Voiceover: Melbourne is the funds management centre of Australia with approximately 120 fund managers operating in the city. Around 50 per cent of Australia's funds and superannuation assets are currently managed from Melbourne. Of the 1 trillion Australian dollars invested nationally, 400 billion is under management in Melbourne.
Maria Wilton: Melbourne's financial services sector is very innovative and dynamic and global in perspective. Melbourne is home to some of the largest industry superannuation funds such as CBUS, Australian Super, Hester, Host Plus. We also have the head offices of some of the national schemes including Uni Super and Telstra Super and Aussie Post. It means that important decision makers from a fund management perspective are located here in Melbourne.
Voiceover: Melbourne's finance sector also benefits from the city's stable political and economic climate.
Maria Wilton: Melbourne has good regulation and educated workforce and we have stable government and they're very attractive characteristics for a business in which to operate.
Voiceover: Two of Australia's big four banks – National Australia Bank and ANZ – have their head offices in Melbourne. The city's Dockland precinct is fast becoming Melbourne's financial services hub with the National Australia Bank, AXA, Bendigo Bank and ANZ all recently relocating to state of the art headquarters on the waterfront.
Melbourne also has expertise in the area of environmental, social and corporate governance.
Maria Wilton: Melbourne is home to the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors which is a group of like-minded investors with a particular interest in environmental, social and corporate governance. We're also home to the Monash Sustainability School of Research that undertakes research in that area as well.
Voiceover: Another important strength is the city's ability to weather market downturns.
Maria Wilton: We have a very good balance between government regulation, industry regulation and the role of market forces so we have a good framework to avoid the excesses that have occurred in other global markets.