Activated communities and placemaking

The rooftop at GWH Aero Apartments all decked out for a birthday party.

When we are involved from the early stages of a development (planning phases into registration/settlement and occupation), we have a role and responsibility in helping that community find its feet and activating the space that we manage. This is somewhat the case when we have the strata management of that community (i.e. a role largely offsite and administration based), versus when we are the building/facility manager – a role which is a daily/weekly in-person interface with the owners.

The view of Broadmeadow Racecourse from the rooftop at GWH Centrale Apartments Broadmeadow.

Modern design principles for apartments and community schemes (at least in Australia) give drive to the creation of a community and giving a building identity. This may include features (e.g. vertical garden, civic art), exclusive common areas (rooftop entertainment areas, gardens), naming the building or facilities (gyms, pools, treatment rooms, BBQ areas, concierge, valet, etc.) and nearby or inhouse retail offerings. Activated communities are safer, more secure and more enjoyable to reside in.

‘nook’ letterboxes – the colour coded theme continues throughout the building and helps make it a unique boutique development for the area.

Unless all of the above is well-considered, facilities may end up poorly utilised and not add value to the community. On the flip-side, beautiful common areas can be an extension of lot living space, allowing room for entertainment, recreation and community activities. These spaces end up being the ‘jewel’ in the crown of a specific development.

Playground and BBQ area with a view at Thirdis beautiful ‘Westend’ development, proudly managed by Cambridge Management Services

We have a wealth of examples of these ‘activated communities’ within our portfolio and in time, we will have great data as to how this drives improved sales values, rental yields and resident happiness.

Views from the Aero rooftop – always changing courtesy of the working harbour

Regardless of facilities, we think that all communities have the ability to take advantage of the density and the ‘just add water’ community that this provides.

Resort facilities at Abian Brisbane by Sunland – we are the Building Manager and concierge at this stunning development

Multi-purpose common room at Pier on Waterfront by Mirvac

We are about to settle on some new developments in the Newcastle region and as part of this, are planning the events we will be undertaking with the residents. In addition to this, we will be suggesting a program of activities to the strata committee that they should consider throughout the year.

These are some of the things we are thinking about doing – in Newcastle we are blessed with generous shared spaces at buildings that lend themselves to these types of activity):

Street parties with surrounding buildings – food vans, music, etc.
BBQs (doesn’t get easier or simpler)
Gardening/plants in smaller spaces and common areas with a horticulturalist
Cooking demonstrations (just need to get Harris Farm to sponsor this one!)
Fitness/yoga/pilates classes
Smart home technology class (HVAC, lighting, etc)
Caring for animals in smaller spaces
Wine tasting with a local winemaker
P0p-up cinema
Markets
Recycling and waste class

The tennis court and playground (pool in the background) at Eagle Reach Highland Park in the Hunter Valley – amazing resort facilities.

Here are some great articles I have read on the topic:

https://www.domain.com.au/news/a-place-to-call-home-placemaking-is-all-the-rage-in-apartment-developments-20160721-gqalb4/

https://urbis.com.au/insights-news/global-trends-in-mixed-use-development-the-new-paradigm-in-urban-placemaking-2/

The Initial Period

This is a guide I recently produced for distribution to developers as to who does what during the period post registration until 1/3 of lots are transferred.

Initial period

Section 4 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 provides the following definition:

“Initial period” of an owners corporation of a strata scheme means the period:

(a) commencing on the day the owners corporation is constituted, and

(b) ending on the day there are owners of lots in the strata scheme (other than the original owner) the sum of whose unit entitlements is at least one-third of the aggregate unit entitlement.

Restrictions during the initial period

Section 26 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 outlines various actions which are not permitted during the initial period. The actions relevant to NSW LRS include but may not be limited to the following:

Strata plan of subdivision which includes common property or creates common property.
Conversion of a lot to common property.
Transfer or lease of part of the common property.
Creation of an easement burdening common property.
Release of an easement benefiting common property.
Dedicating part of common property as a public road, public reserve or drainage reserve.
Change of by-laws. Section 140 Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 places restrictions on the making, amendment or repeal of by-laws during the initial period.

If a document is lodged at NSW LRS which intends to perform one of the above actions it must be accompanied by a certificate from the owners corporation in Approved Form 10 (PDF 7.9 KB) unless the common property title contains a note in the second schedule that a certificate has been lodged previously.

Note – the developer can stay in an undertaking for any period, however we note that this is generally not beneficial if they have sold more than 25% of lots and maintenance has properly commenced. We note also that once 1/3 of lots are disposed of the First AGM must be called and at that meeting, levies are considered.

Item	Developer Responsibilities	Strata Manager Responsibilities
Access Devices for owners	Supply swipes/keys/garage remotes. Confirm details for original contractors	Arrange process for additional devices to be obtained
Access Devices for contractors / OC	Supply all relevant service keys and access	Arrange collection and handover
Key box	Help designate an appropriate area	Arrange installation and placing of keys
Cleaning / Gardening (soft services)	Meet costs until levies are struck	Arrange quotes/start dates and administer invoicing in relation to levy start dates
Common utilities – water /gas/electricity / fire panel/lift line	Meet costs until levies are struck	Arrange handover/change of address for service of invoices to owners corporation c/- strata manager and arrange billing to developer or payment as required
Application by owners	Developer	Take and review application (e.g. pets) – provide relevant application forms to owner. Ensure items can be considered during the initial period
Insurance	Pay for insurance policy (refunded by purchasers on settlement)	Arrange quotes via broker prior to registration place insurance as directed managed any claims as required
S184 certificates	Attend IGM. Appoint OC representative for the time until FAGM. Arrange payment (otherwise ordered as required)	Provide certificates within 48-72 hours of receiving all required docs (COC, IGM mins, by-laws, SP, CT, solicitor details)
General Correspondence		Managed by the strata manager
Defect Process and Rectification (internal to a lot)	Convey defect process to owners and ensure defects rectified in a timely manner. Attend to any urgent defects immediately (habitability/consequential damage issues)	Strata manager can have a hand in reviewing to ensure whether a defect and then providing to builder/developer – assist in drafting defect process for owners (if required)Ensure defect process is notified to others aside from owners
Defects – external common property	As above	Review any issues as reported. Arrange walkthrough and recording of any common area issues
Waste management/bins	Provide relevant plan from DA, arrange a meeting with the council, order bins	Attend council meeting, ensure bins onsite in time for resident moves
By-law management (e.g. parking)	n/a	Attend to any by-law breaches as reported
Moving plan	Review and take advice as to suitable moving plan	Administrate moving bookings as required.
Welcome Pack – owners	Draft welcome pack for owners, including all relevant contact details, connection details, defect management, etc.)	Review welcome pack issued by the developer
Welcome pack – residents		Draft resident specific welcome pack if required
Metering (electricity/gas) and NBN identifiers	Advise strata manager of all relevant metering details. Assist in ensuring that metering details are picked up by authorities	Maintain a list of meters and NBN IDs for occupier assistance as required
Handover – documents, plans, IMS, schedule of finishes	Ensure any necessary documentation made available to strata manager ASAP (e.g. subcontractors for emergencies). Hand over all relevant material prior to First AGM	Give notice of requirements. Administrate handover/checklist – declares received documents at FAGM

Beaches, Beaches, Beaches (of the Hunter region)

It seems rude not to write a post on beaches after spending the Christmas period enjoying some of the best beaches that the Hunter region has to offer. Plenty of people live and holiday in strata-title close to beaches, so it’s definitely a relevant topic!

Within 1 hour of the Newcastle CBD, you have 40+ beaches to visit (is there anywhere else in the world where you have the beach variety?)- from the Central Coast to Lake Macquarie, through Newcastle, north to Stockton, Port Stephens and Tea Gardens. There’s swimming, surfing, sunbathing, snorkelling, water sports, sandcastle building and a range of other recreation activities.

We went no less than 10 beaches over the 16 days of holidays in Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, and Newcastle. That is but a drop in the ocean of the total number of beaches given that Port Stephens alone has over 20 beaches.

Here are a few of my favourites (one from each of the coastal Hunter region Local Government Areas) and all my own photos.

Birubi Beach

Located in Port Stephens in Anna Bay, Birubi is the at the northern end of Stockton Beach.

The water is turquoise, it’s great for pitching an umbrella on, kids love it as there is plenty to see and do exploring the rocks and it’s easy/free to park and get a shower as you leave. Birubi is a leisurely 45-minute drive from Newcastle and you can stop for a meal and a beer at Murrays or Valhalla on the way home.

Bar Beach

Bar Beach is the northernmost beach on the 1.3km stretch of sand which includes Merewether and Dixon Park Beaches.

We went to Bar Beach repeatedly throughout the break. It’s easy and free to park at, quick to get onto the beach (no long trudge over hot sand) and has a great cafe and facilities. Once on the beach, you have surf to the right and then a sand bar which is above water at very low tide and otherwise underwater and a great safe place to swim. On the left, there is a man-made tidal pool which is perfect for kids.

Bar Beach is one of the best beaches you will find this close to density, anywhere.

Redhead

Redhead reminds me of the beautiful Port Stephens Beaches (without needing to go to Port Stephens to get there). Endless sand and waves and a great coastal shelf allowing you to get out in the surf without it being too deep. Whilst it can be rough, it’s well patrolled (swim between the flags!) and nearly always great for swimming. It can be prone to sharks, but that’s largely a concern for the surfers – they’re further out!

Parking at Redhead is plentiful and free and the facilities/cafe are great. There’s also an awesome SLSC which is open to the public for drinks and live music of a Sunday during summer. They also occasionally do markets in the car park behind the SLSC.

The beaches in the Hunter region are stunning – there’s so many to check out and each has its own unique characteristics. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of beaches to check out over summer:

Lake Macquarie –

https://www.visitlakemac.com.au/see-and-do/beaches-and-swim-spots/beaches

Caves Beach – check out the caves and Caves Coastal Bar and Bungalows

Redhead Beach

Dudley Beach – The Royal Crown Hotel is a must-visit if going to Dudley.

Catherine Hill Bay – Amazing historical area, formerly a coal-mining town.

Blacksmiths Beach – The other end of Redhead which isn’t quite as good (I haven’t been there so this isn’t an educated opinion!).

Nine Mile Beach – between Redhead and Blacksmiths – known for 4wding.

Burwood Beach (in the amazing Glenrock State Conservation area) – desolate and unspoilt.

Port Stephens

https://www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/play/recreation-in-port-stephens/beaches-and-foreshores

Box Beach

Zenith Beach

Fingal Bay

One Mile Beach

Samurai Beach

Shoal Bay – stunning beach albeit very small at high tide, check out Shoal Bay Country Club when there.

Boat Harbour Beach – personal favourite as we have holidayed there since I was young.

Kingsley – Tiny surf beach – it’s a stunner.

Fishermans Bay

Taylors Beach

Little Beach – Little Beach boathouse is a must visit

Fly Point

Dutchmans Beach

Newcastle LGA

Newcastle Beach – an amazing piece of sand in the middle of the CBD. Check out the SLSC Sunday arvo for drinks. $3 drinks at 3pm!

Stockton Beach – Australia’s longest coastal dune system stretching from Newcastle Harbour to Anna Bay, it has the largest continuous mobile dune system in the Southern Hemisphere.

Nobbys – stunning beach right in the CBD with free parking and again, check out the SLSC on a Sunday.

Horseshoe Beach – On the harbour – dog beach

Glenrock Beach

Susan Gilmore – only accessible at low tide – once a beach for rogue nudists I’m told…

Bar Beach/Dixon Park/Merewether – one of the best stretches of sand in Australia. Check out all the venues along it – Cooks Hill surf club, Bar Beach Bowling Club, Merewether SLSC, Merewether Surfhouse and the Beach Hotel.

Bogey Hole – not a beach but you gotta check it out – rock pool built into the cliff by convicts.

Defibs in strata and community schemes – the facts

Defibrillators (or ‘defibs’ for short) are a hot topic right now – deservedly so as having one close at hand can mean the difference between life and death.

We recently had the pleasure of a visit from Guy Leech who now spends his working life as a defib ambassador (Founder & CEO) for Heart 180, one of the worlds leading suppliers of defibs.

Defibs have started to become common in larger strata and community schemes (particularly in pool/gym areas), however, we believe they should be common at any size scheme because of the concentration of residents and the absolute difference they can make in the event that someone has a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

As we get further into the needs and wants of those living in strata and community schemes, we see health and safety as one of the paramount (but passive) issues for residents. Defibs have a very important role to play in the area of health and safety and we’ll be spending a lot of time in 2020 and beyond talking to building owners and developers about the benefits of having these onsite.

We are all about smarter buildings and this is the key to making ‘heart smart’ buildings.

The following is a fact sheet that we prepared with the guys at Heart 180.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in Australia. Having an accessible Defibrillator in your building can make the difference.

A Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a condition that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping. Each year, SCA strikes approximately 30,000 Australians.

Unfortunately, only around 6% survive, often because help cannot reach them in time. The average ambulance response time is between 9-14 minutes. SCA is not gender or age-specific!

Without defibrillation, for every minute that passes, the chance of survival is reduced by approx 10%. Application of pads on patient within 180 seconds increase the survival rate to over 70%. With good CPR & a defibrillator up to approx 90% survival rate.

We are in an increasingly cautious world and one of the protections that can be provided to residents is an accessible defibrillator located in key common areas, that they are able to access in the event that someone is having a cardio event, giving them a chance at survival.

What are they	Defibrillation is a technique used in emergency medicine to terminate ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It uses an electrical shock to reset the electrical state of the heart so that it may beat to a rhythm controlled by its own natural pacemaker cells. A defibrillator is a commonly used medical device which can deliver this shock. A defibrillator delivers a set amount of electrical shock to the heart after it analyses the heart rhythm. It determines whether a shock is required to the heart via adhesive electrode pads attached to the person’s chest. The shock delivered by a defibrillator interrupts the chaotic rhythm of the heart and gives the heart the chance to return to its normal rhythm.
The Devices	The common defibrillator is highly advanced and will guide the user through the process. A device cannot be used on people without a cardiac issue. The Heartsine samaritan PAD 500P AED (Automated External Defibrillator) with integrated CPR Advisor meets the needs of two key links in the chain of survival. Not only can the SAM 500P deliver a lifesaving shock, it provides real-time visual and verbal feedback to the rescuer on the force and rate of CPR compressions during an SCA resuscitation – effectively assisting the rescuer to perform CPR. Defibrillator’s assess the status of a person’s heart and will not shock a normal heartbeat.
Training for using defibrillators	Anyone can use a defibrillator – it is just a matter of following the voice prompts provided by the unit. However, training is recommended to give the user greater confidence. Heart180 provide an online CPR & Defib course or can arrange face to face training.
Where they should be installed at a building	Defibrillators should be able to be accessed by a rescuer within 180 seconds of a person having a SCA anywhere in the building. This means locating devices as close as possible for quick access by all units – if not every floor, in ground floor/lobbies, recreation areas and possibly lifts.
Maintenance	Minimal maintenance required – will need to be serviced if discharged, however the devices have an 8-year warranted life span with a battery replacement at Year 4.
Liability	Specifically mandated that training is not required. No liability attached to misuse of devices. Held less liable than if administering first aid to someone, given verbal consent is required. Civil Liability Act 2002 No 22: https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/act/2002/22/part8 ANZCOR Guideline 7 – Automated External Defibrillation in Basic Life Support: https://secureservercdn.net/184.168.47.225/777.066.myftpupload.com/download/section_7/anzcor-guideline-7-aed-jan16.pdf

If you have a SCA in Australia outside of hospital – the survival rate is around 6%.

If you have a SCA in Seattle (US) outside of hospital where defibrillator use is common – the survival rate is around 64%.

Parkrun Australia (Case Study)

Parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in. Heart180 have supplied 225 defibrillators over an 18-month period to Parkrun Australia.

The first save at a Parkrun in Australia occurred 3 months after Heart180 began supplying defibrillators.

Please find more information at the following link on Brett Orpwood’s survival story: https://heart180.com.au/a-shocking-lifesaver-as-brett-enjoys-his-second-run-of-luck/

If you want to no more about defibs – get in touch with Paul Dineen.

Phone: 0447 772 300
paul@360healthcare.com.au

Security – what’s next?

Strata Schemes are basically the Luddites of the built environment. Older buildings have very little that is ‘smart’ about them and builders/developers (particularly when it’s a design/construct contract and cheap/cost-effective is the only option) are generally not incentivised to install the latest and greatest technology into buildings.

The current status quo is a shame; there is amazing technology out there and on the way that strata buildings could be taking advantage of, to manage security, control costs, monitor building health and greatly enhance the resident experience.

Yesterday I attended the Australian Security Industry Association Ltd (ASIAL) conference in Darling Harbour, which runs annually and is great to get an insight into what security technology is in the market and what is on the horizon. Thank you to our friends at Quorum Security Systems for the tour.

Some highlights with potential uses for strata buildings/community schemes:

Robot Sentry

Yes – this looks like a Dalek, but that’s kinda the fun of it.

Perfect for checking car parks and large flat outdoor areas, particularly at night. Could take the place of a need for having multiple security guards onsite.

Future potential uses I can see for this technology at buildings include checking plant and equipment is operating properly, administering move-ins, checking by-law breaches, cleaning standards (or doing the cleaning?), etc.

Keys as a service

Not a great photo – but you get the picture!

This is interesting tech – doing away with keys/swipes for entering buildings and using facial recognition to gain entry. This gives much greater security and assists management with knowing who is who in a building, particularly if there is an incident.

Secondly, the days of the intercom as we know it are numbered (along with associated cabling throughout a building).

With some new internet-connected door stations, there is no need for a connection to apartments – the request goes over the internet and to an internet-connected handset, or to a phone/tablet anywhere in the world. This is exciting technology, which will offset capital costs for developers and future owners and give a huge amount of flexibility in granting entry to a building. There are many potential applications for this; getting away from building keys/swipes is the future.

CCTV – Video Analytics

This is pretty amazing tech – watching it in action at ASIAL reminded me of the Will Smith “Enemy of the State” movie (ha – how is that 20 years old!).

The video analytics software now on the market really needs to be seen to be believed. Instead of someone needing to spend hours reviewing footage, potentially on multiple cameras – the analytics behind it can be used to pick up all instances of a person or a thing occurring (e.g. a package being on a table and) and it will continue to drill down based on the information you give it.

Obviously, the concern here from a residential perspective is privacy concerns, however, used properly and within defined boundaries – this could serve to greatly increase security and augment the ability to manage buildings.

Garage Entry

The future is Number-plate recognition or RFID windshield tags.

This technology is now hugely reliable and more cost-effective than your average sensor/remote system.

Number-plate recognition would be my choice, given the flexibility of controlling visitors parking and also having all cars in a database. Anything that helps with the dreaded visitors parking! There is a degree of management involved with such a system (which should be minimal after a building is settled given residents don’t change that often), but once established it should be no harder than programming and issuing passes/remotes and can be done remotely, in an instant.

RFID window tags are great as they are very cheap (about $6 versus a remote costing $50+). These can also be administered remotely, however, a physical tag must be issued in the first instance.

I look forward to sharing these insights with owners and developers – we can’t be far away from seeing this technology as standard in new buildings. Access control and a basic CCTV system doesn’t cut it anymore!

Better building handover

I am not going to start on building defects – that is a topic much maligned by the media at the moment (who are having a feeding frenzy on Mascot Towers after the Opal Tower hysteria died down).

Instead, I am making a list (which I intend to update over time) of some typical oversights I see from builder/developers in the handover of strata buildings to the strata manager and the owners corporation. When considered as part of the development process and during construction, all of these things are cost-effective or free. Some will be relevant for all buildings, where others will not.

We work with builders/developers closely to ensure that these matters are thought through, early in the piece.

Mailbox Locations – Put them in a central/secure area. Australia post permits and encourages this for multi-residential. The next wave to think about is parcel delivery and we are working on solutions for unstaffed buildings (without a full-time building manager/concierge).

Colour coded/secure letterboxes at nook apartments Wickham.

Cleaners Room – Does the location make sense? Is there adequate space in the room for storage? Space to wash a mop? Proper drainage?

Facade and Garden Access – If height access equipment is needed to access the facade/windows and certain gardens, anchor points should be installed. If these aren’t there at handover, there’s no ability for the OC to maintain and a new building starts to look terrible whilst the argument over who is to install them takes place.

Access control/keys – The ability to program access devices onsite or remotely is key (pun intended), along with ensuring that we know who receives what device (so these can be removed from the system down the track if a person has left the building/not returned the device, lost the device, etc). Restricted key systems are good in some ways (security and the ease of having specific keys cut down the track) and a burden in others (locked into a specific locksmith, delays in obtaining keys). I see key/access device technology changing in the near future with phone/voice/facial recognition becoming more common. Ideally, access control equipment and CCTV equipment is wired to a secure central location.

CCTV – The installation of cameras in the focal areas of a building is cost effective and incredibly important. At a minimum, the garage entrance, any foyer entrances, the mailboxes, and any common recreation areas should be covered. CCTV is a great deterrent to bad behaviour and a potential audit trail when things go wrong. Speak to my friends at Quorum Security.

Security control room at Hope Island. Hope Island is managed by Cambridge Management Services.

Keyboxes/Remote Access – How do contractors get onsite in the event of an emergency or when (if one is appointed) a building manager is not there? It’s vital to have a secure keybox onsite to get people into the building.

Internet – Nearly every building should have an internet connection! Programming devices offsite, remotely viewing CCTV footage, administering a digital display/noticeboard, shared internet connection for common areas, building management – these are some of the many reasons you would have the internet at a building.

Noticeboards – Ideally installed in a central area, such as the lift or car park. Down the back of the garbage room isn’t ideal.

This is how you do noticeboards for foyers (don’t mind the cords – this is just testing in the office).

Lift Curtains – If the building has a lift, lift curtains must be provided from the start to prevent damage (particularly with the huge influx of residents moving in the first few months).

Lift Cabling – It’s inordinately expensive to have a lift company run data cable to a lift for access control or CCTV once a lift is in-situ and operating. If it’s provisioned during the construction phase, it’s very inexpensive.

Moving Plans – What is the plan for residents to move in – times/days/how many at once, etc? You can administer this well through the use of BuildingLink

Signage and Communications – Whilst building operation may seem plainly obvious to a builder/developer, to many residents it may not be. Proper signage/instructions for contacts, moving, rubbish, etc is vital.

Bins – Speak with Council (or private waste provider if non-Council collection) as early as possible to ensure that bins arrive well before residents do.

Retail Lots – Where there are retail lots at a scheme a fit-out guide should be designed and relevant by-laws put in place. This protects the individual interests of the retail/residential owners.