Welcome to the November 2011 issue of Sustainability at Stockland, our quarterly newsletter, where we keep you updated on our sustainability activities and performance.
This issue focuses on work we are doing in communities where we operate, with residents and students and within our commercial properties.
The stories highlight what we are doing to strengthen our delivery of community development programs and ultimately support people within our communities to create a better way to live.
We are excited to announce that we have established a partnership with the Centre for Social Impact (CSI). The three year partnership will help us better align our community initiatives with our business strategy, ultimately helping us deliver better communities.
Les Hems, Director of Research at CSI said "CSI seeks to work collaboratively with innovative thought leading organisations like Stockland. CSI is looking forward to sharing Stockland's journey as it seeks to create shared value and empower people to create better communities."
The major partnership outcome will be a review of our current approach to community development and giving and volunteering.
Guided by a clear goals we will be able to provide targeted opportunities for our employees to support communities in which we operate and enable people to strengthen their own communities.
Other partnership initiatives include collaboration on a 'creating shared value' roundtable, appointment of a Stockland research fellow and sponsorship of an annual lecture series.
At Stockland's Mernda Villages in Victoria, residents, council and local community groups, working with our Residential community development team, have created a vision for their community.
At a series of community conversations residents were asked what could be achieved in Mernda if we all work together. An artwork was created to visually represent each idea contributed by participants. The illustration captured a range of opportunities and aspirations and was later drawn upon by residents to identify key community focus areas: infrastructure, communications, youth and community life.
Kate Murray, Community Development Manager, Residential Development at Stockland, said "Our engagement with the community at Mernda is a great example of how Stockland is empowering people in our communities to envisage and create better places to live."
This artwork is being used as a roadmap for the growing resident association to implement initiatives in the community. Current projects include building a community website and discussion forum and planning the first community Christmas carols event.
A similar approach is planned for roll out in two other Stockland communities in 2012.
In Western Australia we have turned a disused banking vault into a positive change environment for social innovators to share and tackle our biggest social, technological and business challenges.
The team managing our commercial building at 45 St Georges Terrace in Perth had been unable to utilise the space for some time.
Through a partnership with Social Innovation in Western Australia, the area is now attracting social innovators like The School for Social Enterprise, environmental innovators like Bike Share and Oz Harvest and technological entrepreneurs and start-ups like Youth Tree and Pollenizers Australia.
Craig Piper, Regional Asset Commercial Property Manager at Stockland said "The project aligned with our company"s focus on community creation. As part of our involvement, we will be able to mentor innovators and allow further growth of ideas in a commercial environment. Stockland is helping to support innovation in Western Australia and making an investment in the future of our state."
We are currently looking at opportunities to create innovation hubs in other locations nationally.
We have recently piloted three skilled volunteering opportunities for our employees with a focus on employability skills for disadvantaged students, youth and adults.
Aligned with our purpose, these programs are rolled out in our local communities, aiming to break the cycle of disadvantage by providing practical support towards finding employment.
Our Commercial Property team recently partnered with our IT team to support the WorkVenture's 'I Settle with IT' program, which teaches basic computer skills to refugees and newly arrived migrants with the main objective that participants can use their new skills in searching for and ultimately securing a job.
Jo Lane, Delivery Manager, Online Service at Stockland said, 'I'm really proud of our IT team who took on this challenge with enthusiasm and dedication. It was a great way for our team to apply their experience in a very real and practical way.'
At Marrickville High School our Corporate Affairs team, working with the Beacon Foundation, spent a day sharing stories with students about their career paths and guiding them through the process of developing a resume.
At Fairfield High School our Corporate Services leadership team conducted a day of mock interviews with students.
In 2012 we will continue our focus on providing volunteering opportunities for our employees that provide practical skills to disadvantaged communities.
