Stockland has been recognised by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) as the first Australian property group to achieve a WELL Health Safety Rating in the retail sector, obtaining a rating for eight of its centres.
The WELL Health-Safety Rating, an initiative of the IWBI, was achieved by adopting a range of strategies that support the health and wellbeing of customers, retail staff and other visitors to the shopping centres.
Stockland executive general manager of town centres, Michelle Abbey said, “Stockland wanted to adopt a world leading approach to wellness so that customers visiting our centres and people working within them knew they were occupying an environment that promotes their health and wellbeing.
“There is a community expectation that our centres comply with high safety and environmental standards, particularly in the wake of COVID and significant weather events.
“Some of the strategies we have implemented are visible – like keeping spaces clean and sanitised – while others less so, like having best practice emergency procedures in place and ensuring we have high quality clean air and water supplied within our buildings.”
Stockland has achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating for its town centres at Hervey Bay, Birtinya, and Baringa in Queensland; Forster, Balgowlah and Nowra in New South Wales; Wendouree in Victoria; and Baldivis in Western Australia.
International WELL Building Institute chief product officer, Jessica Cooper said, “Congratulations to Stockland for achieving the WELL Health-Safety Rating for eight retail centres. With people at the heart of places it creates, Stockland leads by example in delivering connected communities and prioritising the health and safety of shoppers, retail staff and customers. We are proud to celebrate Stockland’s latest WELL achievement.”
To achieve the rating, Stockland worked collaboratively with a team of contractors, consultants, facilities managers and retailers at each centre to assist them in implementing the best-in-class strategies.
“The certification of our centres with the WELL Health-Safety Rating is a testament to our belief that space has the power to help people thrive, and aligns with our core values and purpose, ‘we believe there is a better way to live’,” Abbey said.