Griffith Strata Conference 2017

Future of the strata industry and sustainability themes dominate Griffith University strata conference

The 2017 Griffith Strata Conference was held on the Gold Coast earlier this month, and much of the focus was on sustainability in strata. Dr Sacha Reid from Griffith University was a fun and playful host and chair. Dr Reid commented that it was unusual that a University would host an ‘Industry’ conference. However Griffith University has proven to make a valuable contribution to the strata industry.

​The first guest speaker, Elaine Miles from McCrindle, spoke on the demographics shaping the strata industry, predicting huge growth in Australian cities in the near future, resulting in even greater growth within the strata sector.

Dr Hazel Easthope of UNSW City Futures discussing social diversity in strata

Next up was an industry panel. James Freestun SCA (Qld) V.P. & Solutions in Engineering M.D., addressed the cladding crisis currently sweeping the world. James commented that while many buildings will require testing and rectification, due to building design and fire management and evacuation plans in place in Australia, the situation was not as dire as the media made it out to be.
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Melinda Dewsnap from Sydney City Council shared their results from a number of energy and water efficiency in strata trials. Melinda demonstrated that huge savings are possible through energy and water efficiency projects and that payback periods of such projects are typically less than 3 years.

Carlos Flores provided updates on the NABERS for strata roll out, confirming launch in June 2018, starting with larger buildings. Carlos showed that energy ratings and mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency have offered significant benefits to both tenants and owners. The aim of NABERS in strata is to make the ratings system easy for buildings. Strata buildings have the opportunity to look at the energy efficiency of their building now, in anticipation of the introduction of NABERS for strata.

A number of people took advantage of the opportunity to quiz (or even grill) a developer when Sahba Abedian M.D of Sunland Group took the stage. His speech focused on the importance of beauty in the design of buildings, cities and the areas we live. Sahba expressed his concern for the very uneven distribution of wealth throughout the world, which I found refreshing coming from someone in Sahba’s position.

David Budgen from Urbanise spoke on disruptive technology, and how it will improve efficiency and maintenance of building and building assets. David observed that younger generations will demand technology and ‘apps’ to communicate and participate, while traditional methods of communication (while there will be less need for) will need to be available to those who are not yet ready to embrace the new technology.

Daniel Borin from Strata Max took us on a quick tour of the ‘dark web’ presenting examples of market places for stolen data to help us understand the consequences of poor cyber security. He had us all searching ‘have I been pwned’, explained how sophisticated hacker operations can be and how simple it is for them to steal our data. Daniel clearly demonstrated his passion for and knowledge of technology, and shared simple things we can do such as regularly changing passwords and downloading the latest software updates to improve our cyber security. 

Peter Byrne from PICA Group shared his thoughts as fresh eyes on the strata industry, which has remained relatively unchanged in recent times, certainly in comparison to numerous industries that surround it. He suggested that strata managers will need to offer a range of new services and technologies into the future. Increasingly body corporates will turn to their strata managers for assistance with sustainability and advise on new technologies and delivery models for example that offer solar and batteries for strata, and for asset management. 

Many presenters spoke of changes the future will bring to strata, with numerous mentions of the coming of electric vehicles and driverless vehicles, and the impact and challenges that will have on strata. 

Greg Dickason from Corelogic said the current rapid rate of change we are experiencing now, is the slowest it will be ever again. The conference confirmed what many of us know, that the future for strata is certainly looking bright, but it won’t be without its challenges. 

For further information on the presentations download the conference agenda.

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Scott Witheridge
Contributor, Strata Energy News 

Strata managers can now register buildings in the City of Sydney and in Melbourne for a fully funded electric vehicle recharge assessment. Registrations for Brisbane have closed. However, if you're interested in learning more contact Scott Witheridge on (02) 9977 1801. Read more about the program here.