Regional Economic Development

Paving the way for investment and tourism in Sydney’s new ‘granite belt’

 

SYDNEY’s $50 million program to light up and beautify its central business district  footpaths is making the city more attractive for pedestrians, tourists and local businesses alike.

The City of Sydney has committed to improving the appearance and safety of the most popular walking routes in Central Sydney over the next 10 years by installing uniform granite paving and new LED lighting. 

Work has already been completed along eight major routes, including Castlereagh, Elizabeth and Pitt streets, where the city has installed 62 LED Smartpole lights and more than 12,600 square-metres of Australian granite to replace aging asphalt.

Peter Rugg, manager of the five-star Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel on the corner of Pitt and O’Connell streets, where the city recently completed footpath upgrade works said small changes like this were making a big difference to the appeal of the city.

“Footpaths might seem like a small thing, but people who are guests at our hotel are out on the streets all day, so a good footpath projects the right image of the city,” Mr Rugg said. 

“George and Pitt streets are the two arteries of the city and everyone walks down those streets to get to the harbour, so to have them looking like they are now makes the city look more attractive, uniform and clean.

“At the moment we have guests from every corner of the globe staying with us, so we’re showcasing our city to the world, and attracting more tourists and visitors to Sydney every day.”

The granite pavement program and LED lighting upgrades are part of the city’s record $1.94 billion, 10-year building and construction program, which is boosting businesses and creating jobs.

Contractors who worked on the pavement program include Sydney Harbour Paving, Ford Civil and QMC Group, with each company employing about 10 people for each site.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the city’s corporate plan for the next decade would invest in more than 400 projects, including major commitments to Green Square and George Street light rail.

“The city’s investment in new infrastructure and improvement works is creating employment, economic growth and community benefits,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Programs such as the granite pavement and LED lighting upgrades are helping to improve our public face and building our reputation as a global city, attracting investment and tourism.”

Streets to be upgraded with granite this year include sections of Bathurst, Bridge, Elizabeth, York, Hunter, Bligh and Bent streets, while Castlereagh and Bond streets will benefit from new LED lighting.

Since March 2013, Sydney has saved almost $300,000 and reduced energy use by more than 25 percent, due to the roll out of more than 2,600 LED street and park lights across the city.

About 2,000 new jobs will be created off the back of the City of Sydney’s record $1.94 billion infrastructure program.

The statistics are based on a methodology developed by the NSW Treasury for state government infrastructure, which estimated that for every $1 million spent on infrastructure, 10 full-time equivalent jobs are created.

These 10 jobs include four jobs created directly, and six jobs created as a result of the flow-on effects of the infrastructure spending, meaning more materials are produced and therefore more jobs created.

Cr Moore said the city was creating an environment where walking is easy, enjoyable and convenient, with the number of walking trips forecast to double in the city by 2030, due to 100,000 new residents and 110,000 new jobs.

The city is also working with the State Government to reduce pedestrian waiting times at intersections, Cr Moore said.

www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

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100 Skyring transforms the Gasworks gateway to Brisbane

 

THE BUILDING may not quite have reached completion yet, but Charter Hall’s $175 million 100 Skyring has already created a prominent gateway to the Gasworks precinct, heralding the continued evolution of Brisbane’s near city office market.

Boasting a striking exterior, the 12-storey building on Newstead’s Skyring Terrace, has been designed to foster greater staff collaboration and productivity with large, campus-style floor plates. 

Charter Hall regional asset manager, Belinda Kalinin said 100 Skyring responded to the growing demand for buildings that fostered “a greater work-life balance”.

“An inspiring workplace design and environment encourages employee performance, motivation and satisfaction,” Ms Kalinin said.

“100 Skyring’s 2,200sqm floor plates have been orientated to maximise natural light and allow for ultimate workspace planning flexibility to increase interaction, efficiency and collaboration.

“With the Brisbane River and Gasworks’ new dining, lifestyle and entertainment precinct on its doorstep, 100 Skyring also creates space for tenants to work and play. 

“With work increasingly being conducted outside of traditional office hours, businesses are looking for locations that make it easy to achieve this work-life balance.  100 Skyring has been designed to connect and engage with the precinct’s open green space, cafés, restaurants and other amenities, extending the workspace outdoors.”

ML Designs senior project manager Paul Hanley said they designed 100 Skyring’s exterior so that it was a captivating focal point for people travelling along Breakfast Creek Road towards the city.

“A key feature of 100 Skyring is its 206m-long artwork that wraps around the two-level podium carpark floors. This artistic screen runs along three sides of the building and consists of approximately 2,000 interlocked, metallic panels,” Mr Hanley said.

“Apart from giving the building greater texture and visual interest, these ‘scales’ cleverly screen the building’s podium carpark.  It’s an innovative solution that delivers a stunning talking point.”

Renowned Brisbane artist Daniel Templeman designed the piece and drew inspiration from the illumination of the neighbouring historic Gasometer frame and city streets.  It connects and contrasts the site’s industrial past to the contemporary reinvigoration symbolised by 100 Skyring.

Mr Templeman’s striking sculptural outdoor installations are showcased across Australia, from the Brisbane Magistrates Court and Macquarie University, to Central Plaza 3 and Tugan Bypass.

“100 Skyring’s design also allows for tenants on all floors to have an amazing view of the Brisbane River and beyond thanks to an east-facing, gently-curved façade,” Mr Hanley said.

“This also allows the building to prominently front the neighbouring Gasometer with its green public plaza.”

Fronting both Skyring Terrace and Longland Street, 100 Skyring is expected to reach practical completion this month (August) with office space still available for lease.

www.charterhall.com.au

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Queensland Plan could make it ‘state of choice’ – QTIC

THE Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) believes Queensland will become the most desirable state in Australia in which to live, if The Queensland Plan can be successfully implemented.

QTIC chief executive Daniel Gschwind  said one of The Queensland Plan’s highly ambitious targets is to balance world-class management of natural assets with economic growth. He is one of 15 members of The Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council representing a range of Queensland sectors and regions to ensure the community-led vision remains the people’s plan. 

On behalf of QTIC and the tourism industry, Mr Gschwind will represent the tourism sector on the Ambassadors Council to work with stakeholders and government, oversee the plan’s implementation and encourage community participation.

“If Queensland can achieve the 30-year vision outlined within the plan, our state will certainly be an exceptional place in which to live, grow and prosper,” Mr Gschwind said.

The Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council is charged with the roles of advocacy, independent advice, leadership collaboration and review.

The ambassadors aim to help give the plan life by linking government, business, industry and community sectors, contributing expertise, driving community engagement and assisting  annual reporting.

Mr Gschwind encouraged all Queenslanders to embrace The Queensland Plan and he was “privileged to bring a tourism perspective to The Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council”.

“It’s up to Queensland’s communities to live up to the dreams and aspirations outlined in The Queensland Plan,” Mr Gschwind said.

 “QTIC is the peak industry body for tourism in Queensland and as Queensland’s voice of tourism, it’s our responsibility to focus on the issues that matter to Queensland’s tourism and hospitality industry.

“My position on the Ambassadors Council provides another opportunity for tourism to be recognised for its critical role in each of the foundation areas that form the basis of The Queensland Plan.

“Tourism touches practically every other industry and area of commerce throughout the state. Importantly, tourism contributes $21 billion in expenditure to the economy and employs 235,000 people.”

 

The Queensland Plan identifies key goals discussed by 80,000 participating Queenslanders and was released recently in Hervey Bay by Premier Campbell Newman.

Mr Gschwind said Queenslanders should remember The Queensland Plan is the people’s plan, not the government’s plan.

“It’s important to remember this is the state’s roadmap for growth and prosperity,” Mr Gschwind said.

“The Queensland Plan is an innovative concept. It’s the plan against which every government’s performance will be measured during the next 30 years.

“The foundation areas within the plan are based on feedback and ideas from Queenslanders. This is not just another government strategy.

“My role on the Ambassadors Council will be to work with industry to discover how tourism can be a major agent in achieving this balance,” he said.

“I’ll be calling on tourism businesses, Regional Tourism Organisations and the community to come together and evaluate how tourism can help communities outside the southeast to grow and prosper.

“QTIC – as the voice of Queensland’s tourism industry – will encourage participation from Regional Tourism Organisations and our members to support all aspects of regional and rural tourism development.

“Queensland’s regions are diverse and far-reaching, yet the role of statewide community collaboration will be critical for The Queensland Plan to be realised.”

The Queensland Plan presents many challenges to government with targets such as doubling the population of regions outside South East Queensland while other goals would require new thinking by all levels of government, Mr Gschwind said.

QTIC is a private sector, membership-based organisation representing the interests of the tourism and hospitality industry across Queensland.

www.queenslandplan.qld.gov.au.

www.qtic.com.au

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Sydney to lead C40 global cities climate network

 

SYDNEY’s credentials on leading climate change action have been elevated as the city takes on the new role of heading an international network of cities driving energy efficiency.

The City of Sydney is a founding member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of 69 global cities taking action on climate change. 

For the next 12 months, Sydney will co-chair the C40 Private Sector Buildings Energy Efficiency Network with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Sydney will work with the Tokyo government to guide the network’s strategic direction, establish an annual work plan and collaborate with the other cities to put the plan in action.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said research showed cities generated more than 70 percent of the world’s carbon pollution and were home to more than half the world’s population – making cities “the best place to act on climate change”.

“It’s vital cities work together to share information on success stories and show leadership to drive significant action on climate change,” the Cr Moore said.

“We are honoured to be leading this network in partnership with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to work with cities from Europe, North America, Latin America, Oceania and East Asia. We look forward to hosting the next network forum of member cities in Sydney.”

C40 chair and Rio de Janeiro mayor, Eduardo Paes, said cities “go farther and faster when they collaborate and share ideas” and C40 was strongly committed to fostering this kind of city-to-city exchange.

“I commend the City of Sydney for taking a leadership role in the C40 private sector network to build energy-efficiency, which brings together global cities to drive local climate action on this critical issue,” Mayor Paes said.

“Sydney has made valuable contributions to the network to date, and has demonstrated exemplary ambition for future energy efficiency policies.”

Cr Moore said the new C40 leadership role would allow Sydney to work with, and learn from, world-class expertise that will benefit landlords and tenants involved in the city’s energy efficiency programs.

“Climate change is the most important issue of our time and scientists agree the time for action is now,” Cr Moore said.

“By influencing conversations on climate change and showing leadership we can make a real difference. We’re already delivering and demonstrating significant action on climate change to our communities, and now we are taking this action to a global platform to share ideas and learn from others.

“Through this C40 network, our property owners and tenants will be able to take on global targets, inspiration and information from around the world. This will further improve energy efficiency in Sydney’s buildings and slash carbon emissions in the heart of our own city.”

Part of the city’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 program is a community-driven mission to address climate change. The city is also Australia’s first carbon-neutral government with ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 70 percent by 2030 on 2006 levels.

Sydney is working with many Australian businesses and communities, Cr Moore said, to reduce emissions while making significant savings to their bottom line through a series of programs including Smart Green Business, City Switch, Better Buildings Partnership and Smart Green Apartments.

The city is also working on a comprehensive energy efficiency master plan that will be released later this year, according to the Lord Mayor.

C40 was established in 2005 and expanded through a partnership in 2006 with former US President Bill Clinton’s Climate Initiative (CCI). The current chair of the C40 is Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes and the 108th Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, serves as president of the C40 board.

www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

www.c40.org

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Special economic zones could work for Northern Australia: World Bank economist

By David Sparkes, TOWNSVILLE. 

A WORLD Bank senior economist says Northern Australia could host two or three special economic zones to tap into the economic growth expected in Asia this century.

Douglas Zhihua Zeng said there was no reason Australia’s political system should be an obstacle to the move and special economic zones (SEZ) had already been successful in other democratic countries. 

Australia currently has no special economic zones. 

Professor Zeng made the comments at the Northern Development Summit in Townsville, North Queensland, where he spoke about China’s experience with SEZs.

However, he said the United States and Europe had proven the concept also worked in Western democracies. 

There are now more than 2000 SEZs established in 120 countries, including 266 in North America and 161 in Europe.

Prof. Zeng, who is based in Washington and has written extensively on SEZs, said the lessons learnt in other countries could help create a blueprint for Northern Australia.

“There is no silver bullet,” Prof. Zeng said. “Many efforts have failed and it is a high risk undertaking.

“First of all, leadership (is needed) at the highest political level.”

He said SEZs in Northern Australia would only succeed if the objectives were clearly defined based on the area’s competitive advantages and if they were aimed at “high value-added industries”.

He suggested industries to be targeted by SEZs in the north could include the resources sector, especially equipment manufacture and maintenance; agriculture, including organic products that now appeal to affluent Chinese; knowledge industries; and tourism.

Prof. Zeng said if the Australian Government wanted to set up successful SEZs, it needed to make sure every ingredient was in place.

“You need the long-term vision and the clear objectives, using a local (analysis) of comparative advantages,” he said.

“Strategic planning must be linked into the regional development with a focus on the strengths (of the zone.)

“There is some legal and regulatory framework (and there must be) an emphasis on innovation and creating a conducive business environment with a dynamic ecosystem, including easy access to various services, skills and finance.”

He said strong public private partnerships were also vital.

The Northern Development Summit was organised by non-profit think tank ADC Forum to link in with the Federal Government’s process toward a white paper on developing Northern Australia.

It included high level delegates from government, mining, agriculture and other sectors.

In the year since Prime Minister Tony Abbott, then in opposition, announced his ambition to develop the north, SEZs have been one of the most debated strategies.

Some experts in Australia favour the idea, while others say the country’s constitution makes it difficult to establish a meaningful SEZ.

While China has been the most famous example of SEZ policies, Prof. Zeng said the first modern example was in Ireland in the 1950s.

Prof. Zeng also touched on the growing volume of capital available globally for foreign direct investment and how it could benefit Australian infrastructure projects.

He said Australia was well positioned to take advantage of a rising volume of capital available globally, especially as the Chinese economy evolves.

“Last year, China’s outbound FDI (foreign direct investment) was about $101 billion and China attracted inbound FDI of about $124 billion,” he said.

“But in about two or three years, China will be a net outbound FDI country.

“That is very important for Australia to know.”

www.townsvilleenterprise.com.au

 

The Northern Development Summit was promoted by the ADC Forum, a wholly Australian, non-political, not-for-profit leadership organisation which aims to bring together leaders from business, government, the public sector, academia and the broader community to improve their understanding of key issues affecting Australia. The Australian Davos Connection, founded in 1996 to promote Australia’s engagement with the World Economic Forum, became the ADC Forum in 2010 and has steadily broadened its goals to promote Australian business excellence and responsible leadership in the global community. The Northern Development Summit was the first event the ADC Forum has promoted outside a capital city.

www.linkedin.com/company/adc-forum

 

David Sparkes, a freelance journalist and writer based in Townsville, covered the Northern Development Summit. He has worked as a senior reporter for daily newspapers the Townsville Bulletin and the Gladstone Observer and as a business writer and editor for ChinAfrica magazine in Beijing.

www.davidsparkes.com

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Homebush DFO spruced up by Buchan Group

SYDNEY shoppers are testing out the $100 million-plus upgrade of Homebush’s Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) and the new Homemaker component, orchestrated by the Buchan Group.

The centre’s face-lift features a new interconnected layout with a new large format retail level and food court precinct, spanning a total site area of 17,400sqm. The upgrade has been planned to fit the needs of the outlet’s tenancy mix and to create a customer-orientated shopping and leisure destination, Buchan Group  principal Nathan Hones said.

The Buchan Group was appointed by CFS Retail Property Trust Group (CFX) in September 2012 to revise the centre’s original design, providing architecture and interior design, branding, environmental graphic design and signage services to the project.

The new centre layout allows customers to be directed through retail and breakout zones while providing stimulating outdoor views of parks, sky and natural light, enhancing the overall customer shopping experience.

Mr Hones said the centre’s design concepts were explored through the use of materials and an architectural language that reinforced the centre’s modern factory outlet concept and identity. 

“A significant design inclusion to rejuvenate the DFO brand and its luxury retailers includes the use of contemporary yet industrial colours in the specialty retail and new homemaker component, which complements the existing DFO level and offering to customers,” Mr Hones said.

“Polished silver shopfronts for the Premium Mall area take the retail character to a whole new level. Standout features include the mall’s central skylight and the vertical glass box at the northern end of the complex, which floods the food precincts with natural light, drawing parallels with the customer’s connection to the natural surroundings to establish a relaxed eating experience.

“The building’s design is also bolstered through sustainable features which use less energy than traditional retail malls via the centre’s open warehouse space, limited ceiling features and shared mechanical systems.”

Innovative carbon dioxide sensors have also been installed in the outlet’s car park to monitor the building’s air quality output.

“Customer parking was another key consideration,” Mr Hone said. “Reconfiguration and expansion of the of the existing multi deck car park will help improve the centre’s traffic movement, and the provision of the new 800-plus car park directly underneath the retail offer is very convenient for shoppers.”

Located 15km from the Sydney CBD, the complex has about 1,490 car spaces on site, two food courts, and includes five vertically integrated levels of shopping and parking.

The Buchan Group is one of Australasia’s most versatile architectural, interior and graphic design firms, servicing clients from diverse sectors in Australia, New Zealand, China, South East Asia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom for more than 120 years.

The Buchan Group traces its history back to 1890, with the opening of the first practice in Geelong, Victoria. The Brisbane practice was established in 1983, before expanding to the Gold Coast, Sydney, Auckland and Christchurch.

www.buchan.com.au

 

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POSTED JUNE 30, 2014

Campus Alpha openings at Robina Health Precinct

ROBINA Group has launched a leasing campaign for three commercial spaces in its tightly held Campus Alpha building, located in central CBDRobina, part of its well-patronised health precinct.

Fronting Campus Crescent and Investigator Drive, Campus Alpha is positioned in the established Robina Health Precinct, near the Robina Hospital, Bond Institute of Health and Sport, Robina Train Station and bus interchange, CBus Super Stadium and Robina Town Centre. 

Campus Alpha features a total of 4416 sqm of commercial space across three levels, with tenants including Shine Lawyers, Queensland government departments, EIM Training, Snap Printing, Clear Smiles Orthodontic, Full Circle Health osteopath and Green Bean Cafe.

The spaces are the first to become available in more than a year in Campus Alpha and range from 111sqm to 189sqm, with the potential to amalgamate two of the spaces to create a large 356sqm office. All three spaces have existing fitouts.

Robina Group general manager Hylton Slater said the availability of these offices provided a rare opportunity for a range of companies to move into the sought after commercial space in CBDRobina.

“Campus Alpha is home to several long term tenants and is approved for a number of commercial uses, including medical and educational, so it would suit a host of companies,” Mr Slater said.

“The building was the first in Gold Coast City to be awarded a 5 Star Nabers rating which has been an attractive attribute for many businesses.

“Due to its central location the opportunity to locate in the building in recent years has been limited.

“Recent research by Urbis revealed CBDRobina has a vacancy rate of just 6.1 percent, well below the wider Gold Coast City rate of 16.7 percent, so we’re expecting these offices to appeal to a range of businesses.

“There is limited space available at present across CBDRobina, particularly offices with existing fitouts, ready for immediate occupation, with our next commercial building, The Base, currently leasing off the plan.”

Mr Slater said along with its proximity to Robina Hospital, Campus Alpha offered easy access to the M1 and major arterial roads and was in walking distance of a range of amenities.

“The Robina Train Station and bus interchange is just steps away and Robina Town Centre close by, so it is an attractive location for staff and customers as there is a whole range of shopping, dining and entertainment in easy reach,” he said.

All three spaces are located on the first level of Campus Alpha and include existing fit out, four dedicated basement car parking spaces plus convenient visitor parking, pylon signage and high speed broadband access.

In addition to Campus Alpha, flexible office spaces, ranging from 112sqm to full floor plates of up to 1,834sqm, are now available for lease off-the-plan in The Base and stand-alone offices, ranging from 163sqm to 304sqm, are available for immediate occupation at CityPods.

Already, a quarter of The Base is leased and, depending on future space take-up, it is expected that work will start on the development late this year.

www.robina.com.au

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