LIVE PROUD MAGAZINE AUTUMN/WINTER 2022
Guiding the way to new beginnings
How Frasers Property’s Customer Care team guide purchasers through the exciting and challenging process of buying a new home
Communities coming back together
Communities all across the country are making the most of being able to reunite
Five Farms takes form
The new community at Clyde North being built on five key principles of how to live well
A blueprint for building green
The innovative resource sharing the lessons of the world’s most sustainable shopping centre, Burwood Brickworks
UP FRONT CONTENTS
Autumn/Winter
2022
Community 3
A culture of care
4–9
Guiding the way to new beginnings
10 –13
Communities coming back together
14 – 17
The Grove grows
18 – 23
The best day of your life is waiting... at Port Coogee
24 – 27
A home for everyone
28 – 31
Ed.Square – A community blossoms
4–9 Guiding the way to new beginnings 18 – 23 The best day of your life is waiting at… Port Coogee
Property 32– 35
Paying it forward
36 – 39
The way we were
40 – 43
From cotton mill to rich new urban neighbourhood
Health and Wellbeing 44 – 47
Five Farms takes form
48 – 51
A blueprint for building green
52 – 53
A cheaper, greener, simpler solution to rising energy costs
Lifestyle 54 – 57
Meet you at the shops
58 – 59
Paris – Welcome back to the world
60 – 61
2022 Milestones
< Cover image Marquez family, Brookhaven, QLD
2
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
24 – 27 A home for everyone
40 – 43 From cotton mill to rich new urban neighbourhood
52 – 53 A cheaper, greener, simpler solution to rising energy costs
54 – 57 Meet you at the shops
60 – 61 2022 Milestones
Please note that while reasonable care is taken to ensure the contents of this magazine are correct, all information is to be used as a guide only. Images are conceptual only. Purchasers must rely on their own enquiries and the contract for sale.
COMMUNITY A CULTURE OF CARE
<
Ed.Square, NSW
A culture of care If there’s one theme that underpins this edition of the Live proud magazine, it’s the importance of care. Whether it’s designing and crafting the neighbourhoods of tomorrow, the communities we consult with as we breathe new life into forgotten places, or the genuine human connection we strive to create with the people that call our properties home, we have learnt in our proud 98-year legacy of developing Australia that a caring approach is central to it all. And there’s a lot of news to share with you on that front. At the old Bradmill Cotton Factory site in Melbourne’s Yarraville, our team are documenting the 80-year history of the mill through the fascinating stories of the people that worked there. We’re also sharing, free to all, our invaluable Greensheet resource listing more than 1,400 tried-and-tested building products that helped us meet the rigorous standards of the Living Building Challenge® at Burwood Brickworks, the world’s most sustainable retail centre.
We also take a look at the outstanding work which our Customer Care team does to assist our customers through the exciting and challenging time of purchasing a property, as well as shining a light on the care our communities have for each other as they come back together and reconnect after a challenging couple of years. I hope you enjoy reading our stories. Until next time, take care.
Cameron Leggatt
Executive General Manager Development Frasers Property Australia
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
3
COMMUNITY GUIDING THE WAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
Guiding the way to new beginnings We invest so much of our identity in the place we call home, so it’s no wonder the decision to move into a new one can overwhelm even the coolest heads with more questions than answers. But it doesn’t have to when Frasers Property’s dedicated Customer Care team are on hand to help. Live proud magazine caught up with three of Frasers Property’s Customer Care Managers who talked us through their special blend of personalised care and can-do solutions.
Tara Williams
Customer Care Manager, QLD Frasers Property Australia
4
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
Fiona Johnson
Customer Care Manager, WA Frasers Property Australia
Lunise Agosta
Customer Care Manager, VIC Frasers Property Australia
COMMUNITY GUIDING THE WAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
Berwick Waters, VIC
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
5
COMMUNITY GUIDING THE WAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
P
lacemaking is as much about the people who will live there as it is about the built environment created for them to live in. It’s no surprise, then, that for many of us the pathway to a new home comes paved with a complex range of emotions. Beneath the heady mix of hopes and dreams about fresh starts and new horizons often lurks anxiety about change, self-doubt about decisions and fear of the unknown. It’s an emotional cocktail that packs a punch and ranks moving house at number three of life’s most stressful events – after death and divorce.
But for Frasers Property’s Customer Care team the art of smoothing life’s ripples is all in a day’s work. Frasers Property’s culture of care and attention to detail – by people, for people – is at the very core of the service the Customer Care team offer. It not only sets Frasers Property apart from its competitors, it also lays the foundations for real and enduring connections for all who choose to call a Frasers Property community home. From exchange of contract, Frasers Property’s Customer Care Managers are there at every step, keeping customers updated through construction, navigating them through the excitement of final inspection and standing by as the hurdles of settlement are cleared. Frasers Property’s individually tailored service continues not only until the day each customer moves into their newly built home or apartment, but beyond.
<
<
Berwick Waters, VIC
6
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY GUIDING THE WAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
<
Port Coogee, WA
It’s the human touch that no algorithm will ever replicate According to Queensland's Customer Care Manager Tara Williams, while no two days are the same, her end goal remains constant: to make sure that her customers’ dealings with Frasers Property Australia are second to none. “We’re in the business of helping people, so our role depends on the individual needs of each customer”, says Tara. “We’re all about peace of mind, reassurance and problem solving. We’re there to hold their hand and support them in whatever they need.” “It’s about being responsive”, elaborates Tara, “it’s about being the person that answers every time they call. It’s about being respectful, understanding and empathetic, and being upfront. It’s also about giving them the answers and just being truthful. People really respect that.” Retiring couples – many of whom are new to apartment living – particularly welcome the service provided by Customer Care, says Western Australia's Customer Care Manager Fiona Johnson, recalling a recent customer overwhelmed by the stress of buying a property and what needed to be done.
“She had a lot of issues and didn’t know where to start with removalists and how to manage that because for a lot of our customers downsizing is a massive change”, says Fiona. “There can be huge stresses in getting rid of things they’ve accumulated over many, many years and how they’re going to manage that. I was able to reassure her that it’s okay – that’s what I’m here for. We’re here to help take that stress away and make sure the financial side, the settlement, the move in and everything around that is as easy as possible. By the end of our meeting she said, ‘this is just so much fun,’ and now she’s looking forward to moving in.” “There’s another newly retired couple I’ve moved into one of our communities, which is located three hours away from their friends and their old community”, continues Fiona. “But when I visited them last week it’s as though they’ve been living there for years. All of those initial stresses have gone and they just couldn’t be happier. So it’s just really lovely to be part of these beautiful stories with our residents.”
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
7
COMMUNITY GUIDING THE WAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
Berwick Waters, VIC
Long-term care Uniquely, Frasers Property’s attention to their customers doesn’t end at settlement, as Fiona explains. “We are with our customers from exchange of their contract, and then nurture them through to settlement and beyond. It continues for as long as they need us, really”, says Fiona. “When I hand over the keys, I make it quite clear to them that the relationship is ongoing, that although you’ve settled and you have ownership of your property, I’m still here for you.” “The beautiful thing with our job is it’s a longerterm relationship than the sales cycle”, adds Tara. “We have months during the construction phase of having those great conversations and getting to know our customers. They’ll give you insights into their lives and you find out what’s important to them, which in turn presents opportunities where we can really shine and make their lives a lot easier.” In some cases, the bonds between Customer Care team members and the residents they assist endure over many years. For many customers, this provides an added level of reassurance long after they move into their new home or apartment, Tara points out. “We talk to people that have been in their properties for seven years or even ten years later – we don’t go anywhere.”
8
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
Helping Australians achieve their dreams Helping people navigate their way through what is a life-changing moment brings its own reward, says Victoria's Customer Care Manager Lunise Agosta. “You never get tired of congratulating someone on realising their dreams of purchasing a house or having a block of land to build a home on.” As Victorian Customer Care Manager, Lunise makes it her priority to ensure that each customer’s journey after signing their contract is as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Though she admits that dealing with the issues facing some customers can be stressful, “on the other side of the coin, we are also there with them during extremely happy moments like handing over the keys.” Fiona is particularly inspired by the property story of a young customer who bought her first apartment through Frasers Property in her early 20s with the help of Western Australia’s shared equity scheme. Recently that same customer, now in her early 30s, bought a new apartment – again, through Frasers Property – and is now in a position to sell the shared equity property and financially stand on her own two feet. “It’s just a lovely example of the power of property and how it can change your life”, says Fiona. “Property has been that leg up for her. And now she has her own bricks and mortar, which I just think is quite incredible at such a young age and so early on in her life.”
COMMUNITY GUIDING THE WAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
A steady hand in challenging times The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges for all Australians. It has particularly impacted the construction industry, adding an extra layer of pressure to an already time-sensitive sector and stress testing the agility and quick thinking of Frasers Property’s Customer Care teams. As customers grappled with the real-life consequences of significant delays, the Queensland team seized the opportunity to rise to the challenge, says Tara. “The pandemic led to a shortage of trades and supplies and that had an impact on building. In some cases, people who thought they’d be moving into their home within a certain timeframe would find themselves without somewhere to live. Because I’m there with them for the journey, I was able to help them find a rental property to live in while they waited until their property was finished. “As a team, we’ve been able to provide these solutions and great outcomes for our customers, which has been great. I think that’s something Frasers Property have done really well.” Overseas customers prevented from travelling to Australia for pre-settlement, required a different level of attention during lockdowns which saw the Customer Care team pivot towards virtual service delivery. “We did a lot of virtual pre-settlement inspections and video calls”, says Tara, “trying to get customers feeling as connected as possible with their property, without them actually physically being there. We’re the eyes on the ground for them, so those customer relationships have never been more important – they trust you when you’re delivering good news and they trust you when you’re delivering the bad.” Communication, adds Lunise, is key to the Customer Care role and never more so than when navigating customers through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Frasers Property work very closely with our builder partners to try and minimise the effect that COVID-19 has on our customers’ experience, but at the end of the day, the construction industry is not immune”, says Lunise. “We work diligently with our partners to ensure that everything gets done as soon as possible, but sometimes things will take longer, so it’s all about communication with our customers.”
One thing that remains consistent, however, is Frasers Property’s customer-first approach “People have tough times with banks, brokers and getting their financing”, says Lunise, “but Frasers Property actually considers the customer before the bottom line. It’s refreshing because not all developers are like that, but we can actually say to a customer, ‘we understand the predicament you’re in,’ and work with them to provide a solution. Frasers Property puts its customers first in every sense of the word. And that makes my job very, very easy”.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
9
COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES COMING BACK TOGETHER!
Communities coming back together! <
It’s been a while since we’ve all been able to get together without any restrictions. But now that we can, the residents of Frasers Property communities have certainly been making up for lost time! Whether it’s Christmas parties, Easter get togethers, Diwali festivities, park runs or good old fashioned board game nights, there’s nothing better than reconnecting with old friends, making new ones and bringing neighbours together to have a good time. It’s great to see so many communities reconnecting and showing their care and appreciation for each other all across the country!
10
Ed.Square, NSW
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES COMING BACK TOGETHER!
Burwood Brickworks, VIC
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
11
1
COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES COMING BACK TOGETHER!
QLD 1
E aster Event
2
3
Brookhaven
The Brookhaven community celebrated Easter together with face painting, craft activities, a scavenger hunt and a lot of chocolate treats! 2
B ig Little Fest Coorparoo Square
The community at Coorparoo Square enjoyed a fun-filled day for the whole family filled with delicious eats, entertainment, shopping and fun!
4
5
6
10
NSW 3
Healthy Holidays
The Waterfront, Shell Cove
The community’s youngest residents were able to take healthy cooking classes as part of the Shell Cove Healthy Holidays kid’s school holiday programs in partnership with Healthy Cities Illawarra. 4
Board Games Night
Ed.Square
The residents at Ed.Square got together for a fun-packed evening of classic board games and bingo! 5
Christmas Event
Eastern Creek Quarter
Christmas classics Home Alone and Elf were screened outside over the festive season.
12
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
7
COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES COMING BACK TOGETHER!
VIC 8
6
Parkrun
Berwick Waters
The 50th Berwick Waters parkrun was held on a gorgeous sunny day and residents celebrated afterwards with some delicious chocolate cupcakes! 7
S anta’s Picnic
Burwood Brickworks
Burwood Brickworks residents celebrated Christmas in style with a picnic with Santa, Mrs Claus and even an elf! 8
M eet Your Neighbour Day Mambourin
Over 300 residents came together for the community’s first Meet Your Neighbour Day in March, where they enjoyed entertainment, activities and food, and even got to explore the exclusive resident-only facilities at Club Mambourin!
9
WA 9 A Very Merry
Neighbourhood Christmas 2021 Frasers Landing
The residents of Frasers Landing came together at their Community Centre to celebrate and share the Christmas cheer! 10
O pening of the new Lucretia Park playgound Port Coogee
The new Lucretia Park playground at Port Coogee is officially open, featuring a shipwreck with a climbing net, swing, mini-scooter track and slide as well as a shelter and picnic setting!
Image courtesy of the City of Cockburn
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
13
COMMUNITY THE GROVE GROWS The Grove, VIC
THE GROVE
GROWS
Nestled between the banks of the Werribee River and Davis Creek is The Grove, a thriving community in Melbourne’s west that is every part as idyllic as its name suggests. Live proud magazine caught up with the team behind the project to find out what makes The Grove such an incomparable place to live. 14
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY THE GROVE GROWS
T
Life by the river
he Grove may only be 31kms from the Melbourne CBD, but it feels a world away. Life is a little slower on the fringes of the city, where tree-lined streets, fresh air, tranquil waterways and wetlands offer a spot for contemplation and a moment’s peace. Offering a more relaxing way of life for families who love the outdoors but still want the convenience of everything they need right on their doorstep, The Grove is unlike any other community in Melbourne’s west. First acquired by Frasers Property in 2018, the past couple of years have seen the neighbourhood thrive and evolve into a community which offers a unique and harmonious lifestyle.
Located in one of Melbourne’s fastest growing regions and with over 1,400 homes now standing, The Grove makes the most of its waterway borders with expansive wetlands, walking paths and beautiful picnic spots for the whole family. The community is also home to numerous parks, playgrounds, a café and the newly opened Dianella Community Centre. “The level of amenity that has been delivered at The Grove to date is a real highlight for residents”, reflects Clare Swanson, the neighbourhood’s Community Development Manager.
“They’re very close to schools, as well as beautiful wetlands, walking trails and parks. The Little Growling Café in particular has become a favourite with the community. It has transformed into a hub for the neighbourhood over the years.” David Mazzotta, Senior Community Development Manager at The Grove agrees. “The Grove has developed very quickly in terms of securing that key public infrastructure as well. For example, we recently opened the community activity centre, which has a three room kinder, community meeting spaces and Maternal and Child Health services.”
Artist's impression
Elevating this level of convenience and public amenity even further is The Grove’s proximity to major connection links. With the Tarneit Train Station and Princes Highway not far away, residents will always feel connected to both the Geelong and Melbourne CBDs. Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
15
COMMUNITY THE GROVE GROWS
The people of The Grove A place is nothing without its people, and the community at The Grove is no exception. “The Grove feels like an established neighbourhood, there’s a real sense of community spirit”, comments Amandip Gurm, Project Marketing Manager at Frasers Property Australia. “Residents have told us that the community at The Grove is what makes it such a great place to live.” In part, this is aided by the team behind the project. “The Community Development team are very involved with the residents”, Amandip adds, “they make sure we provide every opportunity to bring people together and help facilitate those connections within the community.” Some of the regular fixtures on The Grove’s event line-up include the popular Live Life Get Active exercise program and The Bush Bus, a natureinspired playgroup for preschool-aged children. “What I love most about The Bush Bus is that it is attended by people of all ages”, shares Clare, “it’s not just mums and bubs, but the grandparents and the dads as well. All kinds of people take their children to the playgroup, which gives them the opportunity to meet and get to know each other.”
16
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
Amandip Gurm
Project Marketing Manager Frasers Property Australia However, perhaps the biggest reason why the community development team’s work has been so successful is because of the engagement and willingness of the residents themselves. “They want to be engaged”, explains Clare, “some communities want to keep to themselves, but the residents at The Grove want to be a part of their neighbourhood. They have the kind of community where, if their neighbour left their garage door open, they’d let them know. They’re good at looking out for each other.” This community spirit also extends to Rashi, the owner of Little Growling Café. “She’s very community-minded”, says David, “she does a lot of community-oriented events and activities to help bring everyone together." The café has hosted Easter events, small business networking opportunities and most recently, a morning tea for International Women’s Day.
COMMUNITY THE GROVE GROWS
The community continues to grow As far as The Grove has come, there is still so much to look forward to. When complete, the community will be home to 8,000 residents, 11 hectares of open space and every convenience residents need for their everyday lives. “Planning for The Grove’s town centre is underway, with completion anticipated for late 2024”, shares Amandip. The centre will offer residents the convenience of a supermarket, cafes and restaurants, all within walking distance from home.
Parents can also look forward to two future schools, one primary and one secondary, while even more wetlands are set to join The Grove’s already extensive outdoor offering. “I recently spoke to a resident who had just purchased their first home opposite one of the parks at The Grove”, recalls Amandip, “they mentioned how they were looking forward to being able to walk their dog around the community, as well as all the other little aspects about how The Grove was going to benefit them and their lifestyle.
“It’s really rewarding – seeing the pride and excitement of the people who are moving in. And not just for me, but for the whole team. The biggest accomplishment for us is hearing those resident stories and their excitement. That’s when we know we’ve done something right.”
Artist's impression
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
17
COMMUNITY THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING… AT PORT COOGEE
The best day of your life is waiting… at Port Coogee Ask the residents of Port Coogee and they’ll tell you they’d never live anywhere else. With its laid-back coastal charm and picturesque location, it’s not hard to see why. But a great place to live is only part of Port Coogee’s story. As the project embarks on the second half of its development program, the neighbourhood is all set to evolve into a world-class oceanfront destination and drawcard.
Port Coogee, WA
18
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING… AT PORT COOGEE
J
ust 25 metres offshore at Western Australia’s idyllic Port Coogee community, lies an underwater playground for divers and snorkelers. It’s the Coogee Maritime Trail, featuring a remarkable underwater art gallery and artificial reef, anchored by the hulking sunken presence of the Omeo shipwreck.
With a fascinating history as a cargo steamer and passenger liner, plying the waters between Australia, New Zealand, and England during the mid-to-late 1800s, the notoriously accident-prone Omeo had seen its fair share of scrapes. In 1881 it collided with and demolished the Swan Spit lighthouse in Port Phillip Bay. A few years later, laden with 500 tonnes of timber, it crashed into a Perth jetty leaving serious damage in its wake. Miraculously, it also survived being hit by another steamer in Sydney Harbour and almost sunk. Then one squally day in 1905, the Omeo’s luck ran out. Slipping free of its moorings in Fremantle it drifted south on the tides, running aground at Coogee Beach. After a century of lying prone in the sand a few metres below the water’s surface, known only to a small cohort of divers as well as many thousands of fish, the Omeo shipwreck and Coogee Maritime Trail is today one of Western Australia’s premier drawcards, popular with novice divers, snorkelers, and day trippers from Perth and Fremantle.
It’s the kind of discovery story that deeply appeals to Tod O’Dwyer, Frasers Property Australia’s General Manager Development in Western Australia. “The Maritime Trail is an underwater wonderland that’s being discovered by more and more people each year”, says Tod. “It’s been a bit of a well-kept secret for the longest time, but I think that’s also the essence of its charm. You see it on the faces of people as they emerge from the water, they’re just exhilarated by what they’ve seen and explored; they can’t wait to come back and do it again.” That desire to return over and over to a beloved destination is one that underpins Frasers Property’s approach to Port Coogee, the $2 billion coastal neighbourhood that will one day be home to more than 4,000 residents. Located 23kms south-west of Perth and just 5kms south of Fremantle, the charm of Port Coogee – like the Omeo wreck it shares its beach with – is about to be discovered by the wider world.
Tod O’Dwyer
General Manager Development, WA Frasers Property Australia
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
19
COMMUNITY THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING… AT PORT COOGEE
A coming-of-age story Port Coogee is a little over halfway through its completion. Drive into the picturesque residential enclave today and you’re struck by the sense of laid-back coastal charm that permeates its neat streets and local shops. A feast for the senses, the sound of flip-flops on the footpath and children’s laughter in the waterfront park combine with the smell of seaspray and the sight of the glittering Indian Ocean stretching away to the horizon. It’s easy to see why residents at Port Coogee wouldn’t live anywhere else. But a great place to live is only part of Port Coogee’s story. As the project embarks on the second half of its development program, the neighbourhood will evolve into a world-class oceanfront destination and drawcard. “This is where it gets exciting”, explains Tod. “Much of what we’ve delivered over the last 15 years has been about laying down the building blocks of this really well-loved community, delivering the infrastructure that makes it work for residents. The next phase is about bringing in the fine grain that elevates it to something truly special and unique.”
20
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING… AT PORT COOGEE
The ‘fine grain’ Tod refers to includes the completion of Port Coogee’s 300-berth marina; creation of a waterfront tavern and dining precinct; delivery of a vibrant new Main Street and waterside plaza; a new mix of townhomes, apartments, and short-stay accommodation with contemporary coastal character; all connected by pedestrian-friendly corsos and laneways. In essence, says Tod, Port Coogee is on the cusp of its maturation, and as it comes into its own it will transform from a great place to live into a great place to be. “I liken it to taking a trip on the Amalfi Coast and discovering some romantic little hamlet where you decide to stop for an hour or two, but end up staying the day”, explains Tod.
“You find yourself immersed in the character of the place – strolling the streets, chatting with locals at a cafe, lingering to watch the sun go down over the water… you didn’t know it when you drove in, but you were about to have one of the best days of your life. That’s what we want Port Coogee to be.”
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
21
COMMUNITY THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING… AT PORT COOGEE
Coogee proud Michelle Mrzyglocki has been the Community Development Manager at Port Coogee since 2015, helping residents build the social ties that create the colour and character of the neighbourhood. She says the locals are some of the most engaged and generous resident communities she’s worked with. “It’s the nature of my job to always be thinking about how to bring people together”, Michelle explains, “and in some new communities it takes quite a lot of work. But at Port Coogee, the community has tended to bond and organise in this really organic way. I think some of that is that they’re incredibly proud of where they live. They think it’s beautiful and they really care about keeping it that way.” That sense of motivation is part of the “magic of Port Coogee”, says Michelle. “A few years ago, the local council asked for budget submissions by local community groups for work they wanted done in their area. The Port Coogee Community Association put forward five plans for various upgrades and improvements and got all five approved. Not everyone could have done that, and it just demonstrates how energised and organised they are.”
Importantly, the efforts of Port Coogee residents extend well beyond writing budget proposals. In fact, a lot of it is centred around the social vibrancy of the community. Michelle says there’s a First Friday group who organise a social event on the first Friday of every month, regular street parties, clean up days, competitive ocean swims, Christmas festivals, choir singing, and food truck nights on the foreshore. And that’s not to mention the general sense of camaraderie and activity to be found in the main street. “It felt like something clicked this year and there’s just this real kind of buzz in Port Coogee”, says Michelle.
“The hairdresser’s booked up, the cafe is pumping, and the shopping centre is really busy. Despite all the stuff that’s going on in the world right now, there’s just this feeling that Port Coogee people are in the right spot at the exact right time.”
22
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING… AT PORT COOGEE
An icon in the making As the project moves into development of the much-anticipated marina village precinct, a huge amount of civil work has been undertaken to prepare the southern peninsula for its transformation. The masterplan includes provision for a range of new apartment buildings and terrace homes linked by view corridors to the ocean and connection to sustainably landscaped public open space. A key consideration, says Tod, is walkability. “Well, maybe it’s actually ‘strollability”, laughs Tod. “The goal is to create this classic Australian coastal destination that feels exciting and relaxing in equal measure. The completion of the marina, the future tavern, and public plaza will really cement Port Coogee as the country’s best new beachside village.”
For more information on Port Coogee, call Frasers Property on 13 38 38.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
23
COMMUNITY A HOME FOR EVERYONE
A home for everyone The beating heart – and the inspiration – behind Midtown MacPark are the people who will call it home. Inspired by the diversity and richness of the Macquarie Park community, the story of Midtown MacPark is the story of Frasers Property’s bold vision to create a diverse urban neighbourhood where everyone can thrive.
I
t all began with a single driving ambition: how can we design a neighbourhood where everyone will feel welcome and included?
It was a lofty goal, but drawing on inspiration from some of the world's great urban neighbourhoods found in New York, Paris and London, Frasers Property’s Midtown MacPark team set to work on a masterplan. The result is a 100% walkable and completely connected community. The creation of Midtown MacPark is about more than just a place to live. It’s about creating a place to belong. Midtown MacPark's innovative blend of housing design brings together investors, uni students, first home buyers, upgraders, growing families and downsizers – all of it interwoven and underpinned by world-class architecture.
24
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
Midtown MacPark, NSW
COMMUNITY A HOME FOR EVERYONE
Sarah Melody
Community Development Manager Frasers Property Australia
For those studying hard Midtown MacPark is situated in one of the best-connected neighbourhoods in Sydney – Macquarie Park – and within easy reach of an extensive range of places to work, shop, dine, socialise and relax. Close proximity to the Macquarie University is bound to also make it a drawcard for students.
“Midtown MacPark will be defined by diversity”, says General Manager National Development Nigel Edgar. “Young families, singles and couples, downsizers, investors, students, community housing tenants, local workers and more, Midtown MacPark will be home to a true mix of people which is the essential building block of every vibrant, inclusive community in the world.” “This overarching vision of Midtown as a place where people from all walks of life can thrive, is driven by Frasers Property’s goal of creating places where people can belong”, explains NSW General Manager Development Cameron Jackson. “We’re delivering around 30% of the site as open spaces that will be available to everyone. That was part of the genesis of the community’s design.” “It’s about making sure that everything we do makes everyone feels welcomed and included”, adds Sarah Melody, Midtown MacPark’s Community Development Manager. “Every decision we make has the community’s best interest at the forefront, which is something I’m really proud of.”
Ranked in the top 1% of world universities by QS World University Rankings, 2020 and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2021, Macquarie University has been welcoming students through its doors studying everything from marketing to medicine since 1962. Australia's first university-owned teaching hospital, MQ Health, is just down the road making Midtown MacPark perfectly situated to help students succeed in their studies.
For the career-driven Macquarie Park is currently one of NSW’s top three business districts. For the thousands of people that commute to Macquarie Park from all over Sydney, Midtown MacPark’s location is ideally positioned to cut travel time and improve worklife balance. National and international business headquarters including Microsoft, Optus, Hyundai and Revlon are all close by, while reliable public transport options that connect Midtown MacPark with the CBD make getting around a breeze. The new Metro line, scheduled for completion in 2024, will connect Midtown MacPark residents to Barangaroo, Martin Place, Central and Sydney's CBD, providing direct access in under 20 minutes.
So how will the vision unfold?
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
25
COMMUNITY A HOME FOR EVERYONE
For the youngest residents A proposed school and two childcare centres will cater for Midtown MacPark’s youngest residents. The first of these, Montessori Academy, is expected to open its doors in late 2023. And when they’re not at school, Midtown MacPark’s open spaces, playgrounds and parks will keep them entertained. “Interest from families looking for apartments has been particularly strong, and an onsite childcare centre is an essential piece of social infrastructure future residents and locals will need”, comments Nigel. “We’re pleased to welcome the experienced operator Montessori Academy, whose vision for an inclusive learning environment aligns with ours for Midtown MacPark – creating a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.” “The children's playground will be designed with a public art focus”, details Cameron. “We’ll work with an artist to design a fantastic engaging playground that has a connection to country and will also serve as a beautiful public art piece.
26
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
For the young at heart Midtown MacPark has been designed to help all ages thrive, and that includes older residents as well. The community will include retirement living so seniors can live out their golden years in style. Further to this, the entirety of Midtown MacPark’s masterplan has been carefully considered to ensure everyone will be able to get around with ease, regardless of their level of mobility. “The site has a gradient in it, it’s quite steep”, comments Cameron. “We understood that this was going to be a design constraint right from the beginning, especially because we wanted to make sure that the main street and all the open spaces are accessible gradients that everyone can use. We worked closely with our landscape architect, Hassell, to develop a masterplan and a level solution that will provide an accessible gradient for all people, without having to rely on a myriad of paths and accessible ramps.”
COMMUNITY A HOME FOR EVERYONE
Artist's impression
For the wider Macquarie Park community Long recognised as a place for work and study, Macquarie Park will soon be known for the best of urban living too. “From the outset, this important site represented a unique opportunity to design and build a new community that will deliver new character and identity to Macquarie Park”, explains Nigel, “taking a masterplanned approach, we're able to bring new amenities and infrastructure and improve public open spaces to the local community, rather than putting pressure on existing social infrastructure.” Some of the amenities residents and locals can look forward to are parks, playgrounds, cafés and convenience stores, a community centre, cycling tracks, as well as a 25-metre commercial pool and gym.
Already open and serving the local community at Midtown MacPark is café and social enterprise, Darcy Street Project. Founder John Caffaretta and his team work hard every day to better the lives of those in the community. The social enterprise’s mission is to break the cycle of social exclusion by using education, coffee and food culture as a vehicle for social impact. Once completed, Midtown MacPark will bring a new and exciting way of living not just for its residents but for the wider Macquarie Park community. “The beauty of Midtown is it’s going to be such a diverse community”, adds Sarah, “it’s been designed with a very inclusive thought process. I'm really looking forward to meeting the residents and helping to bring them together and seeing what the outcomes are. It’s a very unique and exciting opportunity to work with such a mixed community.”
For more information on Midtown MacPark, call Frasers Property on 13 38 38 today.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
27
COMMUNITY ED.SQUARE – A COMMUNITY BLOSSOMS
Ed.Square –
A community blossoms Ed.Square, NSW
28
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
A lot of what goes into creating a new neighbourhood is easily observable. The earth moving, the construction, the landscaping, and the infrastructure. But arguably the most important inclusion – the sense of community and belonging – requires dedicated effort and gentle coaxing to create that magic sense of place.
Ed.Square
COMMUNITY ED.SQUARE – A COMMUNITY BLOSSOMS
“There’s something special about the community at Ed.Square”, says Claire Palmer, the Frasers Property Community Development Manager who is responsible for fostering social connection between new neighbours at the flourishing Frasers Property neighbourhood in Sydney’s south-west. The sense of community and camaraderie that has developed at Ed.Square in just a couple of fast-paced years has become one of its key selling points. “More and more people I speak to are saying that they’re moving to Ed.Square because of the community”, says Claire. “People love the friendly neighbourhood feel.” Ed.Square is one of more than a dozen active Frasers Property neighbourhoods where there is a significant and long-term investment in community development, run by dedicated specialists like Claire. Time and again, Frasers Property has seen residents benefit from activations and initiatives designed to bring people together and give them opportunities to make lasting connections with other residents. “It’s about ensuring there is a diverse range of opportunities for people to come together”, explains Claire. “People at Ed.Square live busy lives. They’re often working couples or people with young families. They want to have the best of both worlds where they can live and work somewhere where it’s all happening and there are a lot of activities. The community program we run allows people with busy lives to take advantage of the arranged activities when it suits them.” One recent event, a ‘Paint & Sip’ art workshop run in partnership with and hosted by local café Degani, led by talented artist Courtney Beaton of KAO Kreative, was a huge success. Guided by Courtney to release their inner Picasso, residents painted up a storm and got to know each other while enjoying wine and cheese. The beauty of these events according to Claire is allowing residents to not just prepare an artwork they can then take home but also meet their neighbours in an informal setting and even bring a family member along to see what it’s like living at Ed.Square.
The Community Development program has been so successful at Ed.Square that residents are now starting to take ownership of it and drive it for themselves. “People genuinely want to connect, which I really love”, says Claire. “You want them to meet others they really gel with and then go on to arrange their own social activities.” A recent example saw residents approach Claire about starting up a regular board game night, approaching local businesses to host and support them. This is the ideal outcome according to Claire, who says that she knows she’s succeeding in her role when residents facilitate their own community events independent of Frasers Property. Warwick Dowler, Ed.Square’s Development Director, agrees: “The definition of success in community development is when you have residents taking the lead on things. That’s exactly what you want.”
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
29
COMMUNITY ED.SQUARE – A COMMUNITY BLOSSOMS
Claire Palmer
Community Development Manager Frasers Property Australia
“More and more people I speak to are saying that they’re moving to Ed.Square because of the community.”
ject
Community building during lockdowns The past few years have not been the easiest for building community connections with the global pandemic forcing regular lockdowns and social isolation. A large number of residents moved into Ed.Square either between or during lockdowns and, as a result, the usual community activations and welcome-to-the-neighbourhood events were often unable to proceed. But with quick adaptation, Claire was able to bring people together with a string of online events, competitions, and initiatives including wellbeing webinars, cooking workshops, recipe sharing initiatives, and photo competitions. To Warwick, the desire of residents to continue engaging with each other during this time showed the strength of the community spirit. “One thing that’s really been evident with the Ed.Square community is just how resilient they’ve been despite not having the ability to do things faceto-face”, he says. “The whole time the lockdown situation was going on, the residents remained very keen to still engage.”
The Ed.Square ‘Kindness Project’, an offshoot of a global phenomenon that took off in response to the pandemic, asked residents to nominate someone who had done something kind for another neighbour. The response was heartwarming. “At first, I thought I’d get maybe two submissions a week”, says Claire, “but we got flooded with nominations. It just shows the character and genuine sentiment we have here in the community.”
Pro ss e d n i K
Having a resident-run Facebook page focused on the Ed.Square community was also an invaluable tool during the lockdown period, providing an informative space for people to ask questions and be pointed in the right direction by other residents. “People who have yet to move into the community are joining this Facebook group and already getting a sense of the place, the locals, the best coffee, the local schools”, says Claire.
The Community Development team ran a number of innovative online initiatives to engage residents with the community, including the ‘What I Love About Ed’ competition and ‘The Kindness Project’.
‘What I Love About Ed’ asked residents to post photos on Facebook together with the hashtag #whatiloveaboutEd. Popular themes that emerged were the glorious sunsets and sunrises viewed from the Ed.Square apartments, the joy of meeting new neighbours and getting to know them, as well as the convenience of Ed.Square Town Centre with its great access to shops, cinema, entertainment, and Eat Street.
#whatiloveaboutEd 30
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
COMMUNITY ED.SQUARE – A COMMUNITY BLOSSOMS
Humans of Ed. Another exciting initiative underway at Ed.Square is the ‘Humans of Ed.’ project, undertaken by local Ed.Square residents Amanda and JP, who run creative agency Jasper Avenue. The project features photos and stories from Ed.Square residents and is a celebration of the diversity and strength of its community. “Some of the residents have always been local to the area and want to be involved in this new, happening urban space”, says Amanda. “Some, like JP and me, came from the inner city where space is tighter. Others have moved in from further out of town. So, there’s always stories to be told about what brought people here – their dreams and aspirations. You can’t tell just by looking at them.” Once completed, the ‘Humans of Ed.’ project will be displayed in a community space at Ed.Square where residents and visitors can view and enjoy the works.
A unique place to live in Sydney What stands out to Claire about Ed.Square residents is the care and sense of pride they have in their community. She sees it in the way that residents look out for each other and support the local Eat Street businesses. “They just genuinely care about their community”, adds Claire. “They know the local restauranteurs and café owners in Eat Street, and they support them to succeed. It’s what’s making the neighbourhood really come alive.” Warwick says he knew from the early days of the development that they had an opportunity to build a unique offering at Ed.Square given its size and location, supported by a brand new train station built directly to the north of the neighbourhood. Now with over 1,000 residents moved in and such a strong and diverse community coming together, Ed. Square is flourishing. “When you see neighbours stopping to chat in the shops and kids making new friends in the playground, you know that all the planning and effort is paying off”, says Warwick. “It means that community has a life of its own.”
For more information on Ed.Square, call Frasers Property on 13 38 38.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
31
PROPERTY PAYING IT FORWARD
PAYING IT
FORWARD
As Frasers Property Australia approaches its centenary year, Executive General Manager Development, Cameron Leggatt, finds himself reflecting on the value of legacy and what it means to create the places that support the hopes and ambitions of hundreds of thousands of Australians. A legacy that’s not just about what’s left for posterity, but what is bequeathed to future generations.
T
he weight of responsibility that comes with shaping dozens of new suburbs and neighbourhoods across the country is one that Frasers Property Australia’s Cameron Leggatt, carries with both gratitude and humility. As Executive General Manager Development he oversees a portfolio of developments, including residential, retail, and commercial projects – the future homes, shops, and places of work for hundreds of thousands of people. It’s the kind of job where the fruits of labour are highly visible and occasionally controversial. The very nature of development – including redevelopment – of our suburbs and cities comes with its share of uncertainty for those who share space with these evolving places.
Cameron Leggatt
Executive General Manager Development Frasers Property Australia
32
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
PROPERTY PAYING IT FORWARD
“It’s an entirely understandable anxiety”, says Cameron. “In a lot of ways, our neighbourhoods are extensions of ourselves. Our sense of identity and safety is really wrapped up in the places we live and work and that comes with a fair amount of emotional attachment. So, when a developer comes in with a plan to build something new, there’s a level of disruption and change that can concern people.
“Ultimately, people hope to have their lives and neighbourhoods improved, but they fear the opposite. As a business, we’re very sensitive to that.” That sensitivity means that Frasers Property sees its legacy as substantially more than the homes, parks, shopping centres and business towers it creates. Instead, the standard of success is increasingly measured by the pride and collective sense of belonging people feel for these places, as well as the way they provide a backdrop to realise individual hopes and ambitions. It’s a simple human truth captured in the company’s tagline: Live proud, and what Cameron says sets the company apart in its approach to placemaking. “The elements that underpin good development haven’t changed all that much since we migrated from farms to villages thousands of years ago”, he explains. “We still need a market square. We still need a civic heart to our communities. We want the nourishment of beauty around us, and good neighbours and great friends close by. It’s not rocket science, but the trick is to do it really, really well. So generations from now, when our contribution to a place is a distant memory, people will continue to be attracted there because it’s meaningful to them.” Philosophically, it’s an inarguably worthy ambition. But what about the practice? Cameron points to the recent crop of completed neighbourhoods that exemplify the company’s approach to leaving a valued legacy: Central Park Sydney, Melbourne’s Freshwater Place, Yungaba House in Brisbane, and Queen’s Riverside in Perth. Let’s take a closer look. Central Park, Sydney
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
33
PROPERTY PAYING IT FORWARD
Central Park, Sydney Fifteen years ago, a former brewery on Sydney’s Broadway had fallen into disrepair, a forgotten relic of Chippendale’s rich history. Fast forward to today and it’s a thriving community and one of the city’s most recognisable and iconic addresses – Central Park Sydney. Proudly developed by Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia, the vision to create a self-contained neighbourhood where people can live, learn, work, shop, dine and relax together has seen Central Park Sydney become the most awarded mixed-use development in the country. Stepping onto the grounds of Central Park Sydney today, it’s hard to believe that a mere decade ago this was a derelict site on one of Sydney’s busiest streets. Day and night, Spice Alley is full of diners enjoying the best of Asian street cuisine. Shoppers and cinema-goers stream in and out of Central Park Mall’s jungled interior, while sunkissed residents laze on the manicured lawns of Chippendale Green. Central Park Sydney is a meeting place that manages to feel both exciting and idyllic in equal measure.
Freshwater Place, Melbourne Nestled on the southern bank of Melbourne’s Yarra River, the mixed-use residential, retail, and commercial precinct today known as Freshwater Place has always been a meeting point. With an important indigenous heritage and then subsequent development of warehouses and wharves as Melbourne’s first port in the late 1800s, Southbank’s evolution continues to bring people together in the pursuit of art, commerce, and riverside prosperity. In 2005, Frasers Property set out to help redevelop this neglected precinct of Melbourne, restoring its former glory as a trading post and meeting place, while reconnecting it with the thriving streets and laneways across the river. The resulting masterplan combined 37 floors of highly soughtafter office space with riverside restaurants and retail amenities, as well as luxury apartment living with a fully equipped gym, rooftop garden, function space, theatre, pool, sauna, and more. Today, Freshwater Place is a bustling mixed-use neighbourhood with residents and workers rubbing shoulders at its waterfront bars, cafes, and restaurants.
34
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
PROPERTY PAYING IT FORWARD
< Yungaba House, QLD
Yungaba House, Brisbane
Queens Riverside, Perth
Tucked away on Kangaroo Point just 800m from the bustling Brisbane CBD, sits one of Frasers Property Australia’s most unique projects: Yungaba.
Featuring beautifully landscaped open links, spectacular water features and gardens, as well as a European-inspired piazza that flows seamlessly between four architecturally arresting apartment buildings, Queens Riverside celebrates the unique beauty of the Swan River and the surrounding native parklands and reserves. All within strolling distance to the world-renowned WACA Ground, Trinity College, and Queens Gardens.
Centred around historic Yungaba House, this masterplanned residential community consists of four apartment buildings connected by tropical gardens, and 10 exclusive residences lovingly restored and renewed by Frasers Property alongside a team of the nation’s best heritage consultants. Yungaba House was originally commissioned by the Queensland Government in 1885 as an Immigration Depot, going on to live many lives over the years – serving as a ‘return house’ for Australian troops returning from the Boer War, a hospital for Australian troops during the wartime years of the 1900’s and a drafting office for architects working on projects for Brisbane City. Acquired by Frasers Property in 2003, the vision for the entire Yungaba site, including the delicate restoration of Yungaba House, was clear from the outset: a rare opportunity to rehabilitate and preserve one of Brisbane’s oldest buildings while keeping this unique slice of Brisbane history alive for generations to come.
Whether it’s a show at Optus Stadium, a cricket match at the WACA, or the restaurants and nightlife of the city, Queens Riverside residents are spoilt for choice. And when it’s time to retreat to home, there are exclusive amenities to enjoy – including pools, hot tubs, residents’ lounge, cinema-style theatre room, fully equipped gym, and resident concierge services. The Queens Riverside precinct also includes Fraser Suites Perth. Offering short and long-stay options, these popular self-contained apartments feature stylish furnishings and fittings, balconies or floor-to-ceiling windows that open to allow in an abundance of natural light, as well as complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi and modern kitchens. It’s a unique offering that means Queens Riverside can be home for a day, a week, or forever.
<
Queens Riverside, WA < Freshwater Place, VIC
For more information on these communities or any of the current Frasers Property communities under development, call 13 38 38. Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
35
PROPERTY THE WAY WE WERE
The way we were It’s been said that experience is the father – and mother – of wisdom. And when it comes to understanding how the places we live in have evolved and will continue to evolve, it pays to talk to people who’ve been in the placemaking business for a very long time.
Burwood Brickworks, VIC
36
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
PROPERTY THE WAY WE WERE
It might not be something you think about every day, but the development of Australia’s cities, towns, and suburbs is happening all around us, all the time. And if you look back over the decades, you can see different styles and approaches to that development – whether through street layout, architectural form, landscaping, or land sizes. The question is: was it better back then or is it better now? We asked four long-serving Frasers Property people to weigh in with their perspectives, refined through the wisdom of experience.
33 yrs IN INDUSTRY:
23 yrs
FRASERS PROPERTY:
Warwick Dowler
Development Director Frasers Property Australia
29 yrs IN INDUSTRY:
24 yrs
FRASERS PROPERTY:
Cameron Jackson
General Manager Development, NSW Frasers Property Australia
27 yrs IN INDUSTRY:
20 yrs
FRASERS PROPERTY:
Sarah Bloom
General Manager Development, VIC Frasers Property Australia
43 yrs IN INDUSTRY:
22 yrs
FRASERS PROPERTY:
Nigel Edgar
General Manager National Development Frasers Property Australia
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
37
PROPERTY THE WAY WE WERE
Taken together, the combined placemaking experience of the four of you adds up to more than 130 years! That’s a lot of experience. When you think back, what’s changed the most in the way we develop places and neighbourhoods today? Nigel: There’s a much higher level of consciousness and consideration for the liveability of people’s lives. We think much more about the human scale as opposed to the engineering scale of development. That’s led to much better levels of amenity and more self-contained neighbourhoods. Warwick: The biggest change has been the emphasis on creating a distinct character and sense of place, especially in larger-scale developments like Ed.Square, for example. When I look back at some of the stuff that was done in the 1980s and 1990s, there probably wasn’t as much forethought in how these places would age gracefully or serve future generations. We think about that a lot more now. Sarah: We’re a lot more sophisticated in the way we listen and respond to the market these days. We take the time to understand what customers really want and we design around those needs. And the practice of placemaking is far better off for it, in my view. Cameron: Project vision stands out for me. These days great developers see themselves as more than just developers, they are city shapers and they have the courage to plant a flag and say, ‘we’re going to create something special here’. You saw that with the sustainability vision at Central Park Sydney, which was revolutionary at the time. Same for Burwood Brickworks where the vision to create the world’s most sustainable shopping centre has now been realised.
Fairwater, NSW
38
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
Port Coogee, WA
PROPERTY THE WAY WE WERE
Putney Hill, NSW
There are a lot of elements to think about when designing and masterplanning a new development – architecture, landscaping, land sizes, community development and so on. Has the approach to these evolved in your time, or has it largely stayed the same? Sarah: The focus on community connection and community creation is a lot more deliberate now. For a long time, each property buyer was considered quite individually, rather than part of the larger community they were buying into. Today we do much more, both in urban design terms, but also in community development initiatives, to bring people together and form their own bonds. We know this really strengthens communities and adds value to people’s lives. Cameron: There was a time when the landscaping and quality of the public domain followed the urban design process, but today it leads it. We start thinking about how to create identity, sense of place and amenity through landscape design and vision from day one. We involve the community in the design process, establishing vital community ownership of the vision. Even years before we get to site to commence construction, we start growing the trees we will eventually plant there. Warwick: There’s no question that the cost to develop land has had a big impact on land sizes and densities in our cities. As backyards have got smaller, it’s certainly changed the way we approach the design of public domain so that people have better public open spaces to access. Nigel: Housing has evolved quite a bit in 40 years. There’s much more diversity now, which I think is a good thing. You used to go into a development and every house was a single storey brick veneer with a hip roof and red roof tiles. These days, you find diverse housing styles from big double-storey family homes, rows of neat terraces homes, and apartment buildings often sharing the same street. It gives people more choice and brings more diversity into new communities.
What are the big trends that are really shaping neighbourhood design today? What are you most excited about? Cameron: If you look at the two large Metro station projects in Sydney and Melbourne that are happening right now, these will have a major impact on where and how people will live. There will be new opportunities around each new station for homes and businesses to prosper side by side, this makes our cities more vibrant, transitoriented, and importantly more sustainable. We can get a lot of people out of cars and have a more connected community. Warwick: Definitely the shift to working from home and hybrid work we’ve seen in the last couple of years. Architects and designers need to rethink what people need from their homes, especially in terms of more functional home offices and adaptable workspaces. But we also need to think outside the home too. Do we need to include coworking or common spaces close by? All of this is playing out right now and will be a fairly significant lasting trend. Sarah: People’s expectations around sustainability has really shifted. Customers used to be pretty sceptical about things like Greenstar homes and water recycling, assuming it cost them more. But that’s totally flipped around now. Having sustainability initiatives bricked in is considered a ‘must-have’ and a base level of expectation. It’s now a cost not to have it. Nigel: There’s a lot more science and understanding of human behaviour that’s emerging in placemaking. For example, we know that people’s habits are formed within two weeks of moving into a new neighbourhood, so something as simple as getting the local bus service in early means more people are likely to leave the car at home when they commute to work. It’s the same with meeting their neighbours. If we can help early on to help residents get to know each other, they report feeling more secure and happier in the long run.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
39
PROPERTY FROM COTTON MILL TO RICH NEW URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
From cotton mill to rich new urban neighbourhood The history and future of Yarraville’s Bradmill site Opportunities to breathe new life into inner-city places – especially at the scale of the old Bradmill factory site in Yarraville – don’t come along that often. It’s why Frasers Property are working hard to ensure this former cotton mill becomes one of the most desirable communities in Melbourne’s inner west.
40
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
PROPERTY FROM COTTON MILL TO RICH NEW URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
A
ccording to Victoria’s Department of Transport, more than 200,000 vehicles traverse Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge every day. For most motorists, getting to and from work on time is the key thought occupying their attention as they navigate the bridge traffic. But if they were to glance left as they head cityward, they might see a large factory site at the southern edge of the suburb of Yarraville, dotted with red brick buildings, graffitied boiler house, and a towering chimney stack that’s clearly seen better days.
This is the former Bradmill Industries Limited textile factory – at one time the country’s first and only manufacturer of denim, as well as a leading supplier of cotton workwear including iconic Aussie brand, King Gee. Established on site in 1938 and shuttered 67 years later, the 26-hectare factory site had lain disused and unloved for more than 16 years until it was given a new lease of life by joint venture partners Irongate Group and Frasers Property Australia. Today, it stands on the cusp of an exciting program of renewal that will see this former cotton mill transform into the inner west’s rich new urban tapestry. Honouring the site’s past as he plans to recreate its future is a privilege that Frasers Property’s Development Director Theo Della Bosca feels very keenly. He says that opportunities to “fill in the blanks” of a suburb like Yarraville at this kind of scale are virtually unheard of in inner Melbourne. And with a proud local populace that fiercely champions and protects the character of their suburb, there is already a good deal of interest in what the development plan will entail. “If you know the inner west of Melbourne, you know that Yarraville is one of the city’s hidden gems”, says Theo. “It’s a suburb that has gentrified in this really interesting way, maintaining much of its working-class charm, while at the same time championing culture, diversity, and a genuine sense of community. So, we’re very conscious that the redevelopment of Bradmill must be sensitive to that context and be a place that feels like a natural complement to the Yarraville people already know and love.”
Bradmill, Yarraville
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
41
PROPERTY FROM COTTON MILL TO RICH NEW URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
Planning to succeed While the final development plan is yet to be confirmed for Bradmill, Theo’s team are hard at work preparing the ground. Site clean-up and remediation works are already underway in anticipation of the project launching in the first half of 2023. In terms of detail, Theo says that the final precinct plan will combine the full strength of neighbourhood design capability the company is renowned for, including residential, retail and sustainability initiatives. “In total, we expect we’ll end up with around 1,100 dwellings on Bradmill, which will be a combination of apartments and townhomes”, explains Theo. “That will provide a bit more diversity in housing stock to the area, while at the same time reflecting the best in modern inner-city living including the goal of it being a 6 Star Green Star Community under the Green Building Council Australia’s sustainability rating and certification tool for communities. “It’s also very important to us to have high-quality public domain and a civic focal point to the project. So Yarraville’s new public library will be based here and is to be developed as an iconic building integrated into the neighbourhood shops, cafes and meeting spaces. And of course, we’re across the road from McIvor Reserve with its massive grounds and sporting fields, so we’ll be focused on making sure that residents of Bradmill have easy and unfettered access to those as well.” Another significant opportunity for the redevelopment is to incorporate aspects of the site’s heritage into its future form. In addition to restoring and finding new uses for the site’s distinctive red brick buildings and boiler house, the development team are also exploring ideas for incorporating materials and architectural styles reflective of its post-industrial past. There is also a project underway to document the history of the Bradmill factory and its importance in the lives of local workers and their families.
42
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
“At one time, Bradmill was a very significant employer in the area with as many as 1,200 people on-site at any one time”, says Theo. “And because it was around for so long, it was a place where some families saw their children go to work when they grew up. So, there’s this interesting multigenerational aspect to Bradmill. We’re really excited to get to know those stories better and share them for future generations to understand the importance and impact of Bradmill on the growth and economic development of Melbourne’s west.”
Theo Della Bosca
Development Director Frasers Property Australia
PROPERTY FROM COTTON MILL TO RICH NEW URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
West is best The sheer scale of Bradmill affords a remarkably rare opportunity to further enhance the vibrant character of the inner west. Theo points to the Victorian Government’s plans for Fisherman’s Bend, at the western fringe of Melbourne’s CBD, as evidence of the transformation that’s going on in Melbourne’s west. The ambitious urban renewal plan is Australia’s largest, with homes for 80,000 residents, jobs for 40,000 people, and university places for 20,000 students by 2050. “The money and commitment that’s being invested in Melbourne’s inner west is incredibly exciting”, says Theo. “When you take Fisherman’s Bend and Bradmill into account, you’re starting to see this really rich regeneration of fallow urban areas at tremendous scale.”
A community of builders Following the acquisition of the Bradmill site, Frasers Property’s General Manager Development in Victoria, Sarah Bloom, made sure that the business connected with the local community to take their pulse on the intended development. What she found was a proudly inner-west identity and a highly developed sense of compassion and citizenship. So highly developed, the research firm that undertook the analysis said they’d rarely seen neighbourhood cohesion and community building scores as strong as those found amongst Yarraville residents. “The character of Yarraville is very much a local village feel, where people love their community and invest their time and energy in it”, says Sarah. “There is this quite obvious desire to do right by each other and I think it’s one of the best things about the suburb.
It’s a renewal of inner city living that threatens to reverse some of the ‘urban flight’ seen in recent years. “We talk a lot about the people that have left the cities during the pandemic, but in fact we’re starting to see and hear evidence of people wanting to return because they miss the social connections, the culture, the big events or the career opportunities that cities provide”, says Theo. “I think neighbourhoods like Bradmilll will be a beacon for those who see the inner west as the most vibrant, modern, and diverse place in which to enjoy a tight-knit sense of community so close to everything the big city has to offer.”
For more information or to register your interest in Bradmill, contact Frasers Property on 13 38 38.
“Naturally, as community builders ourselves, we hope that the future residents of Bradmill feel the same way. So, while we don’t ever think we can – or should – replicate the very distinctive village atmosphere of Yarraville, we intend for Bradmill to feel like it complements the identity of the suburb, with its own personality and authenticity. As placemakers, it’s a significant endeavour to undertake but one we’re absolutely confident we will achieve.”
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
43
HEALTH AND WELLBEING FIVE FARMS TAKES FORM
Five Farms takes form In a world that’s becoming busier and more crowded, how to live well is a challenge facing all of us. Five Farms is a new kind of community that recognises this and has been designed with wellness at its core. 44
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
HEALTH AND WELLBEING FIVE FARMS TAKES FORM
Five Farms, VIC
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
45
HEALTH AND WELLBEING FIVE FARMS TAKES FORM
B
ut what does it mean to live well? This is the question that the team at Frasers Property Australia’s Five Farms’ community in Clyde North pondered as they strove to design a neighbourhood around the concept of wellness. At Five Farms, living well will mean a combination of the principles of health, happiness, prosperity, sustainability and community. These form the five pillars that the neighbourhood has been designed and built around to ensure that Five Farms will be a community that puts the wellbeing of its residents first. This people-first approach has resonated strongly with buyers in Melbourne’s south-east, with unprecedented demand for the first stage release.
David Mazzotta, Senior Community Development Manager at Frasers Property Australia explains, “you’re not only buying into a community, but the vision of shared values in that community and shared aspiration. I think that’s why it’s so attractive, because the people that buy at Five Farms can buy there with confidence, knowing that the people who are going to be next door or across the road from them have those same shared values and shared aspirations.” As the community’s first residents approach their settlement dates and the neighbourhood begins to take form, Live proud magazine takes a look at just what it is that sets Five Farms apart.
Inspired by its past Five Farms’ focus on wellbeing is complemented by an appreciation of the site’s past. This emphasis on history can be seen in the choice of name for the new neighbourhood. “It’s called Five Farms because the family who owned the land on which it’s built had, over 100 years, acquired five farms”, explains David. “The family has taken a keen interest in the visioning for the project. Our five different stages will each be named after the name of each of these farms to weave in this cultural history of the site.” “The site has such a rich agricultural history”, Amandip Gurm, Project Marketing Manager at Frasers Property Australia adds. “We wanted to ensure we reinforce this not only in the community’s name but also in all the little details throughout, like the grain silo structure that will be included as part of Five Farms’ first park.
“The families that have lived here have so many amazing stories to tell. We wanted to make sure that we celebrate them, whether it be through the naming of the town centre and streets or physical attributes.” Clare Swanson, Community Development Manager, further elaborates, “Five Farms tells a story of history. You have that connection of place to the farmland, but also to the Bunurong Land. We’re hoping to incorporate elements of the Bunurong history into the design of the parks. All of this history will be dispersed throughout the project to help reinforce that connection to place.”
46
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
HEALTH AND WELLBEING FIVE FARMS TAKES FORM
Laying the foundations
Building a lasting community
Construction at Five Farms may have only started last year, but the community’s sales centre is already providing some insight into what residents can expect from the future neighbourhood. Rather than following the industry norm and erecting a temporary space, the team have gone all out on the sales office – designing a permanent structure that will remain a fixture of the community, even long after Frasers Property’s involvement ends.
As residents begin to move into the neighbourhood in 2023, the community’s amenityfirst approach will mean that more infrastructure such as parks and schools won’t be far behind.
“We didn’t want to create something that looked temporary”, reflects Amandip, “we wanted to show our commitment to quality infrastructure by delivering and putting together a sales office that was going to be there from the start of the project right till the end. The building will evolve into the future residents’ club over time. When people come into the sales centre, they can see exactly what they’re going to get.” “It’s been designed to look like a barn”, Clare further details. “When you go inside, you’re immediately struck by these high ceilings. The building is home to meeting rooms and spaces for the kids and is underpinned by a focus on accessibility. The space will also become a meeting point for residents when they move in.”
“Five Farms’ park will be an all-abilities play space”, shares David, “it’s been designed to have these spaces that are low load so that children who may have varying neurodiversity attributes have places where they can retreat to if they’re getting overly stimulated or not quite gelling with what’s going on. It’s important to us that Five Farms is accommodating to families who may face these challenges. We want to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to live well and enjoy the community.” The soil has already been turned over on the site that will be St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School. This is one of two proposed schools in the community, with construction on the primary school expected to commence later this year. “Having this convenience plays a role in living well”, David continues, “the more convenient your life is, the less time you’re spending driving to the school or supermarket. Which in turn, is more time that you have to spend with your family.”
The sales centre is the first of many steps in “Five Farms’ masterplan is something that building a thriving, connected community at we’ve really thought about, to ensure that the Five Farms. Everything from the design of the community is a place where residents can live well landscape to the consideration of street placement in every aspect” concludes Amandip. “We want is integral in fostering connections between our future residents to feel that it’s an easy choice, residents. choosing Five Farms. And that they’re choosing to reside in a community that they can not only see “Bringing the community together starts in the themselves living in, but their kids as well.” design phase”, elaborates Clare, “it’s in the design of the parks and landscaping. It’s about the cycling trails and the walking paths.” “If you do your placemaking right and look into the fine-grained detail of future amenity”, continues David, “you can create opportunities for people to connect and have serendipitous conversations.”
For more information on Five Farms, call Frasers Property on 13 38 38 today.
Social connections are key to creating a connected community. As one of the five pillars that Five Farms has been created around, the neighbourhood has been designed in a way that helps to bring new friends and neighbours together to encourage quality relationships and connections with others in the community.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
47
HEALTH & WELLBEING A BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING GREEN
A blueprint for building green
Burwood Brickworks, VIC
48
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
More and more, we’re becoming aware that the resources we’ve used to build the societies we live in are diminishing and come at a high price. Not just in energy and materials, but in waste and impact on our health and wellbeing. It’s why, at Frasers Property Australia, we aim to take our industry into a new age of sustainability, with the new Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre lighting the way.
Burwood Brickworks
HEALTH & WELLBEING A BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING GREEN
F
rom homes to shopping centres to commercial premises, the construction of the buildings we live, shop, and work in are complex endeavours involving thousands of different types of materials. Whether highly visible – like flooring, paint finishes, carpeting or cladding – or the out of sight touches such as insulation, adhesives, cabling, and foundations, each material comes with its own origin story and its own environmental impact. Some good; some not so good. Until relatively recently, the sum of these impacts was unknown in the Australian building industry. But a new resource compiled by the sustainability team at Frasers Property aims to change all that, with a searchable database of more than 1,400 building products, freely available to the public and construction sector.
Dubbed The Greensheet, the list includes every product that was used to construct the Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, the first shopping centre in the world to receive the Living Building Challenge® Petal Certification. The world’s most sustainable retail precinct, Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre is a complete reimagining of what’s possible in green construction and design. From its rooftop farm supplying fresh vegetables and herbs, to the spectacular saw-tooth roof that allows for natural ventilation into the centre, right down to the reduction of single-use plastics in its cafes and restaurants, everything at Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre is a meticulously considered approach to reducing environmental impact while creating a healthier ambience for shoppers and retailers alike. This includes every fixing, every piece of timber, and every lick of paint.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
49
HEALT H AND WELLBEING A BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING GREEN
Healthier materials, healthier habitats Frasers Property Australia’s Living Building Challenge® Manager, Stephen Choi, says that The Greensheet is a response to the growing body of evidence confirming that what goes into our homes and commercial buildings can directly impact our health. “Transparency into a building product’s social and environmental effects is lagging in the construction industry”, says Stephen. “At the supermarket, you can pick up any food object, and you can see where it was made and what the ingredients are. But we aren’t quite as advanced when it comes to understanding what’s around us in the walls or floor of the space we’re standing in. We wanted to find out what was good, what was bad, and create a resource that we can share, so that building healthier buildings becomes the rule, not the exception.” Investing more than 20,000 hours into product research for The Greensheet, Stephen and the team at Frasers Property uncovered an array of everyday products containing concerning toxic materials and brands that don’t responsibly source production. “We deliberately looked at many mainstream lowcost products on the shelf because we wanted to know what people were really putting into their homes”, Choi explains. “We contacted every single supplier of every product we wanted to use to construct Burwood Brickworks and said: ‘what’s in it, where’s it made?’ And what we found is some products out there are very bad. But on the other hand, we also found a lot of good products. They simply weren’t labelled or marketed that way.”
50
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
After painstaking vetting and practical application, the list of products that passed the strict standards necessary to achieve Living Building Challenge® certification at Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre grew to more than 1,400. Products were examined by metrics such as place of origin, materials involved in its manufacturing, embodied carbon, waste impact, how responsibly it was sourced, and its impact on internal air quality. To create The Greensheet, Frasers Property engaged a full-time materials coordinator to vet products at a highly detailed level, examining manufacturing ingredients down to the level of 100 parts per million of granularity. Free to access by anyone with an interest in building greener, The Greensheet, has already been accessed thousands of times, from major names in the building and construction sector right down to DIY renovators and home builders. “We’ve had hundreds of people use this already to find things like glue, timber, and paint", says Stephen. “If you’re a DIY hobby kind of person or a builder, or you’re renovating your living room, painting a room, or building something from scratch, you can go on there and just type in a product or product category that you’re looking for. It might be lighting, concrete, or glass for a window, you’ll find all of the products that we’ve researched and used.”
HEALTH AND WELLBEING A BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING GREEN
Stephan Choi
Living Building Challenge® Manager Frasers Property Australia
“We wanted to find out what was good, what was bad, and create a resource that we can share, so that building healthier buildings becomes the rule, not the exception.”
Sharing a new standard Like all new endeavours, the creation of the world’s most sustainable retail centre required many orthodoxies to be challenged and improved along the way. Not least a preparedness to freely share intellectual property with others in the industry. This, says Stephen, was key to creating a new standard with the capacity to affect a much larger change than what was achieved at Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre alone. “Being first to do this kind of thing was never really the point. It was about making a change that could be replicated again and again, to the benefit of the entire industry and ultimately the people who work and shop in our buildings”, says Stephen. Laura Hamilton-O’Hara, Chief Executive Officer of the Living Future Institute of Australia agrees. “Such transparency and knowledge sharing demonstrates the type of corporate responsibility and action that will further facilitate real change”, she says.
“The generosity of sharing such intellectual property is also consistent with the spirit of the Living Building Challenge® – exceptional projects that lift the industry as a whole.” As a blueprint for a better, healthier building standard, The Greensheet lights the way.
For more information on The Greensheet at Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre, visit frasersproperty.com.au/LivingBuilding-Challenge/Home Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
51
HEALTH AND WELLBEING A CHEAPER, GREENER, SIMPLER SOLUTION TO RISING ENERGY COSTS
A cheaper, greener, simpler solution to rising energy costs
eneral Manager of Frasers Property Australia’s Real Utilities business, Paolo Bevilacqua, concedes that most people are surprised to learn that the property developer, best known for high-profile projects like The Waterfront Shell Cove, Burwood Brickworks, and Central Park Sydney, would also want to become an energy retailer. But dig a little deeper, and the diversification makes a lot of sense – especially considering the company’s target of net-zero by 2028.
“In terms of energy innovation, we’ve been on this journey for many years”, says Paolo. “A decade ago, we pioneered the country’s first privately-owned central thermal plant at Central Park Sydney. A few years later we introduced geothermal heating and cooling technology at our Fairwater project in Blacktown, and we’ve been actively investing in large-scale solar installations on our industrial sites around the country”.
52
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
<
G
Discovery Point, NSW Tailor’s Walk, NSW
<
If you’ve ever spent any time comparing energy plans, finding one that offers the holy trinity of ‘cheaper, greener, simpler ’ may seem like a miracle. But for Frasers Property residents and tenants buying energy through the company’s wholly-owned, 100% carbon neutral energy retailer, Real Utilities, it couldn’t be easier to go green for less.
Paolo Bevilacqua
General Manager, Real Utilities Frasers Property Australia “At some point, it made sense to capitalise on the knowledge and skill we’d built up in delivering green energy infrastructure and turn that toward providing the energy to customers too”. And so, in 2017, Real Utilities was born, with residents at Tailor’s Walk – a Frasers Property community in the Sydney suburb of Botany – the first to have their electricity provided by the company’s 100% carbon neutral and owned energy retail business. Since then, Real Utilities has expanded to supply green energy to over 1,800 residents and tenants at multiple Frasers Property projects, including residential communities like Sydney’s Discovery Point and Ed.Square, Melbourne’s Burwood Brickworks, Brisbane’s Minnippi Quarter, and The Waterfront Shell Cove on the NSW Illawarra Coast. The company also supplies energy to tenants on its commercial, retail, and industrial projects, greatly contributing to reductions in carbon emissions and vastly improving the environmental footprint of these locations.
HEALTH AND WELLBENIG A CHEAPER, GREENER, SIMPLER SOLUTION TO RISING ENERGY COSTS
<
“Through Real Utilities, we’ve been able to simplify the way our residents and tenants can access carbon-neutral energy solutions while being able to accurately calculate the required off-site renewable energy requirement to neutralise the carbon footprint”, says Paolo. “It means they can confidently make meaningful change without having to invest in all the renewable energy infrastructure such as solar panels and batteries themselves.” Steve Neilans is a resident at Frasers Property’s Tailor’s Walk community. A lifelong AGL Energy customer before he moved into his new home in Botany, he made the switch to Real Utilities after realising he would get a cheaper rate. What has impressed him most about the energy retailer is the personal attention to customer service he receives. “I’m a self-funded retiree”, says Steve, “so it’s important to me to know I have the best rate and that I’m billed monthly. My customer service manager, Huey, set it all up for me and he’s really easy to talk to and just wonderful to deal with. It’s a very happy relationship and everything is simple and drama-free.”
Harnessing energy for positive change
It’s finally easy (and cheaper) to be green Paolo says that once customers get over their surprise that the developer can also be their energy provider, the ease and convenience of signing up with Real Utilities, combined with complete transparency around pricing and industry benchmarking, makes it a simple choice to make.
So, how exactly is the energy supplied by Real Utilities greener? According to Paolo, the result is achieved through a combination of initiatives. The first is investing in on-site energy efficiency initiatives and renewable energy infrastructure, which in most cases comes in the form of solar photovoltaic panels on rooftops combined with battery storage. Where the energy captured and stored from these methods falls short of capacity requirements, Real Utilities will purchase renewable grid energy such as wind and solar from other providers as well as buy carbon offsets to ensure a net-zero carbon result for consumers.
Looking to the future, Real Utilities is assisting the Frasers Property business in its ambitious target to become a carbon-neutral business by 2028, adding about 1,000 new customers a year across the company’s portfolio of projects, including residential, retail, commercial, build-to-rent and industrial communities. Key to that growth is changing the perception that greener means more expensive. “Energy is going through a significant transition in Australia with the cost of producing and supplying renewable energy coming down rapidly”, says Paolo. “For many years, I think there’s been this perception that buying green power is going to come at some sort of price premium. But that’s really no longer the case. In fact, all the evidence points to ‘brown power’ costing more.” As lower costs underpin cheaper energy prices, the final barrier for many consumers in switching over to a greener alternative falls away. It’s a transformation that Frasers Property and Real Utilities have invested heavily in, with dividends coming in the form of closer relationships with customers and a practical path to achieving the net-zero carbon target across the Frasers Property Australia business by 2028. The future looks brighter as a result.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
53
LIFESTYLE MEET YOU AT THE SHOPS
Meet you at the shops If the residents form the soul of the communities here at Frasers Property Australia, then the local businesses are the heartbeat. So much more than just a storefront, they provide a place of connection for the whole neighbourhood.
F
rasers Property Australia’s mission is to create a sense of belonging in every neighbourhood it creates. “It’s really important that we're able to facilitate those authentic connections for people in the places we create”, explains Anthony Boyd, Frasers Property Australia’s Chief Executive Officer. “So we have to ensure that the neighbourhoods we design and deliver really focus on helping people being able to connect and being able to form those authentic connections.” Our local businesses play a crucial role in this. They provide the setting for everything from coffees with friends and dinners with the family, to breaking a sweat at the gym, and picking up essentials. Simply put, they are where the majority of the interactions within our neighbourhoods take place, and where a sense of community can truly flourish. And while this has always been true, the past couple of years have really propelled their importance into the spotlight.
Anthony Boyd
Chief Executive Officer Frasers Property Australia Coorparoo Square, QLD
54
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
LIFESTYLE MEET YOU AT THE SHOPS
Thanks to lockdowns and isolation, we have never been more separated from our communities than we have in the last couple of years. As much as it may be cliched, the saying ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone’ has never rung truer. What had for so long been taken for granted suddenly become inaccessible. And post-pandemic, we’re seeing an emphasis on local like never before. Research from the National Retail Association last year has shown that more and more Australians are choosing to shop locally and support their neighbourhood stores and shopping centres. A trend that our residents and local business owners have witnessed themselves in our communities as well.
<
Ed.Square Town Centre, NSW
<
Nikki Cunningham, Coorparoo Square
“Post-COVID, people are valuing human connection a lot more”, comments Nikki Cunningham, co-owner of Fitstop Coorparoo. “People are just wanting to be around people more. And in smaller communities like Coorparoo, I’ve seen group training and local businesses flourish. And I think it’s because that human connection piece is stronger and so much more prevalent within smaller neighbourhoods.” Live proud magazine caught up with a few of our local business owners in our Ed.Square Town Centre and Coorparoo Square communities to hear what it has been like navigating the past few years and how business is once again booming.
<
Ed.Square Town Centre, NSW
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
55
LIFESTYLE MEET YOU AT THE SHOPS
<
Coorparoo Square, QLD
Peter Wing Fix Coorparoo Square
Nikki Fitstop Coorparoo Square
If there are three things Peter is passionate about, it’s food, people and service. Wing Fix has allowed him to combine them all, and with great success too.
Before Nikki become a co-owner of Fitstop Coorparoo Square, she was a Fitstop member. Meaning that when she took over the reins, she was in the unique position to really put herself in the customer’s shoes.
“It’s quite surreal sometimes to think back to where we first started. My brother and I began Wing Fix four years ago as a mobile food operation with a very limited menu specialising in American style chicken wings. The demand for high-quality American food and limited competition in the market saw us secure contracts to work with some great event organisers slingin' wings at some huge concerts and festivals. “We opened our store at Coorparoo Square in March 2021, just before the pandemic really took hold. When things went south and restrictions on our industry tightened, the Coorparoo community as well as Frasers Property Australia got behind local businesses and made conscious efforts to offer support and shop local whenever and wherever they could. “The last one to two years have been challenging to say the least, and it has been largely a community effort to not only support each other but also support local businesses through the pandemic. “We now know most of our regular customers, not only by name but by their order as well!”
56
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
“When Fitstop Coorparoo first opened, which is a few years ago now, I had no business experience whatsoever. I’ve pretty much grown with the brand. “I started at the first Fitstop as a member, before becoming a trainer at that location and others as the franchise was rolled out. And when the opportunity came up to own our own franchise, we jumped right in.
“I’m very passionate about fitness. But also, people as well. And I love the fact that fitness can bring people together. “Located within a Frasers Property community, we do have many residents as members. But we’ve also seen our membership base grow beyond just the immediate Coorparoo community. Coorparoo Square in particular has really become a community hub and brings so many people through the doors for various things, which has really helped our business grow. And we support the other businesses in the Square as well because we have such a big membership base. Our community is very social and wants to support the other businesses in the centre – it all goes hand in hand.”
LIFESTYLE MEET YOU AT THE SHOPS <
< Ed.Square Town Centre, NSW
Bailey KITCHAI Thai Ed.Square Town Centre
Anthony Gami Chicken Ed.Square Town Centre For Anthony, opening Gami Chicken and Beer in south-west Sydney’s Ed.Square Town Centre was like coming home. His connection to the community goes way beyond his business, as it’s where he spent his childhood as well. “I grew up in the suburbs surrounding Ed.Square and have been within a five-kilometre radius of the community all my life. I went to school here and a lot of my extended family still live here. It's a privilege to be able to conduct business but at the same time be part of that community. “A lot of our customers are people I know – extended family, old school friends and neighbours. I have the good fortune to be able to welcome friends and family every day. “80% of my business is repeat customers, and it will soon get to the point where most of my business is locals. And when you’re running a local business, you must accept the fact that most of your customers are going to be from the neighbourhood. So, to thrive as a business, we must make sure that we are part of the community and acknowledge that we wouldn't exist without them. “Every lunch, every dinner trade, I have the chance of serving a friend, a family member, a neighbour or a friend or family member of one of my staff. Every shift is memorable because of the local community vibe.
When Bailey was growing up, he had to travel to North Sydney or the CBD to get anything decent to eat. But now, thanks to new communities like Ed.Square Town Centre, Sydney’s south-west is becoming a hub for restaurants and dining.
“There’s no denying that the past couple of years have been tough working in retail. But as things open up again, people seem to be looking for more in their local areas as opposed to going into the city. “It's been a movement for the past few years. And this pandemic has really accelerated the need and drive of looking for local-based experiences. And I think that Frasers has done this at Ed.Square Town Centre and done this really well. “By having retail and services in place and as part of the community, it helps heighten that sense of belonging. It’s one of the drivers of why I’m thinking of moving to Ed. myself. Frasers have really thought out the whole living experience. “We have customers from all around the local area and we get to build that rapport with them. My restaurant managers and crew are really getting to know the community here. And they’re getting to know the people as well, which is great. There are customers who have my direct number, so if they need anything, they can always give me a call.”
“It’s an honour to run a business that contributes to the neighbourhood.”
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
57
LIFESTYLE PARIS – WELCOME BACK TO THE WORLD 14
1
With the world opening back up, ease of travel is the name of the game – and nothing’s easier than a stroll through the world’s most romantic city with Fraser Suites Le Claridge Champs-Elysées as your base.
Start out from Fraser Suites Le Claridge Champs-Elysées, perfectly situated on the city’s most beloved boulevard
If you’re not totally exhausted from all the day’s exploring, the ChampsElysées has plenty of nightlife options, so get your can-can shoes on.
START HERE
Fraser Suites Le Claridge Champs-Elysées 2
Pop into Ladurée for mouth-watering macarons and other tasty morsels.
3
14
12 3
Head over to the Arc de Triomphe for the obligatory Instagram photo.
4
Make a beeline for the Palais De Chaillot for a bit of history and architecture in the shadow of the city’s iconic Eiffel Tower. 5
Climb the Eiffel Tower and take in the City of Light in all its glory.
PARIS
6 6
Visit the Tomb of Napoleon for a dose of revolutionary history.
Welcome back to the world!
58
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
LIFESTYLE PARIS – WELCOME BACK TO THE WORLD
12 Head back towards the Champs-Elysees for a romantic wander down one of the most beautiful streets in the world.
Hit up the top-rated shopping area in Paris – the Louvre/Tuileries area – for an afternoon of high-end shopping.
11
13
If it’s late enough (and if you’ve made a reservation) head to Le Gabriel, one of the finest dining experiences on the Champs-Elysees, a mere 9-minute walk from Fraser Suites Le Claridge.
11
10
Take a sunset stroll through Tuileries Garden for more picturesque moments.
9
Circle back to the Louvre for all the culture you can handle and, if you’re lucky, a brief glimpse of the Mona Lisa’s smile.
10
8
For a wonderfully restorative lunch, head to one of Paris’ best-kept secrets: Bistrot Instinct. Supporting local has never been so easy.
7
Check out the ongoing restorations at Notre-Dame Cathedral, on your way stopping at Marché couvert Saint-Germain, some of the best shopping in Paris.
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
59
LIFESTYLE 2022 MILESTONES
2022 Milestones QLD Brunswick & Co.
Brunswick & Co., the project that is redefining the world of renting, celebrated its sod turning event in March 2022.
Hamilton Reach
The recently completed Riverlight North building is officially sold out, with 85 apartments now settled.
NSW Central Place Sydney
The final Development Application for Central Place Sydney was lodged by Frasers Property and Dexus. Moving Central Place Sydney one step closer to transforming into the beating heart of NSW’s globally significant new technology and innovation hub, Tech Central.
Fairwater The Fairwater community was awarded Best Masterplanned Community in Australia in 2021 by the Property Council of Australia.
The Waterfront, Shell Cove
The Waterfront, Shell Cove’s harbour foreshore precinct opened and the first vessel was welcomed in!
WA Port Coogee
The new Lucretia Park playground has opened at Port Coogee. Earthworks have been completed in the first stage of the Port Coogee Marina Village Development.
60
Autumn/Winter 2022 | Live proud
LIFESTYLE 2022 MILESTONES
Communities we’re creating NSW
Central Place Sydney (coming soon)
VIC
ECQ XL (coming soon) Ed.Square Fairwater Midtown MacPark The Waterfront, Shell Cove
Burwood Brickworks
VIC
The Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre achieved a 6 Star Rating under the Green Star Design & As-Built Tool from the Green Building Council of Australia.
Five Farms
Major milestone at Five Farms was the first sod turned on the community’s new school, St Josephine Bakhita’s.
Life, Point Cook
The Passive House at Life, Point Cook achieved Passive House Plus certification.
Berwick Waters Burwood Brickworks Encompass Carlton Five Farms Found Carlton The Grove Mambourin Parkside Parkville Wallara Waters Yarraville (coming soon) QLD
Brookhaven Hamilton Reach Brunswick & Co Minnippi Quarter Keperra (coming soon) Newstead (coming soon) New Beith (coming soon) WA
Baldivis Grove Baldivis Parks Frasers Landing Port Coogee Queens Riverside
Live proud | Autumn/Winter 2022
61
Our vision at Frasers Property is to understand how we can help people belong and connect in the places they live, learn, shop, work and relax. We have learnt that people want better places to connect with each other and enjoy enriched, shared lives. It’s the little things that connect us and it’s places that are crucial to making this happen.
Anthony Boyd
Chief Executive Officer, Frasers Property Australia
Find out more Liveproud.com.au Frasers Property Australia
LIVE PROUD MAGAZINE | AUTUMN/WINTER 2022