Australian construction and property industries tackle modern slavery
On the international day of remembrance of victims of slavery, new research reveals the lengths Australian property and construction businesses are going to to end the scourge
3 min
Concerns about modern slavery usually focus on the garment and technology sectors but new research in Australia has focused on ways of identifying and dealing with the scourge in construction supply chains.
The Property Sector’s Modern Slavery Act Response Research Project is a joint project between Bond University, Better Sydney and Informed 365, an Australian tech company focused on monitoring compliance and supply chain transparency under the Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018.
The Act mandates annual reporting for companies with revenues of more than $100 million. The Global Slavery Index 2022 estimates that modern slavery accounts for nearly 50 million worldwide. Since the Act was introduced, company boards have been held responsible for public statements made by their companies on their abilities to assess and manage the risk of modern slavery in supply chains. The construction industry is considered to be particularly vulnerable thanks to the lack of visibility over long and complex supply chains, as well as the high demand for a low-skill labour force.
The research project, released to coincide with the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery, was tasked with examining the Australian industry’s ability to cope with assessing and managing reports of slavery in the supply chain. It follows on from the launch of the Property Council Supplier Platform in 2019 by the Property Council of Australia and Informed 365 to provide a digital platform for the local property and construction sector to collect, compare and understand supply chain data on human rights and modern slavery.
Supply chain slavery issues are notoriously complex to identify but Property Council national policy director Francesca Muskovic said modern slavery in construction impacts millions of people in Australia and abroad and needed to be addressed at a national level.
“Our industry provides jobs for more than 1.4 million Australians – more than mining and manufacturing combined. This extensive influence places us in a unique position to address the social impacts of our activities and improve people’s lives,” Ms Muskovic said.
She said despite the challenges, the Australian construction and property industry sought to improve human rights outcomes both here and overseas.
“Our supply chains are geographically diverse, multi-tiered and complex. Understanding the human rights and modern slavery risks within them is essential in helping the industry make their supply chains more ethical and sustainable,” Ms Muskovic said.
“The property sector has forged a world-leading position on environmental sustainability, and it is pleasing to see leaders continue to step up their efforts on social sustainability.”
The research revealed that while 88 percent of suppliers to Australia’s leading construction and property firms understand what modern slavery is and 44 percent reported they had processes in place if a human rights incident or modern slavery was identified, smaller firms were less prepared.
“Many smaller firms were not aware of supply chain issues due to a lack of engagement, resources or audits, so there were mixed results in terms of supply chain mapping and risk assessment,” said Robin Mellon, CEO of Better Sydney, Board member for the UN Global Compact Network Australia, and Project Manager for the Property Council’s Human Rights and Modern Slavery Working Group.
“The report found 56 percent of suppliers who assessed their supply chains beyond their own immediate suppliers found some human rights issues or concerns, showing how important it is to investigate all levels of supply chains.”
Designed to better understand the challenges, strengths and opportunities for the property sector to improve its response to slavery, the research is part of Australia’s ongoing contribution to eradicating it worldwide.
Mr Mellon said access to resource materials are key to helping property and construction businesses stay informed.
“There are now excellent learning materials available through the Property Council, the UN Global Compact Network Australia, and anti-slavery organisations to help engage, educate and support suppliers towards continuous improvement,” he said.
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4 min
One of Burleigh Heads’ most architecturally significant penthouses has hit the market for the first time since its completion five years ago.
The listing provides the first real look inside the two-level penthouse crowning Norfolk, Forme’s award-winning Goodwin Terrace development which was completed in 2021.
The penthouse sold off the plan for $5.35 million around 18 months before construction was completed and has remained tightly held ever since, meaning its resale offers the first insight inside one of Burleigh’s most architecturally impressive apartment buildings.
The four-bedroom residence spans approximately 461 sqm, comprising 276 sqm of internal living and a further 185 sqm of outdoor space across its two levels.
Its position on Goodwin Terrace gives the penthouse one of the Gold Coast’s comparatively rare true north-to-water aspects, with views stretching from Burleigh Headland along the coastline towards the towers of Surfers Paradise. Floor-to-ceiling glazing has been used extensively throughout the residence, framing the ocean outlook from almost every principal living space.
Forme, led by Managing Director David Calvisi, acquired the prime 1,012 sqm site, formerly home to The Fish House restaurant, before developing Norfolk as the first new multi-residential project delivered on Goodwin Terrace in around three decades.
The strength of the location was clear. The more unusual proposition was the building itself.
Forme appointed Koichi Takada Architects to design the 10-level development, marking the practice’s first Gold Coast building. Rather than treating Norfolk’s beachfront setting as a backdrop, Takada used the Norfolk Island pines along the foreshore as the basis for the architecture.
Curved balcony slabs and horizontal battens create the building’s distinctive layered exterior. Sliding timber screens can be repositioned for privacy, shade and protection from the coastal conditions, continuously changing the appearance of the façade.
Takada has compared the concept to the structure of a pinecone, whose overlapping layers open and close according to environmental conditions. In an earlier account of the project, the architect said the objective was to celebrate the site and create a stronger connection between the residences and the elements outside.
The response helped turn Norfolk into an architectural marker for Burleigh’s transformation.
Norfolk comprises 12 half-floor apartments, two dual-level penthouses and one two-level beach house. MIM Design created the interiors, Hutchinson Builders undertook construction and Plus Architecture supplied documentation services for the builder.
Inside Residence 901, MIM Design’s restrained palette brings together timber, natural stone and tailored joinery without competing with the outlook. Travertine surfaces have subsequently received paint-protection film, while the home is being offered with a custom furniture package.
A private lift opens directly into the main living level. Living, dining and media spaces are arranged along the view, accompanied by a concealed bar and a broad north-eastern terrace.
The kitchen has an oversized stone island, European appliances and bespoke cabinetry, supported by a butler’s pantry and separate scullery. An integrated RTI system controls lighting, climate, fans, security, entertainment and audio using in-home touchscreens or a smartphone application.
The principal suite occupies a private wing with ocean views, a dressing room and ensuite. Two additional bedrooms have their own ensuites, while a fourth bedroom can operate as an executive study. A concealed Murphy bed allows that room to accommodate guests when required.
The rooftop is what moves the residence beyond even a generously proportioned beachfront apartment.
Reserved exclusively for the penthouse, it contains a heated lap pool, landscaped gardens, several entertaining areas and an alfresco kitchen with a built-in barbecue. An integrated outdoor cinema allows the rooftop to function as an open-air screening room above the Pacific.
Four side-by-side secure car spaces, dedicated electric-vehicle charging and private storage address practical constraints often encountered by prestige-apartment buyers. The parking allocation is particularly relevant for owners moving from a large house or maintaining a car collection.
Norfolk’s wider amenities include a beach-club-style residents’ area, swimming pool, gymnasium and sauna. Burleigh Beach is directly opposite, while James Street, Burleigh Head National Park and restaurants including Rick Shores and The Tropic are within walking distance.
The building’s reputation has also moved well beyond its beachfront address. Norfolk received both jury and popular-choice honours in the mid-rise multi-unit housing category at the 2022 Architizer A+Awards. It won a Queensland Australian Institute of Architects award for multiple housing and was named the 2022 Medium-Density Residential Development of the Year by The Urban Developer. Further recognition came from the Master Builders awards and Architecture MasterPrize.
Calvisi later said the aim with Norfolk was to produce something the Gold Coast had not previously seen.
The penthouse is being marketed through expressions of interest by Dean Pegoraro of Whitefox Gold Coast.
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