Case Study: Strategic Transition and Asset Management for the Commonwealth PropertyPortfolio

Client:
Australian Government

Background

The Australian Government initiated a major reform of its property management function,

seeking to outsource the Commonwealth Property Portfolio to a Strategic Alliance Partner.

This marked a shift toward a more commercial and performance-driven approach to

managing one of the largest real estate portfolios in the country. At that time current Sanford

team members played a pivotal role in this transition.

Project Scope and Responsibilities

1. Portfolio Transition and Strategic Advisory

A seconded project in Canberra for a two-year period working closely with government

personnel on a series of major portfolio transformation initiatives:

 Data Management and RFT Preparation: Led the organisation and structuring of

comprehensive property data to support the Request for Tender (RFT) process.

 Commercialisation of Assets: Advised on the commercialisation strategy for the

Government Special Purpose and Industrial Portfolio.

 Overseas Estate Review: Delivered a strategic rebasing of the Australian

Government’s Overseas Estate to support long-term planning.

 Divestment Management: Oversaw the divestment process for several key assets
including AGSO Headquarters (Symonston) and government office buildings in
Belconnen.

2. Tender Evaluation Panel – Global Portfolio Management

Appointed to the Tender Evaluation Panel responsible for selecting the initial Strategic

Alliance Partner to manage the Commonwealth Government’s property portfolio worldwide.

This role included:

 In-depth analysis of proposed management models for property, facilities, and

portfolio strategy.

 Site visits to Australian embassies across multiple countries to evaluate the practical

effectiveness of proposed management frameworks.

 Participation in the assessment and due diligence process to ensure alignment with

government objectives.

3. Transaction Management – Defence Headquarters Russell

A key member of the Transaction Management Team during the proposed divestment of

Defence Headquarters in Russell. Although the asset was ultimately withdrawn from sale, led

several critical activities:

• Negotiation of complex lease terms with government tenants.

• Coordination and engagement of specialist consultants.

• Preparation of detailed Property Information Reports and an Investment

• Memorandum for potential investors.

• Assurance of full compliance with audit and probity requirements.

  Outcomes

  Our team member involvement was instrumental in establishing the foundation for the initial

outsourcing of the management of the Commonwealth’s property portfolio which has now

evolved into the Whole of Australian Government outsourcing (WoAG) framework. Work on

data integrity, commercial strategy, and stakeholder engagement contributed to the

development of a robust, scalable, and globally informed property management model. The

insights gained from the Defence HQ divestment process also strengthened government

capability in managing large-scale transactions.