FY20 Sustainability Report

Creating more
affordable
and sustainable
communities

Message from the CEO

Landcom’s international recognition as third in Australia in the 2020 GRESB Real Estate Assessment demonstrates our ongoing success and commitment to sustainability.

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Our Sustainable Places Strategy

Climate Resilient
Places

Enabling carbon neutral, water positive, zero waste and net positive ecological outcomes by 2028.

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Healthy &
Inclusive Places

Enhancing Landcom’s international status for delivering world class liveable places, founded on equity, affordability and inclusion by 2036.

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Productive
Places

Contributing to the global innovation economy by enabling over 30,000 new jobs by 2036.

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Accountable &
Collaborative Places

Driving accountability and performance along our value chain.

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FY20 Sustainability
Performance Highlights

Registered for Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard certification to become a carbon neutral organisation

Ranked as third most sustainable developer in Australia, and within top 12% globally in the GRESB

United Nations Global Compact Participant

Adopted the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

First claims on $15,000 Sustainability Rebate at Macarthur Heights to enable sustainable and affordable living

Engaged our suppliers on modern slavery risks via the Property Council Supplier Platform we helped create

Case Study

Sustainability Rebate

Toward the end of FY19 Landcom launched its first Sustainability Rebate to home buyers at Macarthur Heights, and in FY20 we saw the first claims for this Rebate. This is a new incentive to encourage greater sustainability and resilience of new homes in Landcom communities.

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Case Study

Live Life Get Active at Tallawong

Aligned to our Healthy & Inclusive Places Pillar and targets, the health and wellbeing of residents living in and around the communities we shape, is key for Landcom.

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Case Study

Macarthur Heights Community Group Incorporation

In FY20 the Macarthur Heights Social Club reached an important milestone in their history by becoming an incorporated group. Landcom supported the group in their application process and after six months of planning the structure, defining their purpose and working through matching positions to skill sets within the group, they achieved official incorporated status.

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Case Study

Schofields Diverse Housing

Landcom has developed an innovative and targeted approach to housing affordability. The approach provides a comprehensive and workable solution to the problem of housing affordability for people on low-moderate incomes. It features a range of housing options for people with differing equity and income levels.

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Case Study

Lachlan’s Line Engagement

Our engagement process for the Lachlan’s Line Bridge, during the construction phase, was a great example of how Landcom drives best practice engagement and collaboration with stakeholders to achieve the best possible outcome for the community. In this case the objective was to minimise the inconvenience of major road closures on the community.

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Case Study

Collaborative Urban Teaching Platform

Universities and governments are increasingly encouraged to work collaboratively on large-scale urban development projects. Landcom fosters this engagement through research and student engagement activities under the Landcom Roundtable Agreement. One such initiative is the Collaborative Urban Teaching Platform (CUTP) which is a multi-university, cross-disciplinary urban teaching partnership developed by Landcom and several NSW-based universities.

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Case Study

Common Purpose City Challenge

Landcom was proud to partner with Common Purpose in the Common Purpose City Challenge, where over 500 students from Western Sydney University were challenged to answer the question: ‘How can Western Sydney embrace renewable and resilient energy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050?”

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Case Study

Sustainable Supply Chain for Merchandise

We are committed to sustainable procurement when fulfilling our merchandise needs, which includes ethically produced products that don’t harm the environment or people.

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GRI Content Index

View our Global Reporting Initiative content index table

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Our Priority Sustainable Development Goals

Landcom is committed to supporting international agreements, protocols and targets to help ensure our planet and communities thrive into the future. As part of this commitment we report our contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Importance to Landcom Important Priority High Priority Importance to Stakeholders/Relevance to region 10 5 2 14 16 3 17 12 4 1 9 7 11 15 6 8 13
SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Target: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters

Landcom supports the ending of poverty through our mandate to provide Affordable Housing.42 We expand on this to ensure housing diversity and accessibility are addressed, for equity.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Targets

Deliver 5-10% Affordable Housing across the Landcom portfolio

Deliver 10-15% diverse housing across our portfolio

20% of medium to high density dwellings within all new projects are achieve Liveable Housing Australia Silver Certification (or equivalent)

Landcom further supports all community members, including the vulnerable, to increase their resilience to climate related extremes and other shocks or stresses through our commitments to building resilience.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

All projects to prepare and implement an effective Climate Change Adaptation Plan; and Community Resilience Plan.


42 Managed or owned by a Community Housing Provider for not less than 10 years, and accessible to people who meet the government means testing (or other criteria) for access to Affordable Housing.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Target: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

Landcom is seeking ensure access to nutritious food by mandating the adoption of independent rating tools – such as Green Star Communities. Within these tools, we will aim to achieve all credits related to ‘access to fresh food’.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

All projects will adopt the use industry recognised rating tools at a masterplan and built form scale, achieving not less than ‘Australian Best Practice’ equivalent.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages

Target: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and wellbeing

Landcom is committed to ensuring our communities are mentally and physically well. We address this through the design of our communities, and activities or programs we offer throughout the year. We then measure our ongoing success through direct engagement with the people living in our communities.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Targets

All projects provide design, programs or events that encourage active, social and healthy eating lifestyles, achieve 90% resident reported health and wellbeing

All new projects are designed and delivered to achieve 90% resident satisfaction with public, active and sustainable transport options to key amenities, services, public transport and employment 

Activities

FY20 Landcom Community Development programs related to health, offered at various projects.

These included free fitness classes for adults through our partnership with Live Life Get Active. In response to COVID we also ran on-line health and wellbeing activities such as yoga, kids fitness, cooking classes and gardening workshops.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

Target: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical
and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

Landcom believes that equitable access to education and opportunities is an important part of delivering our communities. We address this through our targets and programs/activities offered at our projects.

Productive Places Targets

Projects to engage and foster education, learning or employment outcomes via activities or initiatives, based on identified needs of the local and regional community

Activities

FY20 Landcom Skills Exchange was offered at the Bonnyrigg community to support at risk secondary school students, and long-term unemployed people, to engage in meaningful learning, skills development and/or employment.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Target: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life

Landcom is committed to diversity and inclusion, including the engagement of women and girls.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Priority

Identify opportunities to positively impact diversity, inclusion and accessibility

Activities

FY20 Landcom continued to deliver against its Diversity & Inclusion Policy and Action Plan, and maintained its staff led Diversity & Inclusion working group.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

Target: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals
and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

Landcom recognises that water scarcity and drought is an increasing issue for Australia. We are committed to enhancing the efficiency, reducing the unnecessary use of potable water, and ensuring water quality is not negatively impacted by our activities or the communities we build.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

Achieve water positive communities by 2028

All projects modelled to reduce mains potable water demand by 50% at the precinct scale against a 2016 reference case

BASIX 60 water target for all new dwellings within our development control

Water Sensitive Urban Design strategy for all projects, pollutant discharge loads not to exceed Nitrogen 45, Phosphorus 65, Suspended Solids 85, Gross Pollutants 90

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Target: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

Australia is privileged to have reliable energy sources, therefore Landcom’s focus is on enhancing efficiency, improving cost of living, and increasing the use of renewables.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

5% of predicted energy demand supplied from onsite renewable energy, where site constraints permit

All new projects modelled to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions at a precinct scale (transport and stationary) by 50% against 2016 reference case (CCAP PRECINX modelling).

Activities

Landcom’s Sustainability Rebate for home owners continued to be rolled out to Macarthur Heights in FY20, with the first claims for the rebate made by residents.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all

Target: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

Landcom aims to support the Greater Sydney Commission objective to achieve a 30 minute city. We are focused on ensuring land use diversity across our projects to promote jobs close to homes.

We are also committed to identify any risks of modern slavery or human rights infringements within our operations or supply chain, and take action.

Productive Places Targets

Enable 30,000 enduring jobs by 2036

Accountable & Collaborative Priorities

Develop an approach to human rights with consideration for modern slavery

Activities

In FY19 Landcom became a Participant to the United Nations Global Compact, committing to embed the 10 Principles in our operations.

In FY20 we also advanced our approach to Modern Slavery, with a focus on specific risks related to labour hire through our supply chain.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Target: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human wellbeing, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all

Landcom is committed to delivering and enabling resilient infrastructure and communities. We address
this through our Climate Resilient Places targets, such as mandating resilience risk assessments and adaptation plans, adopting independent rating tools and pushing for highly efficient buildings.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

All projects will adopt the use industry recognized rating tools at a masterplan and built form scale, achieving not less than ‘Australian Best Practice’ equivalent.

Above standard NABERS and BASIX building ratings

All projects to prepare and implement an effective Climate Change Adaptation Plan; and Community Resilience Plan

 

 

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

Target: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

We are focused on ensuring equity and inclusion across the communities we are delivering, which is why we measure satisfaction with quality of life from our residents through our Healthy & Inclusive Places Survey. This information helps us identify areas to improve the social and economic inclusion of all members in our communities.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Targets

Achieve 90% resident satisfaction with quality of life, as measured by the Personal Wellbeing Index43

Healthy & Inclusive Places Priority

Identify opportunities to positively impact diversity, inclusion and accessibility

Activities

FY19 Landcom adopted its Diversity & Inclusion Policy, and established a staff led Diversity & Inclusion working group. In FY20 we continued to deliver against the Policy and Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan.

FY20 Landcom Community Development programs for a broad range of interests and needs, offered at various projects.

43 Personal Wellbeing Index, Deakin University & Australian Unity (2017) https://www.australianunity.com.au/~/media/corporate/documents/annual%20reports/wellbeing%20index/wellbeing%20index%202017.pdf

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Target: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services

Target: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities

Landcom’s objective is to deliver affordable and sustainable communities. We do this through our commitments to sustainability, housing affordability and diversity, and the provision of parks and open spaces throughout our communities – that are safe and equitable.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Targets

Deliver 5-10% Affordable Housing across the Landcom portfolio

Deliver 10-15% diverse housing across our portfolio

20% of medium to high density dwellings within all new projects are achieve Livable Housing Australia Silver Certification (or equivalent)

Achieve a culture of safety throughout our organisation and on all Landcom projects, striving to achieve 90% overall community safety score at our projects. 

Activities

Held staff education on the importance of inclusive design via an All Staff Presentation by the Commissioner Open Space and Parklands, NSW Department of Planning & Environment.

Met with project teams during Business Panning to discuss the outcomes of the audit carried out in FY19 to identify opportunities for improvement of existing Landcom project parks for the Everyone Can Play guidelines to help inform areas for improvement.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

20-50% of the total project site area, in plan view, is comprised of building or landscape elements that reduce the impact of urban heat island effect.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Target: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

Landcom has maintained a waste diversity from landfill target for many years. We continue to see our most material contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal as ensuring unnecessary construction waste does not end up in landfill, but is recycled or reused.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

All new projects divert minimum 95% construction waste from landfill (excluding contamination or hazardous materials)

100% timber used in construction is FSC certified (or equivalent)

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Target: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

Landcom developed the Sustainable Places Strategy with the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement at front of mind. Our entire Strategy is focused on combatting climate change and its impacts, and building community resilience to climate induced shocks and stresses.

Climate Resilient Places Targets

All targets found in this pillar of Landcom’s Sustainable Places Strategy.

 

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Target: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

Climate Resilient Places Targets

Water Sensitive Urban Design strategy for all projects, pollutant discharge loads not to exceed Nitrogen 45, Phosphorus 65, Suspended Solids 85, Gross Pollutants 90

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss

Target: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

One of Landcom’s leadership goals is to ensure net positive ecological outcomes across our portfolio. We address this through the conservation or enhancement of biodiversity and ecological communities at our projects, and encouraging responsible materials sourcing in our supply chain.

Climate Resilient Places

All new projects enhance the local habitat, biodiversity or ecological communities, compared to the site conditions pre-development

100% timber used in construction is FSC certified (or equivalent)

Activities

Continued our partnership with the Sustainability Supply Chain School, and plan to make online training and resources available to staff in the second half of FY21.

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

Target: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision- making at all levels

Landcom seeks to advance inclusion and participation within and across communities through our Community Development and Welcome Programs, by sourcing data through our Healthy & Inclusive Places Survey, and between staff within our organisation.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Targets

Achieve 90% resident reported community cohesion across all new projects, by fostering the integration of community networks and facilities.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Priorities

Identify opportunities to positively impact diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

 

SDG Goal & Target
Landcom Response

Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Target: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Landcom is committed to promoting effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships and engagement. Our main framework to support this is our Join In Framework, aligned with the IAP2 principles, and dedicated to meaningful engagement.

Healthy & Inclusive Places Targets

All new projects to conform to the community engagement policy, Join In Framework, aligned to industry best practice for stakeholder engagement practice.

 

Landcom Places

Our Landcom Places map and table summarises which projects are in scope to be reported on for FY20 and are mapped against each pillar of our Sustainable Places Strategy. All projects are within the state of NSW, Australia.

VIEW LANDCOM PLACES MAP
VIEW LANDCOM PLACES TABLE