Essendon Fields’ CEO Brendan Pihan has released his annual end-of-year Christmas video message to thank all customers, stakeholders, staff and community members for another successful year at Melbourne’s premier aviation and business precinct.

Mr Pihan highlighted the achievements of our onsite network over the past 12 months, most importantly in ensuring 2023 was a safe year across the airport, all work sites and general operations, with no major incident reported.

“I’d particularly like to highlight the relationship that the emergency services has with our airfield team which continues to strengthen’’ said Mr Pihan.

Mr Pihan also announced in this year’s Christmas message that in keeping with recent tradition, Essendon Fields has made a charitable donation of $10,000 in lieu of a gift to its valued stakeholders. This year that donation will go to supporting local charity Helping Hands Mission, who help families in need with food and material aid, something which has never been more important in Victoria with many families struggling to cope with the current cost-of-living crisis.

“Essendon Fields prides itself on its commitment to the local community. Earlier in the year we awarded 13 local community groups with grants as part of our Friends of the Fields grants program, awarding over $80,000 to local organisations to support a diverse range of projects. Grant applications for round three have just closed, attracting very strong interest, and we look forward to announcing successful recipients early next year,’’ he said.

Since being launched in 2021, the Friends of the Fields grants program has distributed over $120,000 in small grants to help mostly small community or sporting organisations undertake projects of up to $5,000 each that will assist with greater community engagement. In 2023 recipients included organisations such as the Maribyrnong Community Youth Group, Second Chance Animal Rescue, Moonee Valley Sustainability, Caroline Chisolm Society and Pascoe Vale Noth Primary School.

In 2023, Essendon Fields also continued to deliver on its Master Plan, with over 34,824 square meters of significant development progressed, which will create 510 additional new jobs on site. A major milestone was the ground-breaking for a new purpose-built 20,000 square meter manufacturing facility for Modscape a significant development in the growing light industrial precinct, being delivered alongside a major investment in new roads and infrastructure. Also under construction and recently launched to the market is a new speculatively built warehouse at which will occupy a 9,790 sqm site and includes a 5,134 sqm warehouse and 503 sqm for office space, a hardstand area and onsite car parking.

“Both of these developments sit within the Essendon Fields Hart Precinct, a major greenfield industrial site within 15 minutes of the CBD. We’ve seen significant interest in this site and are continuing to invest in its development through the extension of roads and development of infrastructure,’’ said Mr Pihan.

Each year Essendon Fields keeps growing and Mr Pihan identified in his address how fantastic it was to see the commitment of customers to this journey, with over 28 new businesses renewing over the last twelve months. 11 new businesses also joined the Essendon Fields family in 2023, collectively adding hundreds of new jobs. Essendon Fields already welcomes over 6,000 daily workers each day, and its unique position in Melbourne places it within 15 minutes reach of over 1.1 million locals, making it attractive for businesses and customers, and creating job opportunities closer to where people live.

“Essendon Fields is determined to continue to grow and evolve, and a big part of that is offering additional supporting amenities for tenants and visitors. The arrival of The Landing Place at Hyatt Place Melbourne Essendon Fields and Basq Essendon Fields this year reaffirms our commitment to providing an exceptional culinary experience in Melbourne’s Northwest”’ said Mr Pihan.

“We expect the number of people who come to work at Essendon Fields everyday to grow to about 20,000 people over the next 20 years, servicing the expected population growth in Melbourne’s north-west. We’re conscious that a healthy urban forest will play a critical role in maintaining the amenity and attractiveness of Essendon Fields, and offer a strong defence against the future heating effects of climate change on our urban areas,” finished Mr Pihan.

In 2021 Essendon Fields planted its 10,000^th new tree on site, hitting the ambitious target in record time. With that goal achieved, an increase has now been confirmed, with another 5,000 on top of that to be planted as soon as practically achievable.

Mr Pihan finished his address by thanking everyone for their support and wished stakeholders, customers and friends a safe and happy Christmas and a prosperous 2024.

To view the 2023 Christmas message from CEO Brendan Pihan, please click here.