Creating destinations that reflect and support our communities
At Scentre Group, our approach to operating as a responsible, sustainable business is to deliver initiatives that address our four pillars - our community, talent, environmental impact and economic performance.
As the owner and operator of 42 Westfield destinations in Australia and New Zealand, creating places that reflect our local communities, where people can come for unique experiences, connect with others and access services is important to us. Some community initiatives we delivered in 2022 include...
Engaging our community
In 2022 we planned inclusive and impactful experiences to help people connect in person. We hosted more than 15,400 centre events and exhibitions, and recognised more than 3,500 cultural, community and Westfield Local Hero moments. These included:
- celebrations of Diwali, Ramadan, Matariki and Lunar New Year
- awareness raising NAIDOC Week celebrations
- seniors’ events such as Westfield Walkers and Seniors Memory Cafes
- all abilities inclusion initiatives including Quiet Hour, a pilot program of Auslan Santa and launching the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
- LGBTI+ inclusion and celebration through Living Proud Santa sets in WA and Mardi Gras activations.
Investing in our community
Over the past four years we have invested $21 million into our local communities. This investment has gone into:
Connecting communities to services they need
We forego income for space in our destinations provided to community organisations and services such as Lifeline Australia at Westfield Bondi Junction, , public libraries and more. In 2022, the value of this space was $3.6 million.
Opportunities to give
In December 2022 we introduced charity donation terminals to all Australian Westfield destinations to promote fundraising appeals for local, regional, and national charities. These are in addition to our community sites spaces that local community organisations can access free-of-charge to connect with our customers.
Employee volunteer days
In 2022, our people donated 2,307 hours or 288 days of their time to work with charities, not-for-profit organisations, and community-focused groups. In addition, Scentre Group matches our employee workplace giving charity contributions. Our combined contributions totalled $148,251 last year.
Community partnerships
Each community partnership is tailored to the local community and the partner organisation. We provide a combination of financial and in-kind contributions – including in-centre events, support of community events, coverage on local Westfield digital channels, co-branding and opportunities to communicate with our Westfield members. We have 58 active community partnerships in place, and more in discussion for implementation this year.
Looking to 2023 and beyond, we will continue to evolve our destinations to deliver what customers and communities want and need, while feeling safe, welcome and included.
Find out more about our approach as a Responsible Business in our 2022 Responsible Business Report or read about our sustainability initiatives.