27 October 2009
A former judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court has been elected chairman of the Urban Taskforce at its annual general meeting today.
Mr Hemmings is a consultant at law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, a longstanding member of the Urban Taskforce.
The Taskforces chief executive, Aaron Gadiel, was delighted with the appointment.
Noel is one of Australias leading environmental and planning law experts, Mr Gadiel said.
Few people would claim to know more about the planning system than Noel Hemmings.
Mr Hemmings said that he was pleased to take on this new role.
I look forward to contributing to the future of appropriate property development, Mr Hemmings said.
The Urban Taskforce has played a strong role in the public debate and I want to see that continue.
Mr Hemmings paid tribute to Bob Rose who has retired as the Taskforces chairman after seven years of service.
Bob Rose is an outstanding developer and industry leader, he said.
Hes going to be a tough act to follow.
Bob has a passionate commitment to the industry and has played a vital role in supporting philanthropic causes.
In 2008 Bob Rose was honoured with an Order of Australia for his contribution for service to the building and construction industry and to the community, particularly in the area of sustainable urban development and planning and through support for a range of charitable organisations.
Mr Rose said that he had enjoyed his time at the Taskforce, but felt that it was time to move on.
As a property developer, I work hard to create communities which bring out the best in people, Mr Rose said.
Ive taken the same approach as chairman of the Urban Taskforce.
I think weve helped governments and the wider community to better appreciate the role of property development.
Im confident that this work will continue under Noels chairmanship.
Its great to see someone of Noels calibre taking the Taskforce forward.
The Urban Taskforces secretary/treasurer, David Tanevski, said that the Urban Taskforce would benefit from Mr Hemmings’ experience.
Noel Hemmings, as chairman, will complement the strong commercial expertise of our other executive committee members.
But theres no denying that Bob Rose – our longest serving chairman – will be sorely missed.
His steady hand and 40 year track record as a developer has made him a great mentor for the next generation.
Mr Gadiel said that there were other changes to the executive committee of the Taskforce following todays annual general meeting.
Allen Linz (Rebel Property Group) and George Kostas (Brookfield Multiplex) have been elected as the Urban Taskforces new deputy chairmen, he said.
Anthony Otto (Winten Property Group) and Peter Spira (Meriton) have been elected as executive committee members.
Bob Ell (Leda) and Richard Scheinberg (McDonald Industries) have retired as deputy chairmen, although the latter remains an executive committee member. Jason Little (Goodman) has also stood-down from the executive committee and Will Dwyer (Goodman) has joined the Taskforces Steering Committee.
Id like to thank all of the executive committee members, who are standing down, for their work on behalf of the Urban Taskforce, Mr Gadiel said.
David Tanevski (KWC Capital Partners) remains secretary/treasurer and Sean Kennedy (Leighton Holdings) continues as an executive committee member.
All members of the executive committee, including the chairman, deputy chairmen and secretary/treasurer, fulfil their role on an honorary basis, without payment.
A full list of the Urban Taskforces new executive committee is available here.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
For every $1 million in construction expenditure, 27 jobs are created throughout the broader economy. The construction activity made possible by property developers contributes $78 billion to the national economy each year and creates 849,000 direct jobs.
