The MITEZ region is uniquely positioned to drive Australia’s transition to a Net Zero economy, leveraging its natural endowments in critical minerals, solar, wind, and enabling infrastructure. To support this, AEC developed the MITEZ Regional Net Zero Strategy, outlining the region’s opportunities in renewable energy, critical minerals, and sustainable practices to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. The strategy highlights the risks of inaction while identifying opportunities such as green manufacturing and resilient supply chains. Progress is already underway, paving the way for MITEZ to realise its Net Zero potential.

Wagga Wagga City Council engaged AEC to develop a business case for a proposed Entertainment Centre and Cultural Centre, as outlined in the Riverside Wagga Wagga Strategic Masterplan. The project involved stakeholder consultation, site analysis, concept reviews, traffic/parking/ pedestrian assessment and financial modelling. A Multi-Criteria Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis were completed to support the Centre’s economic and social justification, along with a project prospectus and conceptual vision video production to assist with advocacy and investment attraction.

Client: Stadiums Queensland Stadiums Queensland (SQ) is a statutory body established under the Major Sports Facilities Act 2001 and is charged with the management of major facilities declared under Queensland Government regulation as being venues having the capacity to stage national or international sports events and to deliver recreation and entertainment experiences. Of the nine (9) venues managed by SQ, customer research has been commissioned for three key stakeholder groups (customers/patrons, members, and hirers) across six key venues including The Suncorp Stadium, The Gabba, 1300SMILES Stadium, the Cbus Super Stadium, the Sleeman Sports Complex, and the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre. Over four years, AEC will undertake more than 15,000 intercept and online surveys with spectators, members and hirers, stakeholder consultations and focus group sessions and produce 24 trend analysis reports inclusive of segmentation analysis. The four-year contract term includes delivering on strategic insights to benchmark stakeholder satisfaction overall and across key service areas (including identifying key and sub-drivers of satisfaction and a ranked action plan), retention and to track these KPIs over time, formal presentation of the results as well as infographic reporting as requested by SQ.

Client: Cairns Regional Council State: QLD Cairns Regional Council (in Queensland) were investigating the implementation of a visitor levy to assist in funding additional marketing investment to increase visitation to the local region. Council engaged AEC to undertake research and modelling to understand the potential economic impact such an increase in visitation may have for the local economy, in terms of visitor expenditure, Gross Regional Product (GRP) and employment (direct and indirect). AEC undertook literature review to identify the return on tourism marketing investment elsewhere in Australia to identify the potential additional visitation and visitor spend attracted, and developed Input-Output multipliers to identify the direct and flow-on impacts.

Client: City of Ryde State: NSW The Consortium appointed to develop the Ivanhoe Estate were seeking approval for a concept plan which encompasses a higher GFA outcome than that permitted by the planning controls at the time. Due to improved road and rail capacity, infrastructure investment has facilitated higher volumes of development in Sydney. Given this overt relationship between development potential and infrastructure capacity, funding has gravitated to public-private arrangements and user pays charges ascertained via development contributions (e.g., s.7.11, s7.12), Special Infrastructure Contributions (SIC) and/or Voluntary Planning Agreements (VPA). More recently, the retention or sharing of value uplift that ensues from variations or rezoning has become an important source of funding for the provision of new public and social infrastructure for the local community. The City of Ryde engaged AEC to undertake a feasibility analysis to determine the value uplift that will eventuate from the proposed redevelopment of the Ivanhoe Estate. The financial analysis quantifies the change in land value between the development outcome possible under the current planning controls versus the development outcome based on the recent concept plan. This review also estimates the value of the public benefit delivered as part of the proposed redevelopment. It is understood that the preliminary figures presented in the report were to be used to inform negotiations between the Consortium and the City of Ryde. Source: The Urban Developer (2020)

Client: RF Corval State: QLD AEC was engaged by RF Corval to undertake a residential market study and feasibility report on the potential residential development land component forming part of the Bundall Corporate Centre Site. Corval were interested in interrogating the feasibility of developing the residential approved Master Plan (368 apartments) over part of the property (extending to a site area of 14,489m2). In addition to preparing an analysis of the approved Master Plan based on the proposed residential development, AEC undertook a high-level analysis of other potential permissible uses applicable to the Site including commercial and retail development. The purpose of the assessment was to assist Corval with developing a deeper understanding of the Gold Coast residential apartment market and undertake feasibility modelling broadly based on the Master Plan. AEC also conducted analysis on other potential uses for the Site to determine if residential development representative of the highest and best use was another alternate asset class more suitable. Source: DBI(2017)

Client: Banner Asset Management / Gyde Consulting State: NSW AEC was engaged by Banner Asset Management to undertake a feasibility analysis to assist with a divestment strategy for a redevelopment site located at 311 The Horsley Drive, Fairfield, also known as 'George Western Foods'. A concept development application for mixed use residential and ground floor retail and commercial scheme is currently being prepared. The site is situated at the north-western fringe of the Fairfield Town Centre in Sydney's western suburbs and extends to a land area of 29,426m2. A preliminary urban design review was undertaken by Aleksandar Projects in November of 2020 which illustrated a potential massing and built form analysis for the site. The preliminary design comprises 950 apartments, 3,000m2 of retail/business and 1,500m2 of communal space for residence, also doubling as a potential flood shelter. Further, the indicative building heights range from 8 - 29 storey's across three complexes comprising five apartment towers. The total proposed floor area equates to approximately 86,176m2. Source: Aleksandar Projects (2021)

Client: City of Parramatta State: NSW Within the City of Parramatta Council LGA, there were nine separate contribution plans that apply to different parts of the LGA resulting in the merger and/or integration of five former/other councils, including Auburn City, Holroyd City, Hornsby Shire, Parramatta City and The Hills Shire. Council undertook a review of these contribution plans and is coordinating a synchronisation process including consolidation for land outside the Parramatta CBD region. The City of Parramatta Council engaged AEC to provide land assessments underpinning the formulation of the new contributions plan(s), particularly as land will necessarily be required in enabling new infrastructure and amenities to be delivered for the City going forward. To successfully review the contribution plans framework, Council required AEC to provide current market values of land parcels (and/or development sits) across various precincts and across various zonings within the LGA. To further assist Council in their review, the assessment provided detailed market analysis across various typologies of the residential marketing (including apartments, townhouses, villas, dual-occupancies etc.). Source: Shutterstock

Client: City of Canterbury Bankstown State: NSW A Planning Proposal was received by the City of Canterbury Bankstown from Urbis on behalf of Vicinity Centres in December 2019. The subject of the proposal was Bankstown Central shopping centre, situated in the south-western Sydney suburb of Bankstown. The proposed redevelopment would see an increase in gross floor space of 399,138m2 across retail, commercial, hotel, services apartments, student accommodation and residential. The City of Canterbury Bankstown had engaged AEC to undertake a feasibility analysis to determine the potential value uplift that will eventuate from the proposed redevelopment of the Bankstown Central site which will assist with Voluntary Planning Agreement negotiations. The financial analysis undertaken quantifies the change in land value (and consequent potential value uplift) between the development outcome possible under he current planning controls versus the development outcome based on the recent concept plan (December 2019). The preliminary figures presented in the report will be used to inform negotiation between the City of Canterbury Bankstown and Vicinity Centres for a potential Voluntary Planning Agreement. Source: Vicinity Centres (2020)

Client: Legatus Group State: SA The Legatus Group, in partnership with other regional local government associations in SA, commissioned AEC to analyse and model the impact and potential opportunity cost to employment and regional growth from the inability for SA Councils to effectively rate electricity generation and storage developments. The findings of the report provide government with an informed basis upon which to decide on the appropriateness or otherwise from implementing the recommendations to adopt a more equitable rating structure for SA Councils and communities without impeding investment and employment outcomes.

Client: Gladstone Regional Council State: QLD AEC was commissioned by Gladstone Regional Council to provide independent advice on the appropriateness of Gladstone Area Water Board's submission to the Queensland Competition Authority's 2020-25 price monitoring review which essentially sets the bulk water prices that ratepayers need to pay during the 5-year period. The assessment included the proposed price increase, appropriateness of expenditure claims, the return on capital applied, the form of regulation and regulatory pricing period, cost to service Council vs industrial customers, recovery of historic revenue shortfalls and pricing review triggers.

Client: Townsville City Council State: QLD This project involved a holistic review of Townsville City Council's general rating structure to assess the appropriateness of rating categorisation and the basis for differentials in the rate in the dollar and minimum rate across categories. The objectives of the study included enhancing fairness and equity in the distribution of the rate burden across different sectors of the community, increased transparency regarding reasons for rating categories and differential rates, and consistency with Council's economic and CBD activation strategy. Council supported all of the recommendations of the review, with full implementation of all changes in its 2020/21 budget.