Investing for members

Renewables

We have invested in several wind, solar, storage and other energy opportunities in Australia and overseas. In addition, we have invested in electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) assets locally that will play an integral role in Australia meeting its net zero emission targets.  We are also working with governments and our industry partners to identify further opportunities to invest in Australia’s energy transition. A key example is our investment in Star of the South, Australia’s most advanced offshore wind project.

IFM Net Zero Infrastructure Fund

We have committed to the IFM Net Zero Infrastructure Fund which is focused on infrastructure investments that accelerate the world’s transition to a net zero economy and is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Forth Ports

We invest in Forth Ports, an owner and operator of eight container ports across the United Kingdom. With seven ports in Scotland and one in London, Forth Ports benefits from locations close to the North Sea oil and gas reserves, and access to the English Channel. Offshore wind also presents a major opportunity for its Scottish ports as construction and servicing work for new offshore wind farms is expected to be supported by Scottish harbours for years to come.

Social and affordable housing

We have a long history in advocating for and investing in social and affordable housing. We’re currently one of the largest individual supporters of Housing Australia’s bond issuances. These investments not only support new home developments for vulnerable Australians, and generally improve supply across the housing continuum, they also support the economy through job creation and have delivered strong risk-adjusted returns for our members.

Learn more about our investments in the real economy (PDF).

Cbus is unique in that we take a direct interest in the industries in which our members work.

Cbus Property

Cbus Property is a wholly-owned entity of Cbus Super, and is responsible for the development and management of a portfolio of Cbus Super's property investments. These investments in residential and commercial construction deliver strong long-term returns whilst also adding value to the economy and creating employment opportunities for our members across a range of industries.

A key example is 83 Pirie St in Adelaide, South Australia. This A-grade commercial building spans 30,000 square metres across 22 levels and is one of the largest commercial office developments in South Australia. The Government of South Australia’s Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) is the anchor tenant.

83 Pirie Street offers large, flexible floorplates, premium end-of-trip facilities and a multipurpose wellness and conference centre for on-site activities and events. Another signature design element is the landscaped rooftop terrace, which captures views of the Adelaide Hills to the east. 

Learn more about Cbus Property.

Fulcrum Media Finance

As one of Australia’s leading industry funds, we’re here to benefit our members but where it makes sense to do so, we also invest in our members’ industries.

A great example of this, is our funding arrangement with Fulcrum Media Finance (Fulcrum). This arrangement not only supports Media Super members in their industries, but it is helping bring entertainment to the big screen and into our members’ homes. 

But more importantly, and consistent with our approach to investing for the best financial interests of our members, this investment is contributing positively to our performance. 

Fulcrum is not a traditional bank; they are a specialist industry lender who provide access to pre-sale advance loans for film and TV productions across Australia and New Zealand. 

And as of 30 September 2024, Fulcrum has loaned more than $800 million to help finance the production of more than 430 screen productions supporting the Australian film and television industry. 

Recent examples include: 

• Family feature film 'Runt'
• Premium drama series 'Fake' 
• Season three of the hit comedy 'Fisk' 
• Feature documentary 'Revealed: How to Poison a Planet'
• First time director Michael Shank’s feature film 'Together' 
• Second series of animated children’s series 'Space Nova'

Our arrangement with Fulcrum dates back to 2010, and was originally launched as a $30 million revolving loan. This limit has increased over time, and following Media Super’s merger with Cbus Super in April 2022, our support continued with an increase in limit to $80 million. 

In an exciting development for all our members, we have increased our revolving loan to over $100 million recently, highlighting our continued support for our members in the creative industries.

Learn more about our investments in members' industries (PDF).

We have a history of investing back into our communities – supporting industries that are important to our members and creating better retirement outcomes. By investing on our members’ behalf, we’re a provider of significant capital to businesses around Australia. This funding can help strengthen the Australian economy and may generate higher returns for our members.

Our strong contribution to the Australian economy includes investments in high quality commercial and residential property developments, neighbourhood and regional shopping centres as well as high quality long-term infrastructure assets such as toll roads and airports.

Jandakot Airport 

A key example is Jandakot Airport in Western Australia. Cbus owns a 33.3% stake along with leading integrated real estate group Dexus and Dexus Industrial Trust. The Jandakot joint venture holds a 100% interest in the Jandakot general aviation airport, existing industrial properties and developable land in Perth, Western Australia. When the development of the industrial land is complete, the property will provide over 700,000m2 of high quality industrial and logistics accommodation.

Learn more about our investments across Australia (PDF).