IN BRIEF: While EY’s Australian company commits to new digs in Canberra its former global sustainability guru Matthew Bell based in the UK has jumped ship to Anthesis, where he will be group chief executive officer.
He succeeds co-founder Stuart McLachlan who started the company in 2013 and since then has amassed around 1400 staff across the globe.
Bell previously headed EY’s sustainability operations in the UK and Ireland as well as the APAC, working at the consultancy for more than 18 years. He is also currently chair and non executive director of the World Green Building Council. At EY he was global leader for climate change and sustainability services and led a team of more than 4300 staff.
New Canberra digs
Meanwhile, EY has committed to leasing two floors, or 4600 square metres, in Vernon, an all electric carbon-neutral in operation office building, featuring a hybrid timber and concrete structure with 15 per cent of the building constructed from sustainable timber.
The building is part of the final stage of construction for the 65,000sqm Constitution Place precinct in Canberra’s CBD. The building will also include a 150 kilowatt roof-mounted solar array and a 100kW battery, targeting a 5.5-Star NABERS Energy rating and a 5-Star Green Star rating.
The consultancy said the aligns with the firm’s sustainability ambitions. It was designed by Bates Smart as part of a precinct that is already home to government and corporate tenants such as King & Wood Mallesons, MinterEllison, NAB, and the ACT Government.
Completion is expected in October 2026, with tenants moving in mid-2027.
City of Sydney passes all electro building rules
The City of Sydney has passed new planning rules requiring new residential buildings, medium to large commercial buildings, hotels and serviced apartment buildings within its jurisdiction to be all electric.
This follows the adoption of planning controls earlier in the year, with indoor air quality provisions restricting indoor gas appliances such as cooktops and heaters, and new residential developments.
Starting in 2027, the restrictions will also expand to cover outdoor gas appliances such as water heaters in new residential buildings, extending the all electric requirement to new large commercial buildings, hotels and serviced apartments. The new rules won’t apply to industrial buildings and existing buildings.
New aged care in Redfern
Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care has formalised its partnership with not for profit group Uniting to turn a council car park in Redfern into a not for profit 50 person residential aged care home. The development was approved by the City of Sydney in August after calling for contributions to the design, construction and operation of the facility at 49 Cope Street.
Once finalised, the council will hand over the $20 million site in exchange for $1 so the two organisations can start planning for the facility.
The new facility will be “culturally safe”, run by First Nations community members, so local Elders can stay connected to Country, close to family and community, to share their knowledge in their later years. Uniting has committed to officially handing over the ownership to Wyanga to ensure the facility is owned and run by the Indigenous community.
