Young planners have their say on the future of Macquarie Park via new program

A team of aspiring planners have jumped at the chance to help deliver the future of Macquarie Park via a pilot internship program, led by Stockland at their $2billion development site M_Park.

Three students recently completed a 12-week internship as part of their Bachelor of Planning degree at Macquarie University. They joined the Stockland Commercial Property team who are working on the world-class M_Park project in Macquarie Park, which will be one of Australia’s largest purpose-built technology and innovation precincts on completion in 2024.

Young planner Sophie Valentine noted that both studying and interning in the Macquarie Park innovation district had given her a unique insight into the project:

“So many different perspectives and upbringings and lifestyles that really come together will produce something so authentic. I think that it will really put Macquarie Park at an advantage.”

Another of the planners, Jarrah Mosco-Kilpin, has progressed to Stockland’s 2022 graduate program:

“The structure of the course and my informal discussions with stakeholders really helped to build upon my pre-existing passions, while also allowing me the latitude to branch out and explore new interests in the industry,” Mr Mosco-Kilpin said.

The Stockland team noted the insights interns brought to the project, including fresh thinking on connected and diverse workplaces, and different approaches to the curation of work space to incorporate environmental, creative and lifestyle amenities.

Sarah Neilsen, General Manager, Placemaking at Stockland, congratulated the students on the completion of their internship and acknowledged the value of local partnerships to the innovation district:

“The holistic approach of this pilot project gave the students practical experience in the collaboration process that is required to bring major projects, such as M_Park, to life and provided the chance to network with industry professionals.”

“Partnerships between industry and education enrich both sectors, and we’re excited to explore further opportunities to collaborate with the next generation of talent.”

M_Park will consist of 3 commercial buildings centred around 2,500sqm of new green and public space, and will ultimately become home to around 2,000 workers in Macquarie Park. Construction is already well underway, with Stockland recently holding a ceremony to mark significant construction progress.