CHAMPIONING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
CHAMPIONING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
At the vanguard of vibrant and prestigious properties, Yolk Property Group innovates and redefines modern living. Visionary CEO, Tao Bourton, reveals how the company is dedicated to shaping a better and more sustainable future today
Writer: Rachel Carr | Project Manager: Keely Story
Developers face numerous opportunities and challenges as the Australian property market dynamically evolves. One company, Yolk Property Group, views demand and competition as catalysts for innovation.
Prioritising community engagement, which the company sees as the foundation for creating remarkable spaces for the future, sustainability is at Yolk Property Group’s core.
The vertically integrated company develops master-planned communities, land leases, retirement, industrial, and commercial housing, townhouses, and apartments across Western Australia (WA), Queensland (QLD), and Victoria.
“As a diverse group, we act for the right reasons and focus on the appropriate sectors in the correct states. We must be opportunistic to maximise returns, so we operate swiftly,” introduces Tao Bourton, CEO
of Yolk Property Group.
Founded in Perth in 2013, the company stands out as a unique developer in Australia, as its designled and innovative approach is transforming the market.
In addition to its development arm, the Everland Communities partnership operates as a land lease retirement provider, whilst Realtime Realty manages all sales for the company, as well as other developers and government land holdings.
Conversely, 18 months prior, Yolk Property Group strategically decided to sell its residential property management business.
“We initially purchased Rental Management Australia, which had around 30 employees. We then expanded significantly, growing to about 100 staff members with four offices in QLD, one in Melbourne, and another four in WA,” Bourton reveals.
“We became the largest residential property manager in WA and one of the top 10 largest national firms in Australia.”
A MOVING MARKET
The property sector is undergoing an exciting transition by moving to the larger conglomerate space.
“We are primarily adopting a model similar to that of the US and UK, where developers are responsible for housing and the land in masterplanned communities, rather than just the land subdivision,” Bourton declares.
The nature of larger conglomerates and superannuation funds in Australia requires capital allocation. However, they can only access a finite market share and often explore different market segments to increase profits.
Over the years, Yolk Property Group has expanded its team, and its
“PROACTIVE THINKING HELPS ADDRESS SOLUTIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY, PUSHING BOUNDARIES THANKS TO A REMARKABLE TEAM THAT UNDERSTANDS THE RISKS OF PILOTING INITIATIVES”
– TAO BOURTON, CEO, YOLK PROPERTY GROUP
approach has remained consistent. Indeed, the formula has earned the company multiple industry awards, and several unique qualities have contributed to its success.
“The team possesses diverse skills, which sets us apart from many other companies in the industry, where numerous property developers tend to adopt a more uniform approach. Additionally, we have various equity ownerships involving multiple partners across our businesses. This structure bolsters our executive team, as each member has a vested interest in our success,” he points out.
Therefore, the team’s capabilities
are rooted in their collective strength, which empowers them to innovate and embrace progressive ideas.
“Proactive thinking helps address solutions and sustainability, pushing boundaries thanks to a remarkable team that understands the risks of piloting initiatives,” Bourton outlines.
A RAY OF HOPE
Yolk Property Group takes great pride in its significant role in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) space, reflected by its charity business, Foundational, which will soon be launched.
Additionally, as the first developer
in Australia to implement solar and battery systems in an apartment building using peer-to-peer power trading, the company has consistently been at the forefront of the industry.
“We piloted a solar power purchasing agreement involving an Australian but Japanese-backed private company. This organisation owns the solar panels installed on residential rooftops and sells the green energy to homeowners at a 40 percent discount,” Bourton informs.
“After 10 years, homeowners will be able to purchase the solar system for just AUD$1. This approach is innovative because many people cannot afford the additional AUD$5,000 for solar energy. It’s not that they don’t want to go green; rather, they simply lack the funds to invest.”
Being sustainable and forwardthinking enables affordability; one of the most eco-friendly houses in Australia costs AUD$20 million. Therefore, it should be viewed in the context of affordability, and Bourton believes in getting “bang for your buck”.
“You need widespread adoption of solar energy, not just wealthy individuals, as that doesn’t address climate change issues,” he points out.
Moreover, Yolk Property Group also established the first strata bylaws for peer-to-peer power trading with solar and battery, which were used nationally by the government as a template to demonstrate implementation. The impressive initiative involved the company in a substantial research project at Courtney University, which attracted universities from Scandinavia to study its efforts.
COMBATING SOCIAL SOLITUDE
Yolk Property Group has consistently been at the forefront of innovative ideas and has developed a Liveable Street programme to combat loneliness.
YOLK PROPERTY GROUP’S ONE PLANET PRINCIPLES
• HEALTH AND HAPPINESS – Encouraging active, sociable, meaningful lives to promote good health and well-being.
• EQUITY AND LOCAL ECONOMY – Creating bioregional economies that support equity, diverse local employment, and international fair trade.
• CULTURE AND COMMUNITY – Respecting and reviving local identity, wisdom, and culture; encouraging people’s involvement in shaping their community and building a new culture of sustainability.
• LAND USE AND WILDLIFE – Protecting and restoring biodiversity and creating new natural habitats through good land use and integration into the built environment.
• SUSTAINABLE WATER – Using water efficiently in buildings, farming, and manufacturing. Designing properties to avoid local issues such as flooding, drought, and watercourse pollution.
• LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD – Supporting sustainable and humane farming, promoting access to healthy, low-impact, local, seasonal, and organic diets, and reducing food waste.
• SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS – Using sustainable and healthy products, such as those with low embodied energy, sourced locally, and made from renewable or waste resources.
• SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT – Reducing the need to travel and encouraging low and zero-carbon modes of transport to curb emissions.
• ZERO WASTE – Reducing waste, reusing where possible, and ultimately sending zero waste to landfill.
• ZERO CARBON – Making buildings energy efficient and delivering all energy with renewable technologies.
Rather than placing playgrounds, parks, and housing far apart, the company integrated playground equipment into standard residential streets, encouraging community interaction.
“Besides a banquet table set up in front of a house, there are ping pong tables and climbing walls. The main objective is to encourage people to gather in these areas instead of driving straight into the driveway or allowing children to go into the small backyard,” Bourton explains.
As enthusiastic buyers eagerly lined up along the street, the houses on offer were snapped up within a mere four hours. This quick turnover underscored the high demand and need for initiatives like these in the current real estate market.
The benefits of the Liveable Street programme enabled Yolk Property Group to shift its focus to cater to individuals over the age of 55, fostering stronger community connections.
EVERLAND COMMUNITIES
Yolk Property Group is the trusted development manager and partner for Everland Communities, designing and managing the construction of residential and clubhouse facilities for Australia’s over-55s land lease developments.
The advantages of embracing an active and attractive lifestyle in a stunning location with next-level amenities include:
• No entry, exit, or hidden fees
• No stamp duty
• Retain 100 percent capital gain
• Land lease financial model
• Premium homes designed with minimal upkeep in mind
• Activities and social events such as wine tasting, book clubs, swimming clubs, pickleball, and more
• Community facilities include a cinema, an animal farm, an orchard, vegetable gardens, and more
• Pet friendly
• Resort-style living in beautiful surroundings
• Gated neighbourhoods
Leeuwin Civil is an independently owned civil construction company based in Busselton, Western Australia, maintaining a loyal workforce of approximately 60 people, who live in and around the area.
In 2025 Leeuwin Civil will celebrate 20 years in business. While much may have changed in the last 20 years, the values that underpin Leeuwin Civil have remained consistent – quality, safety and environmental sustainability.
Servicing the South West and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia from its offices in Busselton, Leeuwin Civil is a Third Party ISO Accredited business. It holds Main Roads Pre–qualification for R2, B1 and F10, and is a Water Corporation Accredited and Development WA approved Tier 1 Contractor.
The company’s range of services include bulk earthworks, road and dam construction, and the installation of underground infrastructure. Other key areas of expertise include coastal protection and seawall construction, services identification and relocation.
Delivering projects on time and on budget is not only down to technical skill and expertise at Leeuwin Civil. It is also the result of a stable and loyal workforce combined with the business maintaining and operating its own fleet of plant and equipment.
IT’S A TEAM EFFORT
Leeuwin Civil’s multi-skilled workforce of more than 60 people includes executive management, qualified project management and supervisory staff, administrators, mechanics and labourers, drivers and equipment operators.
A proudly Western Australian owned business, the majority of Leeuwin Civil’s workforce live within the local area and understand life in regional Australia.
Many staff have been with the company for more than 10 years.
The stability of the workforce is a testament to a company culture that prioritises personal development through role diversity and ongoing training opportunities.
For its clients, this means that when they start a project with Leeuwin Civil’s team, they can be confident they will finish it with the same people by their side.
With labour shortages being reported across the construction and engineering sector, the stability of the Leeuwin Civil workforce sets them apart from many of their industry colleagues.
THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB
Leeuwin Civil also owns an extensive fleet of more than 100 pieces of Caterpillar plant and equipment including 1.5 tonne to 40 tonne excavators, D5 to D10 dozers, as well as running a full vacuum dewatering system.
All equipment is serviced and maintained in the company’s own workshop in Busselton.
The company also crushes, screens and supplies its own materials, including gravel that meets Main Roads WA specifications.
This self-sufficiency comes into its own at times of continuing Government investment in major infrastructure projects, plus the ongoing demand for more sub-divisions as the housing market tightens.
This is why State Government departments such Main Roads WA, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Water Corporation, and Busselton Water, as well as local shires, blue chip mining companies and private developers trust Leeuwin Civil to deliver.
It is this, together with our strong and established partnerships with leading civil engineering design companies, that enables Leeuwin Civil to provide full in-house project management services on medium to large and complex construct-only, and design and construct contracts right across Western Australia.
“IF THE FAMILY LIVES IN THE SAME COMMUNITY, GRANDPARENTS CAN PICK THE CHILDREN UP FROM SCHOOL, PROVIDING THEM WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE, AND REDUCING LONELINESS BY ALLOWING THEM TO ENCOUNTER FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY”
Furthermore, increasing the number of residents on the street will enhance sociability, utilising a large, underused area.
“Health and well-being are critical issues, and loneliness directly contributes to that. The UK has a minister for loneliness, highlighting how it is a contributing factor to other health problems; Australia is now identifying that.”
Tackling loneliness and building community motivated Yolk Property Group to improve the retirement sector.
“Traditionally, retirement villages can lead to loneliness when one partner passes away, or individuals move in alone. Residents may feel disconnected from their community, especially if it’s far away from family,” states Bourton.
As such, integration is crucial for the company; as long as people are embedded in the social fabric, they will not feel isolated.
“If the family lives in the same community, grandparents can pick the children up from school, providing them with a sense of purpose and reducing loneliness by allowing them to encounter friends along the way,” he adds.
FAITH IN THE FUTURE
Arbour Margaret River serves as an excellent example of a community that benefits its residents. It features two clubhouses, with one designated explicitly for residents over the age of 55, who also have the option to use the other facility.
“The main idea behind a setup like Arbour Margaret River is to provide a space where people over 55 can socialise with the community in the gym or outdoor pool or enjoy the tranquillity of their private clubhouse to read a book. This way, they have the best of both worlds,” Bourton excites.
Yolk Property Group recognises that the land lease sector for those over 55 is a wise investment.
“If you were to compare land lease with offices, there’s an investment risk with the latter buildings used for work. The land lease sector, meanwhile, is Australia’s most resilient income security asset class,” he observes.
The company’s primary focus for the future is on houses and land due to the fact that the fully integrated community model performs well, especially in the residential and retirement sectors.
“We are concentrating our acquisitions in WA, QLD, and Victoria.
With the support of our capital partners, we operate as a syndicator, and they are enthusiastic about this asset class.”
Yolk Property Group aims to acquire a larger land bank for its land leases and residential communities whilst also focusing on acquiring properties along the East Coast, as the relatively small team genuinely cares about the communities they create, which inspires them to work collaboratively.
“When you are progressive rather than only practicing routine business, you strive to improve the community and enhance everyone’s health and well-being. This approach fosters a deeper sense of care in all aspects. It’s all about building a lasting legacy,” concludes Bourton.
Tel: +61 08 9460 1232 hello@yolkpropertygroup.com.au yolkpropertygroup.com.au
– TAO BOURTON, CEO, YOLK PROPERTY GROUP
Tracc Civil is a leading Western Australian civil construction company who strives to create a legacy in the construction industry. Tracc Civil is capable of completing most of the civil construction works in-house through its different divisions of bulk earthworks, road construction, wall construction, and in-grounds divisions including land development projects. Tracc Civil is able to successfully complete turnkey subdivision projects of a large scale.
TESTAMENT OF SUCCESS
Each project is approached with meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to safety, quality, and sustainability. Our collaborative approach ensures that client objectives are not only met but exceeded, fostering long-term partnerships built on trust and mutual respect.
Some prestigious road upgrade projects Tracc Civil has completed are Ocean Hill Mandurah Road intersection upgrade, Hale Road Widening and Enhancement, Jandakot Road Stage 2, Southwest Highway Intersection upgrade works at Byford, Hammond Road duplication, and we are currently working on Forrest Road upgrade.
Some of the renowned Land Development projects completed by Tracc Civil are Watermark by Yolk Property Group, Austin Lakes Precinct by BMP Property Investment, Florida Beach by Florida Beach Pty Ltd, Frasers Landing by Frasers Property Australia, Hammond West by Qube Wattleup Developments, Cassia Rise and Cassia Glades by Satterly Property Group, Clipper Precinct by DevelopmentWA, Pinjarra Light Industrial Estate by DevelopmentWA, Tucky Cove by DWR Property Pty Ltd, and more.
Apart from these, we regularly work on Western Power’s substation upgrade works and have completed substation upgrades at Kalbarri, Merredin, Kwinana etc. We on several panels as the preffered civil contractors for Western Power and Synergy. We have also completed projects for Fremantle Ports, Curtin University, and are now working on a Murdoch University project.
Thus, whether it is a staggering amount of earth moving projects or essential infrastructure that supports communities, Tracc Civil’s projects are landmarks of progress and success. We take pride in every achievement, knowing that each project leaves meaningful impact on the growth and prosperity of Western Australia.
CAPABILITIES
Tracc Civil’s comprehensive capabilities span across various other sectors, including:
Civil Works: Roads, water infrastructure, sewer networks, drainage systems, underground power, communication services.
Infrastructure: Major projects that enhance connectivity and facilitate economic growth.
Land Development: Large Subdivisions and residential communities that integrate seamlessly with the environment.
Western Power: Western Power substation improvement projects, customer funded works, underground power network projects
Water Corporation: Deep pump station projects
PARTNERSHIP WITH YOLK
With the post-COVID-19 housing boom in Australia, Tracc has invested a significant portion of its resources to this part of the civil construction industry and completed many projects with numerous stages successfully. A lot of Tracc Civil’s clients are repeated and satisfied clients who prefer to work with us for our candid nature and holistic approach to projects and people.
We started working with Yolk Property Group in 2021 with Watermark Stage 1 which was successfully completed with a revised construction strategy proposed by Tracc Civil after award which uplifted the lot classification, resulting financial gain for the client.
Tracc Civil has recently been awarded the ‘2024 Earth Award – Land Development’ which was the highest ranked land development project in the 2024 awards. Since then, the partnership between Tracc Civil and Yolk Property Group continued and Tracc Civil is now working in Watermark Stage 2 and Stage 3.
PARTNERING WITH TRACC CIVIL
Partnering with Tracc Civil means partnering with a team that values integrity, professionalism, and reliability. We take pride in our candid nature, clear communication, transparency, and accountability from tender stage to completion of the project.
Our commitment to delivering ahead of time and within budget ensures peace of mind for our clients, allowing them to focus on their core objectives while we handle the complexities of construction.
CONTACT US TODAY
Discover how Tracc Civil can turn your vision into reality. Whether you have a specific project in mind or seek guidance on how to navigate the complexities of civil construction in Western Australia, our team is here to help.
Visit our website to learn more about our capabilities, services, view our portfolio, and get in touch with us. Lets build a sustainable future together with Tracc Civil - where expertise meets innovation, and excellence is the standard, creating a legacy in the construction industry.