In the media
E-commerce boom has property bankers eyeing warehouses
Data centres, hospitals and build-to-rent apartment blocks are the beacons of hope for institutional investors in real estate in 2021 after the sector s traditional trophy assets – major malls and big city offices – lost some of their lustre through the disruption of last year (14 January 2021). More.
The solar panel fire season is getting more intense in Australia
A recent report rated Australia as one of the cheapest per kilowatt for solar PV, but it questioned our safety standards. Poor-quality solar rooftop components have led to an expanding list of product recalls (14 January 2021). More.
In the media
Change management crucial for local government sector in 2021
In 2021, it will be essential that councils prioritise broadening the digital tool kit and ways in which they engage with citizens, mobilise their field workers with cloud-based technologies that enable them to work from anywhere at any time, and reduce costs to service (14 January 2021). More.
NSW
Audit finds gaps in procurement compliance
An audit of NSW councils has found gaps in procurement management that potentially put them at risk of fraud, waste and corruption. The Auditor General s report, Procurement Management in Local Government handed down late last year looked at procurement practices at six NSW councils. View the Procurement Management in Local Government (15 January 2021). More.
In the media
Joint effort needed to improve remote-area waste streams: APCO
Greater collaboration will be necessary to ensure packaging and plastic waste in remote and regional areas are properly managed in future, a new report says. The report is part of APCO s work with all governments to meet the 2025 National Packaging Targets and to deliver on the commitments outlined in the National Waste Policy Action Plan (03 December 2020). More.
Placing a value on wetlands ‘will improve coastal planning
Local government planners sometimes fail to appreciate that valuations of coastal wetlands as disaster risk-reduction ecosystems can improve decision-making (03 December 2020). More.
LG investment in renewables can drive economic recovery: CPP
Foreign Relations Bill set to increase federal government
oversight of state and territory arrangements
Last week, Australia s Foreign Relations (State and
Territory Arrangements) Bill 2020 (
Bill) passed
both houses, bringing state and territory government arrangements
with foreign territories within the domain of federal government
oversight.
The Bill is intended to ensure consistency between state and
territory arrangements and the broader national interest by
allowing the federal government to veto arrangements that are
inconsistent with Australia s foreign policy or that may
adversely affect relations with a foreign country. The Bill means
that the federal government will be able to ensure that state and
In the media
Australia makes top 10 for real estate investment
Australia just became one of the top ten countries to buy real estate with inbound investments to increase sharply in 2021 (04 November 2020). More.
Office outlook optimistic for 2021
There is likely to be “no major demise” to the global office sector, despite remote working arrangements, with higher rental incentives expected in CBD offices, according to a global survey by Savills Investment Management (04 December 2020). More.
Australian commercial property firms see environmental management as increasingly important to their business
Many companies that work in commercial real estate are lagging behind other industries in terms of good environmental management, but there is an increasing number that are catching up fast, a new international report has found (03 December 2020). More.