What does Colonial First State invest in?

In the wake of Coronavirus, it has become more important than ever to support the Australian economy. Find out how we’re investing for the future.

Coronavirus has had a significant impact not only on the Australian economy, but on Australian businesses, households and individuals alike. That’s why our team is investing for the future – not only to support the economy in the aftermath of the pandemic, but to contribute towards building a future that members can enjoy in retirement. How? We explain more about this below.

Ever caught a train, or visited a hospital? That’s infrastructure – the physical assets helpful for the smooth operation of people, businesses and society. These assets can also include public housing, communication, utilities and today, as the world considers the impacts of fossil fuels and climate change, infrastructure for renewable energy.

Colonial First State holds listed infrastructure securities and direct infrastructure assets, and over the next five years is expected to further invest in millions of dollars' worth of investments such as:

• Airports: Expansions, security projects, carparks, and retail and property development.
• Hospital car parking: Development of carparks within the Brisbane health precinct. 
• Distributed energy: Helping commercial and industrial power consumers achieve sustainable energy solutions.
• Water treatment: Facilitating the utilisation of recycled water in South Australia and New South Wales.

The potential benefits of these investments can be twofold: positive impact and long-term financial returns. Moreover, investing in infrastructure means investing in Australia’s future – one that could see population growth to about 35 million people by 2050.¹

We recognise that Australia’s future needs more than physical investments – it also requires support. That’s why the team has joined with other high-profile organisations within the financial services industry in becoming a member to various organisations and joining collaborative efforts on various topics, such as climate and modern slavery. See here for more details.

One of these is the Investor Group on Climate Change. As one of the greatest challenges facing our environment, economy and society, climate change has the potential to pose significant risks to investments. By joining the group, we’re supporting increasing collaboration between super funds and the investment community to address the risks, opportunities and challenges that climate change may have on the value of investments – and, in turn, our members' financial futures.