ACRI/Urban Taskforce industry breakfast: Learning from Asian Cities

June 29 2017

With the increasing relationship between Australia and China comes an opportunity for both countries to learn from each other. A number of large Chinese developers are bringing their skills to Australia and are investing in large projects. There is an increasing investment into Australian property from China.

The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) in association with Urban Taskforce Australia held an industry breakfast on June 29 2017 featuring presentations from leaders in this aspect of the relationship between China and Australia. This was followed by a lively panel discussion facilitated by former NSW Premier and now Director of ACRI Professor the Hon. Bob Carr. Speakers included industry representatives Chris Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Urban Taskforce Australia; David Chin, Managing Director, Basis Point; Guotao Hu, CEO, Country Garden Australia; and Laraine Sperling, Director, SBM.

About the panellists:

Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson is CEO of Urban Taskforce Australia, a former NSW Government Architect and former Executive Director at the NSW Department of Planning. He has extensive experience in the planning system and the delivery of major projects. Chris was a member of the Central Sydney Planning Committee for 10 years and the NSW Heritage Council and has represented New South Wales on many national bodies.

He is a life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and a member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). He has written 14 books on planning and architecture and has been an adjunct professor at three universities in New South Wales. Chris has a Bachelor of Architecture from Sydney University; a Master of the Built Environment from the University of Technology, Sydney; a Master of Architecture from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Cultural Heritage from Deakin University. Chris Johnson was Director of Chris Johnson Special Projects for 3 years undertaking consulting services in the areas of architecture, planning and urban design. He was also the recipient of the Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship award for 2011.

Guotao Hu

Guotao Hu is Chief Executive Officer of Country Garden Australia Pty Ltd. Country Garden engages in the real estate business. It operates through the following segments: Property Development; Construction, Fitting, and Decoration; Property Investment; Property Management; and Hotel Operation. The company was founded by Kwok Keung Yeung in 1992 and is headquartered in Hong Kong at PwC where he leads the Australian Firm’s Asia branch.

David Chin

David Chin, Managing Director of Basis Point, established the firm 19 years ago, drawing from his experience across Australia and Asia as a ‘top-down’ or ‘helicopter’ analyst and marketer of the region’s capital flows in derivatives, futures, wealth management, and funds management. He was previously Head of Marketing at Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) from 1990-1996, reporting to the CEO, and is the author of Thy Fiefdom Comes, a fantasy/science fiction novel.

Laraine Sperling

Laraine has extensive experience in international design practices, positioning award-winning projects across Asia and Australia. She has marketed some very significant world renowned projects across multiple sectors. With over 20 years’ experience in design and project marketing, Laraine most recently led the local Architects’ marketing associated with One Central Park, the world’s most awarded residential development. Laraine is a guest lecturer at both University of Sydney and UTS and has a well-respected reputation in the design marketing industry.