Surveyors provide certainty on which growth, development, investors and governments rely for risk management and decision-making. Today, on the Global Surveyors Day, we celebrate our Survey team and the important work that they do for our clients, our projects and our community.
On the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 the Women of Wolter (WOW) came together with their industry peers not only to celebrate this important day but to unpack some of the challenges women have faced throughout history and to recognise some incredible achievements of the women who have come before us and the women we know today. The IWD 2021 theme #ChooseToChallenge also called us to think about our ongoing responsibility to make life more sustainable for women in workplaces, to be the change and to lead with positivity. Click on the title to learn how we are in this together.
The 2020 Land Supply and Development Monitoring Report (LSDMP) results are in and while the report is generally positive for Brisbane City Council, there are some concerning trends. Our Director of Planning, Brad Jones, expands on some of the key issues and provides recommendations for the planning policy that needs to be designed for next generation of Brisbane's residents.
Green Star for New Buildings applies to all types of development and is a great tool for those who want to differentiate their business and adapt to changing market trends. More comprehensive than ever, the new rating tool provides additional opportunities for alignment with your business values and goals and allows you to qualify for green star and market your existing efforts better. Many developers don’t realise they already incorporate elements in their projects that will tick enough or almost enough boxes to qualify for a certain green star rating. Could this be you?
In line with our core value of Citizenship, the WCG Team will shed their beds on the night of World Homeless Day 2020 to raise money for their charity of choice Beddown. As a team, we aim to raise a minimum $5,000 by 10th October 2020 – World Homeless Day to help Beddown achieve their mission of “repairing the quality of life before building the life of quality.” There are a number of ways you can help and it’s as simple as Shed, Share, Support or do the three. Click on the title to learn more.
We would like to share another UQ Alumni Reflection, for UQ OOPS Connect Magazine with you. Gabrielle Toohey is our young and talented Planner. She inspires us with her passion for a 'better world' and her courage to follow her dreams. "What I am possibly most appreciative of, is the fundamental inspiration studying BRTP has given me," says Gabrielle. Click on the title to read more.
It was great to collaborate with UQ OOPS again on creation of their 3rd Issue of Connect Newsletter. In celebration of 50 years of the Bachelor of Regional Town Planning (BRTP) at the University of Queensland, the OOPS (UQ Organisation of Planning Students) Team collated a special issue dedicated to remembering this history. In the BRTP Alumni Reflections our Executive Director, Andrew Crawford and Senior Planner, Kimberley White share their stories from their university days to now. Click on the title to read more.
Boyana Popvassilev, the latest addition to our Sustainability and Environment team at Wolter Consulting Group, truly believes that there is ‘no greater sin than inaction’ as she lives and breathes her passion for sustainability and circular economy, where no initiative is too small for great positive changes ahead. As we mark World Population Day 2020, we’d like to welcome Boyana to our team and share her story with you: (click on the title to read)
Brisbane City Council has announced a new initiative to encourage well designed, green and energy-efficient residential buildings. Here at WCG, we are very excited about it. Whilst Council’s announcement applies to residential buildings only, there is enormous opportunity to expand the initiative, and hopefully other Councils will follow suit. Our Sustainability, Circular Economy and Environment Team has considerable project experience in these key policy areas, and we understand the importance of project economics. We work closely with our design colleagues to maximise sustainability outcomes within a commercial mindset. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss this initiative and future opportunities.
Enter 2020, which has brought a number of challenges, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown placing even more pressure on our open space network, requiring us to ask the question: “Are we delivering communities that are robust and able to adapt to our quickly changing world?” A number of these questions had already been raised in the latest draft of IPWEAQ’s (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, Queensland) “Street Design Manual - Walkable Communities". It questions our current delivery model and its limited approach to park types and recreational opportunities, suggesting alternatives that are more efficient, offer better utilisation of land and reduce costs whilst meeting community expectations. Click on the title to read more.