Social Infrastructure
Our legal experts work with clients across all levels of government and industry in varied areas of social infrastructure including development, finance, construction and operations. Our expertise includes the following.
Australia’s specialist disability accommodation (SDA) sector is moving from a growth to strategic acquisition and development phase. To navigate this, you need advisers who know the market. Our team has advised on over 100 SDA projects around Australia, and we act for all stakeholders in the SDA cycle including fund investors, SDA providers, OSS providers, developers and community service providers.
Our people understand the regulatory and investment framework, culture and dynamics of the SDA sector and appreciate that the solution to a problem often requires a careful balance of policy, administrative and strategic imperatives as well as having key relationships with the NDIA, SDA providers, SIL providers and local investors and financiers.
We are also one of the leading providers of advice in the SDA sector with members of our team having advised the SDA Alliance, the peak body for SDA in Australia as well as being engaged with various industry-wide tax rulings and advocacy discussions with the NDIA.
- Advising four different community housing providers in relation to their submission for Round 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund – totalling more than 80 projects.
- Advising the successful consortium on Queensland’s largest social and affordable housing project in Cairns to be delivered under the Queensland Housing Investment Fund.
- Acting for Compass Housing Services Co Limited in relation to its successful bid into the Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) for the development of 2,000 social housing dwellings and the provision of services associated with the management of the social housing for a term of 25 years.
- Advising Tier 1 CHP in relation to its successful $1 billion pipeline portfolio under the Queensland Housing Investment Fund.
- Advising the successful Building Even Better Communities consortium in relation to the $800 million Ground Lease Model 2 Project delivering mixed use housing in South Yarra, Port Melbourne, Prahran and Hampton East involving social, affordable, SDA and market housing.
- Advising Community Housing (Vic) Limited as part of the successful Building Communities consortium in relation to the $450 million Ground Lease Model 1 Project delivering mixed use housing in Flemington, Prahran and Brighton involving social, affordable, SDA and market housing.
- Advising and assisting the Homes Victoria (formerly Department of Health and Human Services Victoria (DHHS) on the legislative processes and options to facilitate a streamlined process for approval of housing projects by or on behalf of the Director of Housing and where funded by the Big Housing Build program.
- Advising on over $500 million worth of debt facilities under the Victorian Government Affordable Housing Investment Partnerships program and advising on nine different financings with Housing Australia under the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator and National Housing Infrastructure Facility.
- Advising equity sponsors in relation to $200 million office to BTR conversion in Fitzroy North with GQ consortium. This included negotiating and advising on development and operations agreement including operator KPI arrangements and performance fee structuring, as well as project finance arrangements.
- Advising equity sponsors in relation to $300 million office to BTR conversion in Soutbank with GQ consortium. This included negotiating and advising on development and operations agreement, as well as landowner equity return structure and joint venture financing arrangements with commercial banks.
- Advising Australian Unity in relation to the proposed fund establishment, financing and operation of commercial premises to seniors living conversion project in Queensland. This included negotiating master operating agreement for accommodation operator and advising on operator fee arrangements.
- Advising Greystar on the planning approval for its South Yarra Build to Rent proposal.
- Advising a new BTR operator on the establishment of their affordable housing platform including governance, compliance and support arrangements.
- Advising a Singapore-based offshore fund in relation to their proposed investment into the Australian build-to-rent sector including tax structuring and fund establishment advice.
- Advising Australian Unity’s Specialist Disability Accommodation Fund, which invests with various SDA providers throughout Australia.
- Acting for Home in Place in relation to the PPP style Hunter Residences Project involving the establishment of a special purpose SPV for the acquisition of 57 parcels of land and the construction of approximately 60 SDA homes on the parcels of land and associated transition of disabled residents from large “hospital style” residential centres to the homes.
- Advising Arena REIT on its acquisition of three specialist disability housing properties in Adelaide. The three properties are leased on a long term basis to SA disability care and rehabilitation services provider, SACARE.
- Advising AccessAccom in relation to development, investment and operation of multiple SDA Projects totalling over 60 SDA dwellings across NSW.
- Advising the SDA Alliance and lodging tax rulings in relation to the GST treatment of SDA development and correspondence with NDIS Minister.
- Advising Inspire Impact Fund in relation to acquisition and development properties in Queensland for their Fund III and Fund IV developments.
- Advising Vera Living in relation to development and operation of over 75 SDA Properties in Queensland, ACT and Western Australia.
- Advising the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation in relation to the structuring and development of their Brisbane SDA project with YoungCare.
As Australia’s population continues to grow and cost of living pressures continue to bite, increased adequate social infrastructure – such as social housing, affordable housing, build-to-rent housing, disability accommodation and community precincts – are key to allowing people, communities and businesses to thrive in the future.