Australia’s shifting demographics and rising demand for essential services are pushing healthcare and social infrastructure into the investment spotlight, prompting a major gathering in Melbourne next month.

More than 500 investors, operators, government representatives, developers and property professionals will attend the CBRE-hosted seminar at Crown Palladium on October 7. Registration has already reached capacity, and a waitlist is now active.

Business commentator David Koch will deliver the keynote address, where he will examine the economic and demographic forces reshaping Australia and discuss how those trends influence long-term investment decisions and infrastructure planning for the coming decades.

Journalist and broadcaster Jacqui Felgate will moderate a panel that unites government, investment and operator perspectives. Panelists include Victorian Health Building Authority’s Priscilla Radice, Barwon Investment Partners’ managing director Tom Patrick and Regis Aged Care executive Georgia Willis. Their discussion will explore funding models, regulatory considerations and the practical challenges of scaling services to meet growing need.

Sandro Peluso, CBRE’s Australian Healthcare & Social Infrastructure national director, said the response reflected the breadth of interest now surrounding the sector.

He noted that investors are looking beyond traditional property metrics, focusing on operator quality, demographic trends, service demand, location advantages, lease structures and the long-term relevance of the services being delivered.