A Summary of Key ECF Projects in 2024

Over the past 12 months we have worked with a diverse range of clients on exciting projects that will deliver real benefits for future generations and help shape communities in Sydney and across regional NSW.

Our projects have ranged from an ambitious development to transform heritage buildings in Sydney’s CBD into a world-class mixed-use precinct; to projects which support the energy transition; and residential developments across metropolitan Sydney and regional NSW including a State Significant development under the NSW Government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program; and facilitation of workshops to shape and implement new government policy.

We continue to provide support for a major infrastructure project in Western Sydney, where we are delivering strategic issues advice and communications and community engagement support on a proposal to address the State’s looming waste disposal challenges. Similarly, we are working with a client for a proposed energy project to support the energy transition in a regional location which will assist in energy recovery and generation.

We continue our work with Sydney University’s infrastructure projects team providing strategic advice and communications support around governance. In Melbourne, we are supporting Melbourne Airport on their major infrastructure projects with communications design and implementation. We are very proud to have ECF’s Shantelle, as part of the award winning team working on the recent announcement of the approval of the new third runway project.

We are in the initial stages of supporting an innovative and sustainable development proposal that will bring significant economic and social benefits to communities in regional NSW. We are also supporting another client with a proposal in northern Sydney that addresses the urban revitalisation while maintaining community expectations around local heritage and environment.

We have attended several industry forums and events throughout the year to ensure we engage with industry experts and hear first-hand from our political leaders and government executives on current social and economic issues, challenges and proposed solutions – and so we can feed these ideas back to our colleagues in the UK.

Among the highlights was attendance at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s Housing and Infrastructure Forum, as well as the Airport City Summit and the Fifth Estate’s Let’s Hack Housing event. Whilst in London, our Executive Chair also attended the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s East London Study Tour, the Property Council of Australia’s tour of London’s urban regeneration sites and the Australia Britain Chamber of Commerce’s Infrastructure Catalyst.

We have also facilitated our own seminars such as our ECF Talks’ Events and a roundtable discussion exploring the role of deliberative democracy in planning and urban regeneration.

These forums enable us to bring together thought leaders, practitioners, and communities to explore what constitutes best practice engagement and look into the future to see how a combination of cutting-edge technology and human-centric approaches to engagement can be used to enhance people’s lives through long term thinking.

We have been able to learn and share insights from across the globe thanks to our UK colleagues who have hosted and participated in numerous insightful and engaging events such as the Liveable Neighbourhoods Conference in London, the London Festival of Architecture, and the LDN Collective’s Tech and AI in Community Engagement event, where we shared our insights on the future of global community engagement and learned from others in our field.

The past year has been one of remarkable growth, collaboration, and impactful work for our team. As we look forward to another year of progress, we remain committed to driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and helping to create sustainable, thriving relationships between clients and communities.