Rock Development Group: Taking a lead role in sustainability

Rock Development Group is a Canberra- based property management and development company with a history spanning more than four decades in the nation's capital. The family group established, owned and operated one of Australia's largest independent supermarket chains and wholesale operations, Cannons Supermarkets and Australian Independent Wholesalers. The retail and wholesale businesses were sold to Woolworths in 1996.

As a family business, Rock Development Group is focused on developing buildings that minimise their impact on the environment and deliver positive benefits to the broader community.

Rock Development Group Director, Maria Efkarpidis, said of the sponsorship agreement: "We're passionate about sustainable living and want to contribute towards creating a brighter and safer world for our children. Our principal sponsorship of the Green Star Communities project demonstrates our commitment to taking a lead role in sustainability through creating better precincts and communities for Australia."

The company's Belconnen Markets redevelopment project in Canberra will be one of the first projects to pilot the Green Star Communities tool when it is complete. The project will be seeking to achieve world's best practice standards.

The first commercial building in the Belconnen Markets redevelopment is expected to begin construction this month, and the second stage of detailed design is currently underway. The entire Belconnen Markets Redevelopment project is expected to be completed in 2013.

According to Maria Efkarpidis, the project is intended to "inspire the ACT and Australian property stakeholders to reach beyond what is tried and tested for something unfamiliar, exciting and of world-class standard".