Name: Lisa Nixon Company Name: BBS Communications Group Category 11: Low Cost/Pro-Bono Entry Name: Hamilton Harbour

Transcription

1 Name: Lisa Nixon Company Name: BBS Communications Group Category 11: Low Cost/Pro-Bono Entry Name: Hamilton Harbour The Issue. Hamilton Harbour (HH) - Leighton Properties and Devine Limited s $500 million mixed-use project - presented broad and complex communications challenges. The precinct comprised residential, retail and commercial developments, including 660 apartments across three residential towers and one commercial building. Key issues were: 1. NIMBYS Two residential apartment complexes already existed in the largely commercial and light industrial area. Some neighbours did not want HH to proceed. They were an organised and affluent group who took HH to task on everything from hours of work, noise, dust, truck traffic, street parking, litter, diesel smells and cracked plaster in their lift well. Community communication was the building company's responsibility before BBS appointment and relationships had deteriorated to the point of legal threats and physical stand offs. 2. Building defects These had not been managed effectively and were causing extreme angst for owners and tenants, and posed a threat to contract closures and client brands. One apartment owner in particular (described here as PR1) represented a major issue, making abusive and threatening calls to the project director. PR1 claimed his apartment was uninhabitable due to a bad smell. He initiated legal action and threatened media intervention. The issue had escalated so that parent company, Leighton Holdings, had sight of the issue for reputational reasons.

2 3. Depressed sales market Due to the GFC, the market for residential apartments was slow, fuelled by negative media coverage. 4. Development scepticism Publicity had suggested HH would be 'rushed through at the expense of community and proper planning, due to the project being the first undertaken under a new regime of Urban Development Areas (UDAs) which vested planning authority in the State Government rather than Brisbane City Council. There was also community confusion regarding who was responsible for approvals. Clear communication of this would be important to smooth the way for construction. Additional considerations were: A need to establish strong messaging and positioning for HH as competitor projects emerged A large and complex mix of stakeholders, including 2,290 neighbours and residents, 900 workers and 90 joint venture stakeholders. Desk research was undertaken, with media scans revealing issues around major project developments and attitudes to new and existing development at Hamilton. A review of sales forecasts was done and market commentary by key journalists was analysed and monitored. This research enabled BBS to take the temperature of the local and broader community, which guided media story pitches, to target project needs and enhance coverage. Strategy. BBS overarching strategy was to communicate with key stakeholders honestly, transparently and regularly.

3 Communications objectives were: To reopen communications in a productive and civil manner to defuse and effectively manage issues with owners, tenants and NIMBYS Establish regular communications with key stakeholders to monitor and address any future issues Generate publicity over the next 12 months to support the construction phase and apartment sales. Execution. Key tactics were: For PR1: BBS to mediate and provide a dedicated staff member as the only point of contact between PR1 and the client Reopen communications by establishing clear boundaries Enable PR1 to express his issues but focus always on what was real and solvable Meetings every second day for a month BBS to report to the client and achieve delivery assurances for PR1 Manage delivery of an exhaustive series of independent tests to investigate the source of the bad smell. For owners/tenants: Develop a suite of personal letters to contact every owner and tenant regarding defective air conditioners Manage communications for the 190 apartments requiring this work

4 Coordinate independent tests, inspections, air monitoring, plumbing reviews, building assessments Manage communications around kitchen alteration offers to 206 apartments and with owners of 45 apartments accepting the offer Attend body corporate meetings Weekly updates. For NIMBYS: BBS to mediate between project neighbours and developers Conduct personal meetings to listen, report back, gain assurances on developer actions. For sales and development support: Publicity focused on highlighting the value of apartments and benefits of the Northshore Hamilton concept Promotion of market demand for one-bedroom apartments which were a new concept. Innovation. BBS s approach to the kitchen refit issue in particular brought a new level of empowerment to residents during a defects process. Residents were engaged early in the planning process and invited to submit their thoughts on solutions to kitchen layouts and bench space. This was a complex expectation management task, as the multiple apartment configurations and fitouts resulted in multiple potential solutions. Owners/residents were supplied with individualised drawings of their apartments with potential solutions, costed options and reply/feedback mechanisms.

5 BBS managed design upgrades for individual owners that were within the client s budget, timings and design parameters, as well as being acceptable and welcomed by owners and their tenants. Results and Evaluation. PR1: Despite a negotiated agreement to accept independent tests, PR1 proceeded to launch legal action. However, the claim did not go to court as his lawyers accepted that the HH/BBS process had been thorough and proper. Owners/tenants: Airconditioning defect issues and kitchen fitouts were finalised without additional cost PR1 s potential to influence other stakeholders was contained. Despite his efforts to involve the body corporate and the media, the issue never made it to TV. NIMBYS: No law suits and active participation by representatives of the offended parties in HH community reference group meetings. Sales and development: HH set Brisbane sales records in the post GFC environment (with 1 of 650 apartments unsold and 90% of commercial premises leased) Local buyers were a key source of sales Supported client to deliver project ahead of schedule.

6 The performance of construction team was acknowledged with a National Award for Residential Construction from The Australian Institute of Building. General: Removal of widespread reputational risk to joint venture partners - Leighton Properties and Devine Limited, and the builder, Devine Constructions Reduced cost of litigation for the client.