Neil Brown

When negotiators from nearly 200 countries meet in Antalya, Türkiye, for COP31 this week, Australia will preside over the negotiations. For two weeks, global governments, financiers and corporates will look closely at Australia’s climate policy and at the projects it can offer investors.

COP31 has been billed as the implementation COP, marking a shift from setting climate ambitions to delivering measurable results. That puts the attention on assets that can be built, financed and operated, not on targets.

Attending COP31, as part of the Australian delegation are representatives from Federation Asset Management and Windlab.

Neil Brown, partner, Federation Asset Management, says the conference gives Australia a chance to show global investors the depth of its investable pipeline.

“Global capital is looking for markets where policy settings are stable and where projects are mature enough to underwrite,” Brown says. “Australia offers both.”

Brown says electrification is becoming a driver of economic growth across manufacturing, transport, technology and infrastructure, and material investments in generation and storage are required to supply this growing demand for electricity. Investors are seeking to commit capital where the risk-return profile is right and where they can deploy at scale.

Windlab, owned by Federation Asset Management, holds Australia’s largest advanced wind development portfolio, with more than four gigawatts (GW) of projects holding planning approval. For more than 20 years, it has identified renewable energy opportunities early and progressed them through the development pathways and into construction and operations.

John Martin, chief executive officer, Windlab, says the company gives investors entering or expanding in Australia a local development partner and access to a substantial portfolio of wind, solar and battery storage opportunities.

“We progress the land, approvals, stakeholder, grid and commercial pathways that determine whether a project can be built,” Martin says. “By the time an investor comes in, the key risks, requirements and pathways to delivery are visible. That is what makes a project investable.”

Windlab works with equity partners through flexible structures and across different investment horizons, including participation before and after final investment decision.

Windlab successfully brought Gawara Baya, a hybrid project comprising 408 MW Wind and 104 MW battery energy storage system, to financial close earlier this year, and its Kennedy Energy Park and its JV project with Squadron Energy, Bungaban wind energy project offer investors further deployment opportunities in 2027.

Gawara Baya

Gawara Baya reached financial close in August 2026 with major approvals, contracted revenue and a A$1.7 billion project financing facility in place. The hybrid project combines large-scale wind generation with grid-forming battery storage, designed to provide energy storage and system-strength capability that would traditionally require a synchronous condenser.It attracted global institutional interest and was acquired by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners at financial close.

“Gawara Baya demonstrates what patient private capital and responsible development can achieve together,” Brown says. “It confirms our conviction that projects developed the right way, with community, Traditional Owners and the environment at their core, are also the most valuable.”

Kennedy Energy Park

Windlab’s Kennedy Energy Park in Queensland was the world’s first project-financed utility-scale wind, solar and battery hybrid project. It combines complementary generation and storage behind a single grid connection point, with contracted revenue and an established operating history. The operational 60 MW hybrid project also offers a much larger expansion opportunity to a total facility size of up to >900 MW, unlocked by the CopperString transmission project which is currently under construction.

“Kennedy shows what Australian renewable infrastructure can deliver for investors: proven technology, contracted revenue and a track record,” Martin says. “The projects in our pipeline are built on the same development discipline.”

Bungaban Renewable Energy Hub

Bungaban Renewable Energy Hub, which is developed jointly by Windlad and Suqadron Energy, one of Windlab’s flagship renewable energy developments, comprises the Bungaban Wind Energy Project and Bungaban Solar Energy Project near Wandoan in Queensland.

The approved Bungaban Wind Energy Project includes up to 1.4 GW of wind generation, with an initial 1.2 GW configuration and a co-located 350 MW / 1,400 MWh battery energy storage system. The approved Bungaban Solar Energy Project comprises a proposed 400 MWac solar farm with a 400 MW / 1,600 MWh battery energy storage system.

The projects a have their primary development, environmental and planning approvals in place. The wind project is underpinned by long-term contracted revenue and support through the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme, while the solar project has a separate pathway to commercialisation and financial close.

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The firm has appointed Rebecca Thomas as Investment Director and Head of Responsible Investments, while Tahlia Rozis joins as Business Development Manager.

The appointments follow a period of strong growth for Federation, led by investor activity across Asia, the launch of a new long-duration energy storage platform and continued enhancements to the Federation Alternative Investments II Fund.

Rebecca Thomas will oversee the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations across all of Federation’s investment strategies.

“Responsible investment shouldn’t sit on the sidelines but needs to be embedded into how capital is allocated, how investments are managed and how we create long-term value,” Thomas said. “Federation has built a strong track record of disciplined investing, and I am excited to help deepen the rigour of ESG across the portfolio.”

Prior to joining Federation, Thomas led the Impact Investing team at Social Ventures Australia, one of the country’s earliest and most established institutional social impact investment managers. Her background covers debt capital markets, advisory and investment management across Barclays Capital, Lloyds Banking Group and GE Capital in Europe and Australia.

Tahlia Rozis brings nearly a decade of experience in funds management and platform distribution and will be responsible for adviser engagement and distribution across Federation’s investment strategies.

“There is a growing appetite among advisers, platforms and family offices for alternative investments that offer diversification and growth,” Rozis said. “Federation is uniquely positioned with its specialist private markets capability, and I look forward to helping more investors access these opportunities.”

Her previous sales roles include positions at Colonial First State, Implemented Portfolios and Perpetual Investments.

Federation CEO Cameron Brownjohn said the appointments come at a pivotal time as investor demand reshapes the private equity proposition.

“There is a lot of potential in certain sectors of the market which will create opportunities heading into 2026,” Brownjohn said. “Three key macro trends driving demand for private capital are, in our opinion, sustainable energy, digitisation of the economy and an ageing population.”

Within sustainable energy, Federation is expanding with the creation of a new long duration energy storage platform, Ascera Energy.

Brownjohn said private equity’s increasing accessibility is drawing in a wider cohort of investors.

“The adviser led market and family offices are increasingly drawn to semi-liquid private equity products offered by managers like us. These products provide a level of liquidity that appeals to a specific segment of client portfolios.”

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(L to R): Ashley Trbojevic and Neil Brown

Federation Asset Management has acquired 100% of the share capital of Homesafe Solutions Pty Ltd (“Homesafe”).

Homesafe is the provider of a debt-free equity release solution for older Australians to access the wealth in their homes, without going into debt or needing to downsize.

Bendigo & Adelaide Bank has supported the business since 2005. Federation and a big four Australian bank will fund the business beyond this acquisition.

Former Resimac CEO Mary Ploughman will chair a Board of Directors including several non-executive directors including representatives from Federation and Dianne Shepherd has been appointed to the Board as Managing Director.  Dianne Shepherd has been with the business for 18 years and currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer.

“Homesafe provides a valuable service to many older Australians. With over $2 trillion of residential real estate owned by retirees in this country it is an enormous potential asset class, and we think Homesafe offers the best solution for it. We aim to expand Homesafe’s service offering whilst continuing to provide excellent customer service,” Ms. Ploughman said.

“Thousands of older homeowners have found financial freedom with Homesafe. Homesafe remains the popular option for homeowners to access the equity in their homes without going into debt or needing to downsize. We are proud of the trust we have built with our customers, differentiating ourselves from reverse mortgages by offering a solution that aligns with the values and needs of our customers. Our history of ethical, values-driven, and customer focused service is what truly sets us apart,” Ms. Shepherd said. “We are excited about the future with Federation.”

“Homesafe exhibits many of the features we look for in a business. It cares about its customers. It serves an enormous addressable market which is currently underserved. Its financial profile is defensive, yet there are strong drivers for growth including an ageing population and a supportive regulatory environment,” Federation partner Neil Brown said.

Homesafe Founder Peter Szabo added “Having founded the business 19 years ago and at a stage in my life where it was appropriate to find a new custodian of our unique solution, it was pleasing to find an organisation that shares my views and passion for providing senior Australians with certainty and the funds to live a dignified retirement.

“Federation Asset Management brings access to significant capital enabling Homesafe, and its incredible team of dedicated people, to meet the continued demands of its customers for years to come.”

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Cameron Brownjohn

As the cost of living crisis continues to impact Australian households, an increasing number of investors and their advisers are turning to private equity as a means to enhance their investment portfolios.

Cameron Brownjohn, founder and CEO of Federation Asset Management, says there are three reasons behind this.

“With the cost of living crisis weighing heavily on many Australians, we are seeing a significant shift in investment strategies,” said Brownjohn. “Private equity is becoming an attractive option for many investors due to its potential for wealth creation, liquidity, and diversification.”

Private equity refers to equity investments in privately held companies, unlike public or listed equities, which are investments in companies with shares that are readily tradeable on public exchanges. These investments range from high-profile privatisations of listed companies to investments in high-growth small-to-mid market enterprises and venture capital investments nurturing early-stage companies.

“Private equity investments are rarely passive,” Brownjohn explained. “Most commonly, private equity investors actively seek to improve the underlying value of their investments. This active involvement is a key differentiator from investors who focus solely on listed market opportunities.”

“Investors are drawn to private equity for three main reasons,” he says.

“Wealth creation: There is a range of data demonstrating that private equity investments consistently outperform listed equity investments,” noted Brownjohn. According to the Australian Investment Council’s Funding the Future 2023 report, Australia’s private capital industry achieved an average return of 18% over the past ten years, significantly outpacing the ASX200. “At this rate, every $1 invested in an average private equity investment ten years ago is worth over $5 today, compared to about $2 if invested in ASX200 stocks.”

“Liquidity: A range of private equity firms, including KKR, Partners Group, and Federation Asset Management, now offer the ability for Australian households to enter and exit their funds on a monthly or quarterly basis, subject to certain restrictions. “This newfound liquidity is an exciting development for Australian investors,” said Brownjohn. “It enables non-institutional investors to benefit from private equity’s wealth creation potential while preserving access to their capital.”

“Diversification: Even the most sceptical investors recognise the benefits of diversification,” Brownjohn stated. The Future Fund, Australia’s closest equivalent to a sovereign wealth fund, has roughly two-thirds of its portfolio invested in unlisted assets like private equity. Yet, many Australian households allocate only 0-5% of their portfolios to private equity. Given the potential for greater wealth generation and the availability of liquidity, more investors are questioning why their portfolios are so heavily weighted towards listed equities and away from private equity.”

The increasing demand for private equity products reflects a broader trend among Australian investors seeking higher returns.

“As more investors recognise the benefits of private equity, we expect this trend to continue,” said Brownjohn.

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Cameron Brownjohn

Federation Asset Management Pty Ltd (Federation), an Australian private equity investment manager, notes there is an estimated $10 billion of investment opportunity in the social infrastructure space with over 20,000 or 70% of estimated eligible National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants currently living in low quality, inadequate, or inappropriate housing.

Cameron Brownjohn, chief executive officer of Federation says “Every person living with disability in Australia should have access to high quality, safe, stable and appropriate housing. With this vision in mind, three years ago we launched the Synergis Fund in collaboration with Social Ventures Australia Limited (SVA) to set the standard for disability housing in Australia.”

“Synergis is an unlisted wholesale investment trust designed to provide investors with the opportunity to gain exposure to this growing social infrastructure asset class with a dual focus on attractive risk-adjusted financial returns and provide tangible and far reaching positive social impact,” adds Brownjohn.

The investment model is centred around partnering with best-in-class Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Providers to ensure that investments are made in desirable properties that best suit the long-term care requirements of the occupants.

“Our SDA Providers work with reputable Supported Independent Living (SIL) Providers to ensure that NDIS participants receive the best possible care in their homes. SDA drives development of new and refurbished housing for people with a disability to improve wellbeing and efficiently manage long-term cost of care,” says Brownjohn.

“We know that the lack of purpose-built housing has resulted in many participants living in hospitals, aged-care, and other forms of inappropriate housing including legacy state government stock,” he adds.

Of the $700 million of annual funding forecast by the NDIS for SDA payments only $200 million was utilised in 2020, $230 million in 2021 and $306 million in the LTM to September 2022.

“That means over 20,000 individuals are still in need of homes which equates to approximately $10 billion of required investment.

“This year has been pivotal for this fund and the industry with the completion of the first full SDA regulatory price review by the NDIS. We were pleased that the review was conducted in accordance with the SDA Framework and with genuine consultation with the industry.

“The review was an opportunity to reset several factors that influence SDA pricing, including the cost of acquisition of land and build costs which have run significantly ahead of CPI.

“We believe that our investment strategy was vindicated by the outcome of the pricing review, particularly our focus on house and villa SDA property in desirable areas,” Brownjohn says.

“Synergis is now housing hundreds of Australians living with disability, with a diligenced pipeline for multiples thereof. Recently securing additional commitment of institutional capital from a global investment company gives us significant confidence that we can meet the fund’s scale objectives over the next few years,” notes Brownjohn.

Synergis is accessible to all investors via the Federation Alternative Investments II fund or directly for wholesale investors.

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Zenith says Federation is “a quality asset management firm” and notes Federation’s ability to “identify the most attractive opportunities” across its business.

“Zenith maintains a high opinion of Federation’s investment capabilities” the report reads.

“Zenith considers Federation’s Chief Executive Cameron Brownjohn to be a high calibre investment professional with extensive experience in acquiring companies and implementing value creation strategies” the report continues.

Federation Alternative Investments II (F2) is Federation’s flagship fund for retail and wholesale investors, providing access to investment grade private equity opportunities otherwise reserved for institutional clients.

“F2’s investment mandate is consistent with the Federation team’s realised track record of 23% annual returns on over $4 billion of exits since 2011; akin to trebling our investors’ capital every five years,” adds Brownjohn.

“F2 offers our investors access to a performing, diversified, mature portfolio of private equity investments, all with the benefit of monthly liquidity should their circumstances change unexpectedly,” he says.

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