Speaker 1:
Hello, and welcome to this special edition of Talking Property with CBRE. The Lobby Series is a collection of intimate talks with industry experts that uncover how we can maximize the human experience in the spaces we frequent, every day. Each episode takes place in the lobby of some of Sydney's most iconic buildings and brings together our very own in-house experts with market leaders who are shaping our future cities. We hope you enjoy these insightful conversations.
PR:
Hello, I'm Phil Rowland, CEO of CBRE in Australia and New Zealand. I'm delighted to be joined today by Lorraine Lee. It's wonderful to be down in the lobby here at Australia Square and seeing all the art exhibitions. What a phenomenal space.
LL:
I know, it's amazing. And I think we're really fortunate to be sitting in this iconic Harry Seidler design asset, which is owned by Dexus and GPT.
PR:
So art has been at the fabric of this building since it was built in the 1960's. Why is it important to you to carry on that tradition?
LL:
I think art really has the ability to bring people together. And when I think about the Dexus purpose of creating places where people thrive, I think art has a real role to play in that. I think also that Dexus is really focused on creating community and whether that be our building community, but also considering how we include the wider community. Our customers want to feel connected not only to their own space, but to the community outside of this space. And I think art is a great way to encourage people back into our assets and allow us to focus on that revitalisation of the CBD.
PR:
On the revitalization of the CBD, I know it's important to Dexus, you're really leaning into that. What's next for Dexus and your leading cities agenda?
LL:
A key focus of our sustainability approach is leading cities, and I think our portfolio is well placed to create next generation precincts. So we've got some exciting precinct developments underway. Waterfront Place in Brisbane, 60 Collins in Melbourne, and Tech Central here in Sydney, which includes Atlassian Central and Central Place, Sydney, which is in partnership with Fraser's Property. And look, it would be remiss of me not to talk about 25 Martin Place. We're obviously sitting in an iconic Harry Seidler designed asset here at Australia Square, and this asset, I think was ahead of its time in terms of the way that Harry Seidler incorporated sculpture and art into his design. At 25 Martin Place, we've really focused on revitalizing and reimagining a key CBD Sydney precinct in creating an entertainment, dining and retail vibrant hub, which considers both the day and night economies.
PR:
Well, that openness to the community is a question I had for you. The, you know, the Dexus assets and the precincts are just vibrant living spaces, and it's an emphasis on what the future is around these sort of precincts. So as you think about designing and developing those, how do you think about incorporating sort of access to the broader community in those spaces?
LL:
Dexus see a key part of our customer experience and community offering in creating places that people want to gather. We are really focused on ways that we can encourage our building community to enjoy their spaces within their assets, but also to encourage the wider community to come into our assets, which of course is a great benefit to our retailers.
PR:
So I wanted to jump to sustainability. You're leaders in this space. You've moved your net zero commitment from 2030 to 2022. You're global leaders, giant killers in the real estate sector, number one in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Massive achievements, but many are not necessarily at the same place in their journey as you are. What advice have you got for other organizations as they start that journey?
LL:
Well, thank you for mentioning all of our ESG credentials and we know, um, you know, we really value CBRE as a partner, um, given we know you're so aligned to our ESG objectives. So we are really proud at Dexus to have achieved net zero for our property operations in June of this year. In terms of advice, I think firstly I might consider how we achieve net zero. Firstly, it was a long term focus on emissions reduction, and that's really the foundation of our achievement. It's then also a transfer to a hundred percent renewable electricity, and where we were unable to balance that to the purchasing of nature based carbon offset. I think also in terms of the advice, it's about engaging with your key stakeholders. So in our case, that's also our customers and investors, because that allows you to have a wider impact across the value chain, and it's about setting achievable goals and taking steps where you will have the most impact and significance.
PR:
Well, you're setting a great example for the industry in many ways, Lorraine, around what you're doing in sustainability, how you're thinking about community, how you're thinking about precincts and their role and revitalizing the CBD. So thank you for your leadership and thanks for being with us today.
LL:
Thank you.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to Talking Property with CBRE. If you like the show and want to check out more, visit
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