Plenary Group

As Plenary Group marks 20 years of delivering public infrastructure for communities around the world, we reflect on our past, celebrate our present and look forward to our future. 

Financial close has been achieved for our first project in the UK, the Staffordshire University Student Village. The project includes the delivery of a 700-room student village built in cluster blocks and townhouses, and a central village hub will act as a social space for students and feature events and wellbeing spaces, study areas and a rooftop terrace. The university’s existing Clarice Cliff Court accommodation will also be refurbished to ensure that all the university’s ensuite accommodation meets the same high standards. This is an important milestone in the exciting growth phase of the Plenary business, and we look forward to collaborating with the university to deliver infrastructure that provides a valuable contribution to the community for decades. Plenary Group is part of the Staffordshire Campus Living consortium – comprising HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions (UK) & (Irl) Ltd, Willmott Dixon, Corstorphine & Wright, and Pinnacle Group Limited – contracted to finance, design, build and operate for 50 years a 700-room student village in partnership with Staffordshire University at the university’s Stoke-on-Trent campus. Construction of the new Student Village will begin shortly and is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Plenary Group wishes everyone around the world who celebrates a Happy Islamic New Year. 

Plenary Group is now a member of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC), aligning with its commitments to delivering sustainable, long-term outcomes for clients, partners, communities and the environment. The leading member-based purpose-led organisation works to advance sustainability outcomes in infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand. Plenary is committed to working with ISC and its members to further embed sustainability considerations into infrastructure projects, and continues to address its sustainability agenda as set out in its ESG Strategy and Framework, working in partnership with project stakeholders. 

Plenary Group thanks NSW Government Treasurer Daniel Mookhey for his insights at the CEDA - Committee for Economic Development of Australia NSW State Budget Address, following the delivery of his second NSW Budget. The treasurer detailed the state’s revised forecast growth, and how the government is managing debt, growth and productivity. Plenary Managing Director Patrick Lauren then joined the treasurer on stage to discuss the importance of competition in improving productivity, the ability of the world-class Sydney Metro program to support the government’s plans for more housing around public transport hubs, and the role of the private sector in supporting the government’s housing and energy transition agenda.

Plenary Group thanks Queensland Government Treasurer Cameron Dick for his insights at the CEDA - Committee for Economic Development of Australia Queensland State Budget Address event, following the delivery of the 2024-25 Queensland Budget. Plenary’s Queensland representative and Head of Sustainability and ESG Belinda Bradberry joined the treasurer on stage to discuss the government’s Energy and Jobs plan, the work required to get ready for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and how the government is navigating increasing labour and construction costs while delivering its infrastructure and housing agenda. Plenary supports the government’s expanded use of public-private partnerships in the delivery of social and affordable housing via Ground Lease Models, a key element in achieving its Homes for Queenslanders housing plan commitments.

Plenary Group wishes a joyous Eid al-Adha to all celebrating this blessed occasion. Eid Mubarak.

Plenary Group Chief Investment Officer Paul Crowe and Asia CEO Chi-Ling Looi joined Australian Government Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski and other business leaders at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) Outbound Investment Mission to Vietnam and Singapore. This mission provided insights into Southeast Asia’s investment environment and also green energy and infrastructure project opportunities. By 2040, Southeast Asia as a bloc will be the world’s fourth largest economy, fuelled by favourable demographics, industrialisation, urbanisation and technological advances, providing opportunity for private capital investment in public infrastructure. DFAT | Export Finance Australia | Future Fund

Thank you to Property Council of Australia for the opportunity to present at the Tasmania Growth Summit. Plenary Group Managing Director Damien Augustinus delivered a keynote on the future of public-private partnerships, followed by a panel discussion moderated by PCA Tasmania Executive Director Rebecca Ellston and featuring representatives from Homes Tasmania, .id (informed decisions) and MIX Property Group. Damien noted PPPs as being contracts for outcomes, noting the timeline, process and budget certainty they provide, and highlighted exemplars from a range of sectors including precincts, housing, health, energy transition and universities.

A special National Reconciliation Week event, with Plenary Group welcoming proud Gamillaroi man, Next State Projects Director and Reconciliation NSW board member Geoffrey Winters for a thought-provoking discussion on the state of reconciliation in Australia and what the future holds. Geoffrey and Plenary staff from around the country discussed the opportunities and challenges ahead for the reconciliation movement, the important role of state governments in the ongoing process of treaty and truth telling, and the role the private sector can play. This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder that the ongoing journey of respect for, recognition of, and reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continues. Plenary has been on a formal journey of reconciliation since 2020 and looks forward to continuing to promote reconciliation and provide our people with practical ways to contribute. To thank Geoffrey for his time, Plenary donated to Just Reinvest NSW, an Aboriginal-led non-profit organisation working to reduce Aboriginal peoples’ interactions with the criminal justice system. #NRW2024 Reconciliation Australia