Water

Water security is fundamental to sustaining ecosystems, human health and wellbeing, and the economy. Changes to the global water cycle have already impacted urban water supplies, agricultural productivity and natural systems. With shifting rainfall patterns and increasing severity of floods and droughts, water security and resilience is becoming increasingly important in Australia.

* Water neutral operations for GPT owned and GPT managed retail and office buildings by 2030, and for externally managed buildings by 2040.

2022 Performance Highlights

• 62% improvement in water intensity since 2005.

• Over 18.1 gigalitres of water cumulatively avoided since 2005, compared to business as usual.

• 4.8 Star Average NABERS Water Rating for the Office portfolio and 3.6 Star Average NABERS Water Rating for the Retail portfolio. 

Find out more about GPT's performance in the 2022 Sustainability Report, with the 2022 Report due out soon.

The GPT Environment Dashboard (previously the Environment Data Pack) details the full performance of our portfolio, assets and wholesale funds since 2005, including building ratings and attributes. 

Policy and Approach

The GPT Water Policy sets out our commitments and approach to managing water consumption and outflows from our assets, guided by the Integrated Water Cycle Management framework. The Policy applies across our asset management and development activities, as well as to our relationships with tenants, suppliers and partners.

Find out more in the GPT Water Policy. 

Delivering leading water management outcomes

GPT tracks our water management performance using our ISO14001 certified Environmental Management System. 

Savings have been achieved through a range of initiatives informed by diligent metering and monitoring of water use that enables us to make informed decisions on the most effective and efficient means of reducing consumption. Key initiatives include:

Targets, monitoring and metering

• Targets are set annually for each asset, taking account of improvement plans and performance, and we monitor and report this internally through the year;
• Management KPIs and incentives are aligned with environmental performance targets;
• Site teams are provided with training to micro-monitor performance and calibrate systems for optimal efficiency;
• Metering systems are installed and systems continuously commissioned to ensure systems maintain efficiency;
• Sub-metering enables allocation of consumption costs on a user-pays basis at an increasing number of sites.

Water-saving devices

• Low flush toilets are installed in new developments;
• Waterless or low water urinals installed in all new developments and retrofitted to existing assets;
• Avoiding the use of cooling towers where a viable alternative is available, for example, at workplace6 there is heat exchange through Sydney Harbour.

Water capture and recycled water

• Rainwater tanks are installed at many sites for irrigation and other non-potable water use;
• Precinct supplied recycled water is used where available for suitable purposes, for example, the Quad buildings and 4 Murray Rose use recycled water available through Sydney Olympic Park;
• Water recycling is introduced where viable, for example at workplace6 the black water treatment plant can be viewed from outside the building and is used as a public educational tool. Excess recycled water is used to irrigate the site’s surrounding parkland.

Managing water discharge

• Minimising contamination of stormwater run-off through site cleaning procedures;
• Avoiding sewerage contamination through our House Rules and Fitout Guide requirements, especially relating to fitouts and other building works.

 Tenant guidelines and awareness

• Retail fitouts have minimum standards on the adoption of water-efficient fittings and fixtures, for example waterless woks in food facilities;
• Fit Out Guides and Building User Guides assist tenants in the use of low water consumption devices in Office tenancies;
• GPT actively participates in industry bodies and programs like the Better Buildings Partnership to support and encourage continued innovation;
• Base building consumption is reported to Office tenants during Building Management Committee meetings.

Find out more about GPT's performance in the 2022 Sustainability Report.