networks, career options, personal and professional development– and ultimately focusing on people.
In introducing this year’s Mentor Programme, we have deliberately focused on the human side of our industry. It’s about people. Our hope and aim for this Mentor Programme is to provide the mechanisms and opportunities for people to look out for each other and for it to develop as the leading Mentor Programme across the country.
At the launch, Mentorees were told not to play it safe. The mentoring relationship isn’t about perceptions. It’s not about putting on a front, or having a conversation in the context of what you think the other person is looking for. This is about being bold, expressing yourself and being prepared to challenge and be challenged.
The launch also provided an opportunity to thank those involved in the development of the programme thus far and programme sponsors.
The Mentor Programme Committee:
David Hodgson
Steve Joffe
Ingrid Bakker
Madeleine Tillig
Kristina Reynolds
Luke O’Grady
Mentoring plays an important role in shaping leaders of character, discipline and vision. It represents an investmentone where we may not know the impact until many years later.
The Property Council’s 2013 Mentor Programme promises to be cracker.
David Hodgson Chairman Mentor Programme Committee
Card_01.pdf
Thanks again to our Programme partners.
Matching partner
l aunch Event Hosting partner
is already presenting itself as a pivotal year for industry lobbying to ensure jobs and investment in Tasmania. With a state election in 2014, this year is crucial to achieving political commitment on a suite of industry-backed reforms.
Reforms are necessary to bring Tasmania’s property industry back from the brink. The industry has taken a battering over the past 12 months, with commercial construction down 20 per cent and residential construction down 30 per cent. ABS figures show that 3,000 FTEs have left the building and construction sector and the Property Council –ANZ Confidence Survey continues to highlight the slump in the industry’s confidence levels, currently the lowest in the country.
Added to this, the Property Council’s Office Market Report figures to January 2013 have highlighted the dire state of white collar employment in the Hobart CBD, with office market vacancies at the highest levels in a decade.
From the Property Council’s perspective the way forward for the industry is clear – significant structural reform.
For every dollar spent on planning reform another $4 is spent on investment. Despite this fact, Tasmania’s planning system continues to be the worst in the country with little appetite being shown by State and Local Governments to fix the problem.
If not for consistent advocacy by the Property Council and the Master Builders Tasmania in 2012, development proposals would have been thrown out with the introduction of interim planning schemes. Instead, the industry-drafted Land Use Planning and Approvals Act (LUPAA) was presented to the Tasmanian Government and passed through Parliament at the eleventh hour ensuring
a smooth transitional period for planning applications.
But now the industry’s focus is squarely on securing guaranteed certainty for those using the planning system by amending LUPAA so that investors are not faced with a costly and undefined process during the transition to interim planning schemes. The associated planning issues of European and Aboriginal heritage assessments will dominate the political landscape this year. It is the intention of the Division in partnership with PIA, MBA and CCF to lobby the Government for a complete redraft of the Aboriginal Heritage Bill. The first exposure Bill released last year was categorically rejected by the industry as being anti-development and increasing red tape and costs for all Tasmanians.
The Historic Cultural Heritage Bill is due to come back to the Upper House for debate. The Property Council was successful in prosecuting its case that the Bill required amendments and that the thorny issue of the prudent and feasible alternative test requires resolution. The Property Council looks forward to continuing the discussion with the Tasmanian Government so that the industry actually gets the certainty it was promised.
With the start of the Property Council’s 2013-2014 Committee terms, an important piece of work will be a complete review of green and red tape impacting the industry by the Taxation and Regulation Policy Committee. This work is vital to the Division’s election policy platform.
It has taken 12 months to build community support for significant local government reform and now it is time to use this solid foundation to apply pressure on Tasmania’s politicians to act on the community’s desire for change.
Mary Massina Executive Director, Tasmania DivisionThe evidence for reform is astounding. The Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority’s $300,000 report points to at least 15 per cent savings in services alone from the creation of a greater Hobart council. For ratepayers a saving of $150 on a $1000 rates bill, money which is desperately needed to pay for the increasing cost of living. However 10 of the 12 Southern Councils have walked away from their report.
In the much lauded Local Government Association of Tasmania and State Government review into the role of local government, only 67 of the 281 councillors attended three workshops and only 12 councils of the 29 councils put in submissions. This demonstrates that Local Government has absolutely no intention of participating in reform let alone undertaking it.
Self interest in Local Government reigns supreme, against a back drop of the State’s struggling economy.
It is the expressed intention of Tasmanians for Reform, chaired by the Property Council, to achieve political commitment to significant far-reaching reform. Structural reform through planning, slashing red and green tape and local government reform is the way forward for Tasmania and for the property industry, which is the biggest private sector industry in the state.
The push for this reform will be a dominant focus this year and I encourage all members to become involved through the Tasmanian Division, its committees and by supporting our campaigns.
The Future Directions speaker events for 2012 wrapped up with asking if the traditional Australian dream of owning a home on a quarter acre block had ended.
Kris Daff from Evolve Development, Simon Wilson from Places Victoria and Simon McPherson from SJB Urban took a full house through how urban renewal was shaping the future of Melbourne.
Simon opened with a review of where Melbourne was now, and some of the planning and infrastructure difficulties with new suburbs. He then touched on future trends, with a move to greater density. He also unveiled a new App he was designing with RMIT, ‘Save My Life’, to help purchasers assess the true cost of a house purchase.
A panel discussion then followed, with a number of questions from the audience. Kris provided great insight into the challenges facing developers in projects in growth areas and inner city Melbourne, including finance, construction costs and a shortage of infrastructure for a growing city.
Simon touched on lessons learned from Docklands, and how the Fisherman’s Bend urban renewal project may shape inner city Melbourne in the future.
Overall it was a successful evening. Was the Australian dream over for future generations? No, but it certainly was changing.
Nick SparksSenior Associate at Maddocks lawyers and a former Future Directions committee member.
Speakers:
Simon McPherson, SJB Urban
Kris Daff, Evolve Development
Simon Wilson, Places Victoria
Proudly partnered by:
Moderator:
Tracey Curro, with 2012 Lord Mayor Candidates including Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Gary Morgan, Alison Parkes and Keith Rankin
Proudly partnered by:
Moderator:
Jim Milledge, Bates Smart
Speakers:
l eon l achal, Montlaur
Kate Frear, Woods Bagot
Ross Walker, Built
Jeff Robinson, Aurecon
Damien King , KB&D
Nathaniel Popelianski, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Proudly partnered by:
Venue: Peninsula, Atlantic Central Pier, Docklands
Major Partner:
Moderator:
Mark Wizel, CBRE
Panel:
Brian McGovern, Commonwealth Bank
Anthony Klein, PricewaterhouseCoopers
David Cole, The Buchan Group
Proudly partnered by:
Speaker: Andrew Nieland , Lend Lease Proudly partnered by:
Speaker: Ken Fehily, Places Victoria
Proudly partnered by:
Speaker: Nick Farr Jones
Proudly partnered by:
Speakers: Scott Hutchinson and Greg Quinn, Hutchinson Builders
Speakers : Alex Johnston, Southern Cross Andrew Timbs, red jelly
Proudly partnered by:
Wednesday
Industry Induction Full day
development course Property Council of Australia Level 7, 136 Exhibition Street 9.00am - 4.00am
Thursday 21 March Chatting with Champions lunch With Hamish McLachlan, Cameron Ling and Simon O’Donnell
Monday 25 March
Tuesday 26 March
Tuesday & Wednesday 16-17 April Building Services Fundamentals
Two day professional development course
Thursday 18 April Victorian Innovation and Excellence Awards lunch With Peter Madison, Grand Designs Australia
Wednesday 24 April
Tuesday 30 April
Wednesday 1 May
Thursday 2 May
The ConneXion Exclusive Networking
Division Breakfast
Economic Development Report Launch
Planning Industry Forum
ZINC @ Federation Square
for 1.00pm - 2.30pm
- 8.30pm
Property Council of Australia Level 7, 136 Exhibition Street
9.00am - 4.00am
Crown Palladium Ballroom 12noon for 12.30pm - 2.00pm
Contact Jennifer Roberts at jroberts@propertyoz.com.au for details.
ZINC @ Federation Square
7.15am for 7.30am - 9.00am
RACV City Club Level 2, 501 Bourke Street
8.30am for 9.00am - 12.00pm
Directions Citiclub 113 Queen Street
Friday 24 May Sustainable Development Conference
6.00pm - 8.30pm
Peninsula @ Atlantic Docklands
9.30am - 4.00pm
Our client’s vision of creating a timeless piece of architecture whilst considering the spatial dimension of a home formed the nexus of our design response. Simple form and pure geometry ensured a crisp built form outcome and proportionate volume. The interplay of solid and void spaces both in the horizontal and vertical dimension create a series of experiences as you navigate your way from the street and through the home, adding a new dimension to the streetscape of Brighton.
For further information visit us at www.pta.com.au
