THE Property Council of Australia this month announced the establishment of a dedicated retail advocacy division: Retail Property Australia.
The new division will be member led and will advocate on behalf of today’s diverse and complex property sector.
Retail Property Australia will lead the Property Council’s efforts to:
- Advocate nationally and locally on retail property issues
- Deliver tailored member services including events, research and education
- Provide a platform for strategic engagement and influence.
The inaugural member-comprised and elected Division Council, including a President and two Vice Presidents, will be finalised over coming weeks.
William Power has been appointed as Executive Director Retail Property Australia and will start in the role on October 13.
He rejoins the Property Council from Woolworths Group where, as Head of Government Relations and Industry Affairs (Property & Supply Chain), he led national teams across the property portfolio engaging with all levels of government on issues including planning reform, productivity and major regulatory changes.
His recent focus has included driving more efficient planning outcomes across the portfolio and navigating the implications for retail property investment of government and regulatory inquiries and mergers and acquisitions reform. His time also included leading crisis and issue management involving multiple stakeholders.
Prior to that, Mr Power held senior roles with the NSW Government during and after the Covid pandemic. He is returning to the Property Council following a successful stint prior to the pandemic in the NSW Division.
The advocacy agenda will be developed in collaboration with the inaugural Division Council.
More than 1300 members of the Property Council self-report an interest in the retail property sector. The establishment of this specialised division reflects the Property Council Board’s desire to provide advocacy services across the key real estate sectors of the Australian market.
