Partnering with our customers for a sustainable future

We are extremely proud of the first 5 Green Star Design and As Built v1.1 development in our industrial portfolio – a state-of-the-art logistics facility developed for Caroma, a subsidiary of ASX-listed GWA Group, a leading Australian supplier of building fixtures and fittings to households and commercial premises.

Charter Hall acquired the Caroma facility at Victoria Street, Wetherill Park, NSW, on a sale and leaseback in 2015. As part of a further procurement process led by Caroma, Charter Hall offered a solution to meet their future needs for a specialised warehouse. Caroma’s motivation was to provide employees with an attractive environment, both in which to work and to showcase new products.

The new warehouse located at the M5/M7 Logistics Park in Prestons, New South Wales, includes a logistics centre, research and development lab, product development and quality assurance facilities for testing new products on site. With both our companies focused on sustainable outcomes in our products, the features of the developments include a 200kW solar system, which will generate 354 MWh per year, approximately 20-30% of Caroma’s energy requirements, and electrical sub-metering that will provide information for building users to help identify and address high-use areas.

With Caroma being a leading provider of sustainable water solutions, water efficiency and conservation in the building and its fittings was a strong focus for the development. Water meters linked to the Building Management System are in place to help identify any leaks. The installation of Caroma’s water efficient fittings and products and rainwater capture and reuse, further build on water efficiency features, while the on-site waste management system provides over ten streams to assist with waste diversion from landfill. “The 5 Green Star rating works both to showcase the site and to provide the extra performance benefits desired,” says Matthew Cox, National Industrial Delivery Manager.

Positioned close to rail links and with bicycle racks and end-of-trip facilities, Caroma’s new facility makes it easier for employees to commute more sustainably. Once at work, they will also be able to take advantage of spaces set up for flexible working through activity- based work environments.

“ Partnering with Charter Hall allowed us to deliver a sustainable solution that all of our teams can be proud of. We look forward to continuing our progressive, sustainable partnership into the future.”

The success of the logistics facility has encouraged us to pursue another development for Caroma at their 7,000sqm industrial site in Brisbane. We are also trialling the Caroma intelligent bathroom management system, Caroma Smart Command®, in our head office in Sydney. This mutually beneficial relationship serves as proof of the value we can deliver from our partnership approach with tenant customers.