Jobs and Biz News – plus jobs on offer: Renewable energy companies Allume Energy, AXITEX Energy, Clenergy and Fronius Australia have signed a pact to deliver affordable solar energy for multi-tenant social housing buildings.
Social housing providers have been looking for affordable energy options as electricity and gas prices skyrocket. Gas prices have nearly tripled in the past five years while electricity prices have doubled, according to the Australian Energy Regulator. One option is to install solar panels on apartment building roofs, but the cost often outweighs the benefits.
The four partners will provide a reduced-cost solar equipment package to social housing providers which includes discounted solar panels, roof mounting equipment, smart meters and solar sharing technology. The discounted package will save housing providers an estimated $3750.
Allume Energy estimates that more than two million Australians live in apartment buildings, which have large areas or roof space for solar panels but until now have lacked technology to share the electricity generated from them. Allume’s SolShare enables building tenants to share solar energy from a single rooftop array.
Queensland delivers tax cut for Build-to-Rent schemes
Queensland’s Palaszczuk government will offer a 50 per cent land tax discount for Build-to-Rent (BTR) developments with at least 10 per cent affordable housing and exemptions on foreign investor tax.
Foreign investors will be exempt from the 2 per cent foreign investor land tax surcharge for up to 20 years and also from the Additional Foreign Acquirer Duty for the future transfer of a Build-to-Rent site. The state Treasury aims to bring the new policy into force on 1 July 2023 and will consult with the property industry beforehand.
Three large BTR schemes are underway in Brisbane which when built will deliver 1200 dwellings and up to 490 of these offered at discounted rentals.
The Palaszczuk government is raising a $2 billion Housing Investment Fund and called for expressions for interest on 9 February. It seeks proposals from ready-to-proceed social and affordable housing developments on privately owned sites. Interested developers can find more information on the Treasury Website. The EOl closes on 8 May.
New state practice leads for GroupGSA
GroupGSA have brought on two senior interior designers as the firm prepares to tackle urban revitalisation projects in Brisbane ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
The global architecture and design practice has hired Simone Carter and Sue DesBrosses as associate directors. Carter will lead the firm’s Melbourne practice and DesBrosses will lead the Brisbane studio.
Carter has held senior designer roles with Axiom Workplaces, Silo Design and Rothelowman and has more than 25 years of interior design experience on projects spanning the UK, Middle East, China and Australia.
DesBrosses was previously a senior designer at Populous and has more than 20 years of experience with commercial design firms, including five years working on projects in Asia.
GroupGSA also appointed Alice Were as senior interior designer in Melbourne, Clare O’Briend as a landscape architect in Sydney and Marina Amado as an interior designer in Brisbane.
Jobs on offer
There are loads of opportunities in the market right now if you’re talented and looking for advancement.
Here is just a sample.
BGIS, which a while ago picked up HFM Asset Management is looking for a consultant – sustainability in Sydney in the environmental engineering space.
Frasers Property Australia is also looking to expand with a sustainability analyst for its environment & sustainability consulting practice, based at Rhodes, Sydney NSW, or even the UK or Singapore if you’re keen to relocate. Don’t forget the whole world is short on these skills right now.
Cushman & Wakefield wants an environmental strategy advisor in Brisbane QLD
John Holland is looking for a sustainability advisor in Sydney
Woolworths is in the market for a sustainability project manager – commercial in Sydney NSW
There are quite a few ESG roles going – probably the hottest ticket in town right now.
Recruiter Talent Nation has a role open for an ESG real estate expert with Westpac and another for a data centre provider.
QBE is looking for an ESG assurance managerand in Perth there’s a job as investment analyst – with a multi-asset class fund – ESG based at Subiaco. Recruiter Kaizenalso has anESG analystfor a Melbourne fund management company. And there’s a senior sustainability executive marketed through Abercorn International Search.
Big energy company seeks climate change adviser
Meanwhile scaling things up at the big energy end of town, pipeline operator APA Group has a role open for an advisor on climate change policy, risk management, emerging trends and carbon offsets.
If you don’t know this company, it’s an energy infrastructure business with a $21 billion portfolio of gas, electricity, solar and wind assets that you’d expect will be a tad vulnerable to the climate onslaught on the way.
Interesting to see this company claims to “deliver approximately half of the nation’s gas usage and connect Victoria with South Australia and New South Wales with Queensland through their investments in electricity transmission assets”.
But it’s also “one of the largest owners and operators of renewable power generation assets in Australia, with wind and solar projects across the country” and 1900 employees.
So right in the heart of the transition for the brave soul who picks up the job.
You will need to “undertake and maintain climate change related benchmarking data, develop and support responses on policy consultation processes relevant to climate change, and work across the business to maintain a single source of truth for climate change related data and information” the ad says.