Sustainability Magazine September 2025 Issue 55 | Page 141

NORTHWEST HEALTHCARE PROPERTIES
and rising demand; a shift to precinct and integrated care models; resilience, climate adaptation and digital health infrastructure; and sustainability, which Tony describes as“ no longer optional”.
To stay ahead of these, Northwest believes in aligning key priorities and the realities of operating live healthcare assets – energy and emissions, air quality and wellness, circular resources and tenant engagement are critical to their success.
Northwest Healthcare has completed Level 2 energy audits across its Australian and New Zealand buildings, developed carbon reduction roadmaps for each asset and is actively investing in solar, electrification, renewable energy and thermal storage – part of a strategic shift towards renewable energy as a central facet of its decarbonisation strategy. optimising systems and considerations for future-proofing assets.
By implementing these crucial steps, Northwest Healthcare seeks to ensure better health outcomes for patients.“ Better air should mean lower infection risk and faster recovery,” Tony explains,“ whilst comfortable and quiet spaces are said to help reduce stress. By maximising natural light we aim to improve wellbeing, and seeking to make our buildings more resilient ensures continuity of care during grid stress or extreme weather events.”
A four-pronged strategic approach Four key trends are driving change in the healthcare market: ageing population
Kelvin Grove: a new benchmark for sustainable healthcare infrastructure Solar energy is playing a transformative role in the evolution of healthcare facilities, and the Australian Red Cross Blood Service site at Kelvin Grove, Queensland, stands as a leading example. It is Australia’ s first healthcare facility to integrate solar power, ice thermal storage, and advanced cooling systems into a unified, purpose-built solution, demonstrating what integrated, sustainable infrastructure can truly look like.
“ This project is more than a technical achievement, it should be a blueprint for the future of healthcare infrastructure. One that’ s smart, sustainable, scalable and built to adapt,” says Tony.
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