Thank you very much for all. Good morning, everybody. For those who don't know me, my name is Scott Kelly. I'm the CEO of Real Asset Management in Australia. Today's plan is that we take around about the next 20 minutes or so. I'll run you through, and we'll run you through the results of the RAM Essential Services Property Fund. I'll cover the highlights, give you an update on the expanded team, touch on ESG matters, then hand over to other speakers to run through the points shown on the agenda on page one. Turn to page 3. The overarching comment I'd make here is that we've hit guidance and delivered a good, solid set of results. The portfolio remains robust with 98% occupancy and stable valuations, as you would expect from such a defensive portfolio.
We've externally revalued 81% of the portfolio this year, with the result being that the weighted average cap rate has increased by 18 basis points to 5.68. We'll see from the comparisons later in the presentation that we believe that is a firm number that investors can rely on, and it's also reflective of our conservative approach to valuation. Further comfort can be derived from the fact that we've sold an asset at book value. NOI grew 4.5%, and leasing spreads were good at 5% across 58 deals done this year. Debt is under control with no short-term refinance risk, ample headroom, and above 50% hedged. Gearing as at 13th of June stood at 36%, but the sale of 1 of those smaller assets since then allows us to chip away at the debt, bringing the number down to 35%.
In terms of the value-add pipeline, our focus in the short term has been on de-risked medical opportunities, which we feel offer the best risk-adjusted returns in the current environment. Notwithstanding, there remains a broader opportunity set for the fund in the medium term. So let me spend a quick moment drawing out a few of those points on page 4. We continue to deliver on what we said we would. We've met guidance, delivered NOI growth, had decent leasing outcomes, thought proactively about capital recycling, created certainty around valuations, and been sensible with the balance sheet. Perhaps it's equally important to highlight what we haven't done. We haven't over-committed to CapEx. We haven't over-committed to acquisitions. We haven't been forced to push up gearing, and we haven't had to sell assets we didn't want to. It's been a time to play defense.
We've done that well, but equally look forward to the next phase where capital markets should present more opportunity for the fund. On page 5, you'll see a people update, and a key point here is that we continue to expand the team. The additional resource I would flag is David Grose. He joined us in July as the Group CFO. That's a new role we've created and to whom the real estate finance role you've previously heard from reports into. David has over 20 years experience in running finance and operations teams in asset management for blue-chip organizations both in Australia and the U.K. He'll be the one talking you through the numbers shortly. None of the positions on that slide are new, but I think the slide better reflects the depth of talent and resources that are devoted to the leasing.
On page 6, you'll see that the investment case remains attractive. We have a defensive, diversified portfolio with exposure to scarce medical assets. The product is long WALE with high-quality tenant mix, secure income streams, and stable valuations. The opportunity for growth by the development pipeline is significant. We have been active on the portfolio since listing and see greater opportunities there in the short term. Finally, the opportunity to collect a yield of over 8%, almost all of which is tax-deferred, represents great value for such rock-solid cash flows. The Essential Services Fund was conceived during a time of massive uncertainty, and it continues to be well-positioned in somewhat challenging times. Page 7 is our ESG update on both the portfolio and corporate level.
At portfolio level, RAM has worked with KPMG to complete energy audits, gaining access to electricity, gas, and LPG consumption data, and benchmarked where we currently sit using an industry-standard governance framework. We've adopted minimum performance standards through energy waste and water benchmarking, and an ESG reporting framework to provide stakeholders with information on the performance of the portfolio from that perspective. Additionally, we've developed a sustainability checklist through which we screen all future acquisitions and development opportunities for sustainability. At the corporate level, our ESG credentials remain as strong as ever. On the slide, you can see that RAM has been recognized by a whole range of associations for, in essence, doing the right thing on a consistent basis. With that, I'll hand over to David to take the presentation.
Thanks, Scott, and good morning, everyone. I'll now take you through the fund's financial performance. This is section 2 of the slide, starting on page 9. Net operating income from the property portfolio for the year was AUD 46.9 million, which is approximately in line with full-year results for 2022 on a pro-rata basis. This has been driven in large part by the strong leasing spreads that the team were able to achieve during the year. Fund-level management fees were AUD 5.5 million, while net finance costs increased to AUD 9.2 million for the year. This increase in net finance costs in part reflects the full year of operation of the fund, as well as increased all-in-debt costs rather than a significant increase in gearing over the period.
Cost of debt for the year was in line with expectations, and the increase in base rate was partially offset by hedging that the fund had in place. Overall, funds from operations for the year came to AUD 30.6 million, which equated to an FFO per security of AUD 5.9. This enabled the fund to declare distributions per security AUD 5.7 a year, which represents a 97% payout ratio and is in line with guidance for the year. The slide on page 10 sets out various balance sheet metrics and key information in relation to capital management of the fund. Gearing at year-end was 36%, with the increase over the period driven mainly by modest downward revaluations in the fund's investment portfolio. This gearing level was within the fund's target range, in compliance with the fund's loan covenants and at what we consider an appropriate level for the fund.
Please note gearing will reduce slightly to 35% on completion of the contracted asset sale in October 2023. Given the significant increase in base rates during the year, the cost of debt increased from 2.26% in relation to the 12 months to June 2022 to 3.65% in relation to the 12 months to June 2023. While this increase has obviously been significant, the fund's prudent hedging approach has provided some shelter from the full increase in base rates. Interest cover remains comfortable at 4.3 times. While it's not the fund's intention to increase gearing over the coming year, we feel it important to ensure that the fund has strong and deep banking relationships. To this end, we have added a further bank to the main syndicated facility and increased debt headroom by around AUD 35 million in case it's required.
Looking ahead to the coming year and the hi gher interest rate environment, the fund continues to benefit from hedging equivalent to 55% of current borrowings. The average fixed rate of this hedging is 2.3%. This hedging will remain in place for the entirety of the current financial year and will start to expire from next year. We'll continue to monitor interest rates and swap rates closely. While we believe that the fund already has strong lender relationships, we continue to explore options to reduce financing costs. Among these options are opportunities to assess green and sustainable debt options as we roll out our ESG framework. I'll now pass over to Matt, who will provide an update on the property portfolio.
Thanks, David, and good morning, folks. If I might draw your attention to slide 12, please. 2023 was our first full year of financial year operations, and pleasingly, despite difficult conditions in capital markets, we have produced a strong result. Like all REITs, REP was presented with its challenges. To a degree, various aspects of our business plan have been prolonged, and we have had to pivot to ensure a greater leasing effort while positioning for more flexible and de-risked development opportunities. Our operational highlights are epitomized by these strong leasing outcomes and the maintenance of strong occupancy and further controlled operational costs. Pleasingly, we have achieved a blended annual rental review profile of over 3.5% from a 47% fixed review structure and around 40% of our leases linked to both CPI and turnover-based reviews.
I am pleased with this mix of review structures, and our team are continuing this with this balance as we embark upon efforts in 2024. Just moving ahead to slide 13. This snapshot of our results is testament to our asset management focus during the year. A 4.5% NOI growth rate has been driven by 8% leasing spreads in new deals and 4% on renewals, along with our prudent cost management efforts. I will note that the removal of one key outlier in the Northern Territory leasing spreads would have tracked to 8% overall. 2023 has been a good year for a core portfolio, but with a manager that continues to prepare for a more steady operating environment. Not all portfolios can turn to this intrinsically. A core portfolio, yes, but with the flexibility to ignite programs in value-adding and capital recycling, pushing on these at our election.
Our supermarkets have achieved over 7% turnover growth, meaning that we share an additional revenue upside through turnover percentage rate. This additional revenue can translate in future rental reviews, which I am pleased to point out as distinct in our final term sheet agreed on a very new term, supermarket renewal in the portfolio, which I hope to announce in the coming quarter. This remains highly encouraging and a great measure of resilience for the portfolio. A good year for our chosen sectors. Moving on to slide 14. We've spoken regularly about REP's valuations and relatively conservative positioning. The fund's cap rates have moved down with 18 basis points during the quarter and 23 basis points since June 2023, with retail currently sitting at 5.84% and healthcare at 5.49%. You will note on the bottom right-hand side of the chart this relative positioning by sector compared to our peers.
Like us, we trust you draw comfort from this assessment. The fund's book value has held reasonably constant during the year as cap rates continue to move out, as rises in organic income dampened any further movement downwards. During the year, 81% of the portfolio has been externally valued, with a further 7% subject to directors' valuations, which were closed out with third-party valuer support. Importantly, and as touched on, we continue to pursue potential capital recycling opportunities to prove out these values, with Westlake at an unconditional level of book value and 2 further properties in final diligence above books. Just moving forward now to the capital management on slide 16. We are pleased with the Westlake sale outcome as noted. Further assets are in due diligence at or above book with a further 3 assets in early discussions with a suite of purchases.
Our rationale in shortlisting these prospective assets has centered around the relative maturity of each and the resulting impact of portfolio mix, risk profile, and earnings. I'm pleased to say that the transaction environment remains dynamic, albeit lower parcel sizes do tend to move with greater ease than those larger parcels. Our objective in these sales is to provide the fund with greater flexibility to reduce debt and a position for a share buyback and/or to direct capital towards our near-term developments. We remain enthusiastic with respect to our list of current prospective acquisitions. We are in the very final stages of proceeding with the development of 2 hospitals within our portfolio and our closing out terms for a third.
These near-term schemes include the construction of a rehab and dialysis unit, the construction of a new ward, and refurbishment of the existing hospital at Mayo and Taree, and at Northwest in Tasmania, the development of a new mental health facility, a new cardio cath lab, a new mental health ward, and the conversion and upgrade of existing surgical facilities. Both projects are due to commence late in the financial year. I'll now touch on a little bit more about our commitment to healthcare as we move to slide 17. We've spoken about RAM's commitment, our increasing commitment to both healthcare in parallel to our continued commitment to essential services retail.
In light of the proposed developments at Northwest and Mayo in partnership with our existing partner, we wanted to call out the drivers behind this sector and why RAM continues to see a depth of opportunity in originating new healthcare opportunities across the risk spectrum. The fundamentals that underpin the sector, Australia's aging population, the inelasticity of healthcare needs in our communities, and importantly, the supply-constrained features that dominate the sector, these continue to prove out in our day-to-day. Healthcare technology is changing, and our healthcare service providers continue to evolve. This leads to further demand for real estate space solutions, which include the evolution of existing facilities. Growth drivers push these expansionary needs, and importantly for service providers, the need to build trusted relationships with development partners and long-term investment partners. RAM is committed to being that trusted partner and to providing a vertically integrated solution in health.
To de-risking and repositioning prospective opportunities and working closely with our partners to deliver schemes effectively, while providing our investors with a greater range deal flow pipeline in both acquisition and new development. This supports our rationale for moving on the schemes noted on the previous slide. These schemes have been de-risked with planning finalized and tenders ready to execute. Our healthcare partner takes possession of site, and RAM is involved every step of the way, with total project costs being rentalized at an agreed rate on project completion. Development of this nature in an uncertain environment is highly suitable for our fund. So what does our commitment to healthcare mean for REP?. More opportunity in deal flow, a greater range of opportunities across the risk spectrum, and a greater chance to build discussions with existing and new partners. This commitment will aid in the continuing evolution of REP.
Lastly, and not least, importantly, our commitment to retail continues. Our projects at Yeronga, Rutherford, and Mowbray continue to evolve. However, in an uncertain environment, we are drawn to these de-risked and partnered schemes in healthcare. With that, I'll hand it back to Scott to close out on slide 19.
Thanks very much. So very briefly, talking through the guidance on page 19. So we're guiding flat income at AUD 0.056-AUD 0.057 per security for the coming year. At today's price, that puts the yield just above 8%, with the vast majority of that income being tax-deferred. We intend to do that with a consistent payout ratio in line with our historic average of 96-97%. Page 20, I'll quickly summarize, and then we can open up to Q&A. We've hit guidance and delivered solid results. The portfolio remains robust, 98% occupancy. We have stable valuations with 81% of the portfolio being externally revalued, plus one asset being sold at book value, but perhaps more to come at a premium book value. Income has lifted 4.5%, mitigating higher interest rate costs.
The value-add pipeline remains significant, over AUD 200 million, but the focus in the short term, as Matt just highlighted, is on the de-risked medical opportunities, which is a sensible approach in this environment. We've also avoided over-committing projects or capital spend, as others may have done. In terms of capital management, gearing is in the range previously foreshadowed and being reduced in the short term with the sale of smaller assets. Looking forward, we remain confident in our guidance for 2024 and believe that the portfolio should continue to deliver consistent results. With that, I'm very happy to hand over Paul to handle the Q&A.
Thanks, Scott. And at this time, I would like to remind everyone, in order to ask a question, press star then the number one on your telephone keypad. And your first question comes from the line of Leanne Truong from Ord Minnett. Your line is open.
Good morning, everybody. Just a couple of questions for me. First question is just around asset sales. You've identified a potential for more asset sales. Can you talk about what assets they are that you're looking to sell?
Sure. There are 3 additional assets that we've in fact foreshadowed these in earlier discussions. One is the North Lakes, the North Lakes Convenience Center, as well as The Banyans, which is a property just outside of Brisbane.
Okay. Thank you. And just with the proceeds on the funds, I mean, obviously, the presentation on the call, you mentioned acquisition, buyback, and also the value-add pipeline. So I just want to get more color on what is your priority in terms of the use of funds?
It's a good question, Leanne. I think its timing will, to a degree, dictate the direction of capital. In the near term, if we accomplish what we anticipate with asset sales, and we have spoken about this consistently, we intend to consider a buyback, allocating a reasonable sum of capital towards that, and equally, any reserves will be put towards reducing debt. At the same time, we are pursuing other possible asset sales beyond those mentioned, and if we can accomplish that at scale, that capital at that level will be more than likely actively redirected towards acquisitions.
Okay, and sorry, just a follow-up on that, so I guess what level of gearing would you be comfortable with, obviously mindful that valuations potentially could fall and whether you redeploy that, obviously?
I mean, just in general terms, Leanne, we've always guided to sort of low to mid-30s in terms of gearing. That's where we remain. And then your second point, I mean, so I would anticipate that remains constant. And then in terms of your second point with regards to valuations, I think the comps in our presentation prove that we remain conservative with our valuation process. We've always been consistent, as you will know better than most. And we think that the cap rates we've arrived at are extremely solid. So we wouldn't anticipate much expansion of cap rates from here on our portfolio.
Thank you.
Before we move on to the next question, just a reminder, if you would like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. Your next question comes from the line of Tom Badr from UBS. Your line is open.
Morning, Scott, Mike, Matt, and the team. Just wanted to ask about the developments. Some of the detail that you've previously provided is sort of not necessarily shown in the same level of granularity as before. I'd just be interested in understanding how much capital you will look to commit across the healthcare developments and what sort of yield on cost you think you might achieve from that.
Yeah, that's a great question, Tom. We're closing out the final parameters of the development deed on those 2 particular schemes. I'm quite pleased indeed with the progress, and the commencement timetable is still sort of later this year, early next year for Northwest, and sort of into the end of the Q1 sorry, end of Q1, Q2 next year. We expect potentially it's around AUD 10.5-13 million, depending on scale, to be allocated towards those schemes in the financial year. The reason why we haven't been so specific is because, as I said, we're in the very final stages of closing out that agreement in good faith with our partner. I did not want to be too on point today.
Okay, thanks. So the 10.5-13, just to be clear, is the 24 spend, or is that the total cost of the project?
No, the total spend for those two schemes currently that will reach into 2025, where most of the allocation is spent, is just under AUD 50 million.
Okay, thanks. And then the yield on cost broad parameters, what sort of yield on cost are you expecting there?
We're aiming or we're projecting sort of around 6.25.
Okay, thanks. And then, if I think and sorry, that'll be rentalized from completion or as throughout the development as well?
That's a little sensitive, Tom, but I will clarify that once the deal is finally executed.
Okay, sure. And then just in terms of the rest of the portfolio, how do you see where it's sort of rented versus market? Is it sort of at market, or do you feel it's under or over-rented as a whole? And maybe even just a comment between health and essential retail place.
Yeah, that's a good question. We're not really in the position to track wholesale occupancy costs across the portfolio, given the predominance of healthcare. I'm encouraged by the continued spreads that we're accomplishing in leasing. The 2024 budget, what we've allowed for, which is obviously underlying that guidance we've provided today, is at or about a similar level to what we projected for 2023. Now, we can't accomplish those spreads if our tenants aren't still in a relatively healthy position. But I'm looking at Doug here, who may want to provide a little bit more color for that for you.
Oh, yeah. Thanks, Matt. I think, Tom, just on that, if we look at where our occupancy costs sit, particularly for the retail, that sits well within standard benchmarks for Mowbray. We're building at the right per square meter for our assets. We are definitely on the market side, and we're not thinking that any of our particular tenants or assets are over-rented at this point in time.
Okay, sure. Thanks. And then just a final one. I think the line went a bit dead when you talked about the payout ratio there in the guidance comments, Scott, but was it 96%-97% that you said you would be targeting this year?
Just to say, so 96%-97% payout ratio.
Okay. Fantastic. Yep. Thanks very much.