Lend Lease | Every Action Adds Up
Global Reach
Australia
"At Lend Lease, sustainability is part of our DNA, it’s not considered an add-on or extra – it’s just how we do business. We firmly believe that greening our assets and developing sustainable investment products will deliver long-term value for both our investors and the environment."
~Rod Leaver, Chief Executive Officer – Australia, Lend Lease
Contents
Project Management & Construction
At Bovis Lend Lease Australia, we work closely with our clients, partners and suppliers to deliver world-class sustainable projects. We are continually looking for better ways to reduce the social and environmental impact of our operations, products and services.
In Australia, our focus is on the commercial, retail, healthcare, government and water sectors as well as multi-site account management. We also provide sustainable design expertise through our in-house specialists, Lend Lease design.
Sustainability underpins everything we do and remains a major source of innovation and competitive advantage. Green buildings such as The Gauge in Melbourne, which achieved a 6 Star Green Star Office Design Certified Rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, have helped expand our definition of sustainable construction.
Snapshot
The Gauge achieved the highest possible sustainability rating for its design, but it also exceeded company and industry standards for sustainable construction, with significant energy, water and waste efficiencies; innovative new product and procurement methods; and a reduction in the site’s ecological footprint.
Our aim was reduce waste going to landfill, so we set a target to recycle more than 90 percent of construction waste. Most potential waste comes from the packaging of materials, including pallet blocks, strapping and protective plastic, so we worked closely with suppliers to deliver materials without packaging.
Once this was eliminated, we implemented a process for managing excess materials. Multiple large-scale recycling bins were introduced and placed on-site. Each bin was clearly labelled so that we could effectively pre-sort paper, cardboard, aluminium, plasterboard, glass, plastic, concrete and timber on-site.
A general waste bin was also introduced for mixed materials, such as plastic, that still had concrete attached to it. This was then transferred to a specialist waste recycler to be salvaged and recycled. Ninety-five percent of materials were recycled from the site from November 2006 to April 2008.
We also proactively mapped our on-site energy and water consumption, monitoring site offices, toilets and the site canteen to benchmark average usage. The site canteen’s energy use was shown to be higher than expected. This was attributed to a particular type of oven, which was removed. Light timers were introduced so that only security lighting was in use overnight, significantly reducing energy usage.
Water usage was also closely monitored across the site. Groundwater collected in tanks was used for dust control and washing down concrete trucks. All wastewater was treated and filtered before being sent off-site, leaving only high-quality, clean water.
There wasn’t an adequate low volatile organic compound paint for steel, so we worked closely with Dulux to create a new paint product. We also worked with another manufacturer to create the first Green Star–accredited timber fire-rated doors, using recycled timber and the first Forest Stewardship Council–certified laminated doors for the lockers in our employee change rooms. As a result, The Gauge achieved the sustainable timber credit as part of its Green Star Certification, which few other buildings can claim.
We have subsequently drawn up new guidelines for all our construction sites in Australia. The Australian Building Commission is also looking at implementing similar techniques industry-wide.
Investment Management
The scope and reach of Lend Lease Investment Management Australia's core businesses in Asia has enabled us to take a leadership role in the promotion of responsible investment and other forms of finance that support sustainable economic development, enhance quality of life and safeguard the environment.
We are committed to doing business in a way that addresses openly and transparently some of the major challenges facing the world today, such as climate change, pollution, resource depletion and demographic shifts. We also seek to ensure that our individual and institutional investors can reflect their values in their investments.
We took a leadership approach by being the first global property company to be a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment.
Snapshot
We seek to be a global leader in sustainable development through financial services, which is why in November 2007 we became the first global specialist property investment management group to become a signatory to the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative's Principles for Responsible Investment.
As a commitment to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and the Lend Lease Board–endorsed Sustainable Responsible Investment Policy, Lend Lease Investment Management Australia will continue to work with the UN Environment Programme Project Working Group to develop a set of toolkits that outline key steps for property fund and asset managers who wish to manage their funds and investments more responsibly.
The toolkits will provide a link between the theory of responsible investment and practical implementation. These toolkits will position us well to engage with key stakeholders and the investment community on the benefits of sustainable responsible property investment.
As a business, we proactively monitor, measure and, where possible, reduce our water and energy consumption throughout our Australian assets. We also strive to take a long-term responsible approach to wealth creation and management.
Communities
Delfin Lend Lease is Australia's leading developer of master-planned communities. Today more than 100,000 people live and work in our communities, which is why we take our responsibility to sustainable development very seriously.
We believe that a community cannot be truly sustainable unless it is creating lasting social and environmental benefits. Our aim is to deliver well planned, designed and managed communities that place great value on people and the surrounding environment.
We always seek to create lasting social improvement, and our Delfin Lend Lease School to Work programme offers vital skills and training opportunities for young people in our communities.
Snapshot
As Australia's largest developer of master-planned communities, we have assumed a leadership role in encouraging and promoting sustainable practices. Throughout our communities, we have developed a wide range of programmes that act as a catalyst for community activity and promote social cohesion.
We are particularly pleased to invest in programmes like the inspirational School to Work programme, which was set up to tackle the growing skills crisis in Queensland. Developed in conjunction with local schools, community training partnerships and industry associations, it has provided practical skills and training in areas such as carpentry, environmental research and landscaping.
The programme has grown significantly since it was first introduced in 2006. Because Queensland is currently experiencing an unprecedented level of property development, there is a high demand for new skilled construction workers across the sector, particularly as the nature of the industry is evolving due to innovation and technological change. The School to Work programme has now expanded its focus to include skills and training across the building and construction industry.
Located south of Brisbane in Queensland, Woodlands will be another landmark Delfin Lend Lease community. On completion, it will accommodate more than 3,600 residents. The Delfin Lend Lease School to Work programme at Woodlands places significant emphasis on career development, offering school leavers an unprecedented opportunity to develop real work skills on-site and providing them with invaluable work experience.
Through the Delfin Lend Lease School to Work programme, we are taking practical measures to help the property industry meet the challenges of today and the opportunities of the future. We are proud that this initiative is helping young people in our communities to develop the skills they need to get employment, whilst helping employers find the staff they need.
Retail
Lend Lease Retail Australia has over four decades of experience in designing, constructing and managing some of Australia’s most successful retail centres. Our clients know that contributing to sustainable development is part of our mindset — it’s good for society, it benefits the environment and ultimately, it’s good for our business.
We are continually looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, products and services, particularly with regard to water efficiency. In drought-prone Australia, concern about water scarcity is high, which is why we have stepped up our efforts to reduce our water usage. Initiatives like the Hot Spot Gully Trap and the Waterless Woks Programme have proved highly successful in our efforts to save water.
Snapshot
With water such a precious commodity in Australia, every drop counts. In 2005, Lend Lease Retail Australia decided to trial the Hot Spot Gully Trap at our Sunshine Plaza shopping centre on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
The Hot Spot Gully Trap is an inventive concept that lines the inside of the kerb drain below the grate, preventing paper, plastic and other pollutants from washing into our waterways when it rains.
Since its installation at Sunshine Plaza, around 9 tonnes of waste has been intercepted — improving the quality of the water and reducing the need for the more traditional method of waste removal. The system works by allowing water to flow into the unit through a counter-balanced lid and pass through the filter system, depositing the pollutants in the trap where they cannot be reactivated.
Following its success at Sunshine Plaza, we have installed the Hot Spot Gully Trap across our property portfolio. As a result, we have collected a total of 13 tonnes of waste — the equivalent of over 5 large Four Wheel Drives.
We have also introduced other water-saving initiatives throughout our retail centres, including waterless woks. Waterless woks can potentially save 5,000 litres of water a day per wok stove, which equates with a total reduction in water consumption of 1.8 million litres of water per wok per year.
The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency has contributed $36,000 to this initiative in the hope that the trials will be so successful that waterless woks will be implemented in every retail centre and restaurant throughout Australia, highlighting Lend Lease Retail Australia’s role as an innovator in the retail market.
The installation of rainwater tanks and the supplementing of mains water supply with bore water for our shopping centres’ cooling towers has also allowed Lend Lease Retail to make huge water savings. In Cairns Central, we estimate the use of bore water will lead to a massive 50% reduction of the centre’s annual water consumption, the equivalent of 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
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