2017 March Consulting Matters

AUTUMN 2017

Capacity Building

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Landmark footbridge connects fans to Australian Open

Planning and sustainability lessons from Canada

RedR Report: Michelle Sanson

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Consulting Matters

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CONTENTS

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Landmark footbridge connects fans to Australian Open

Planning and sustainability lessons from Canada

Cover image: Tanderrum Bridge photos courtesy of Major Projects Victoria/HiVis.

Industry updates

Project case studies

Industry updates

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New members

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Landmark footbridge connects fans to Australian Open

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Business essentials

What’s happening in Consult Australia

Understanding slip resistance laws

From the President

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From the CEO

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Division updates

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Corporate Social Responsibility RedR Report: Michelle Sanson

Features Planning and sustainability lessons from Canada

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Consult Australia moves the debate forward

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Upgrading of AS5488 to become a utility engineering design standard

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The future leaders of your business

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Industry comment Small business and unfair contract terms within the construction sector

Not a member of Consult Australia?

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To find out more about how your firm can benefit from membership contact Consult Australia on (02) 8252 6700 or email membership@consultaustralia.com.au www.consultaustralia.com.au

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Consulting Matters

Industry updates

Industry updates NEW APPOINTMENTS Jacobs has bolstered its technical service offering with the appointment of Nick Robinson, as Group Technical Director, Asia Pacific. Nick joins Jacobs from Laing O’Rourke where he was responsible for the development and implementation of its business engineering strategy in rail and more broadly across a A$3bn portfolio of project work throughout Australia. Prior to that, Nick held senior leadership roles with other consulting firms in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Arcadis Australia Pacific has appointed Belinda Ritchie as General Counsel and Company Secretary.

On joining Arcadis over three years ago, Belinda bought with her expertise in construction law and project management issues, and a strong track record representing consultants, contractors, principals and owners in various commercial arrangements including D&C, PPP and Alliance contracts. She will join the Regional Executive Team in Australia Pacific, as well as the Arcadis International Legal Committee.

both local client and global leadership responsibilities.

Cardno has appointed Melvyn Maylin as the Major Projects Manager for their APAC Southern Division. Melvyn has over 35 years' experience in the Australian, New Zealand and UK transport infrastructure markets, having successfully delivered development, design, construction and maintenance projects for government and contractor clients in each of these regions.

The Australian Constructors Association (ACA) has elected two new Vice-Presidents to join ACA President John Flecker, Chief Executive of Multiplex, as the executive officers for 2017. The two new VicePresidents are Lendlease Engineering MD, Craig Laslett, and Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction MD, Cathal O’Rourke.

AECOM has appointed Colette Munro in a new role as Chief Digital Officer to lead its Digital by Design strategy across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). Collette most recently led architecture and software development for the digital customer experience team at Schneider Electric, working across Australia, the US, Europe and South Africa.

Belinda Hodkinson has recently joined SMEC as Digital Engineering (BIM) Strategy Lead ANZ. Belinda will help coordinate SMEC’s global BIM initiative, which aims to build new capabilities to support business growth and improve operational efficiency. Belinda has more than 15 years’ experience in BIM and digital strategy, including expertise in designing and executing organisational processes, measurement systems, and innovative methodologies to maximize business and client return.

John Postlethwaite has joined SLR Consulting's Brisbane office as Engineering Operations Manager. John’s extensive and detailed expertise covers civil and environmental engineering with particular emphasis on surface water hydrology, flood estimation and drainage, EIS, land and water quality, environmental management and risk assessment. John has worked across the built environment, infrastructure, mining and minerals and oil and gas markets.

SLR Consulting has appointed Paul Gardiner to lead the company’s Asia Pacific operations. Paul, formerly Cardno's Asia Pacific GM, commenced in the role in January. He's spent 19 years in a variety of roles in Australia, the Middle East, United States and Latin America, and has led several acquisitions and international milestone projects. SLR’s former Asia Pacific Regional Manager, Peter Georgiou, is taking on a new role in the company encompassing

Damian Gould has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Building Queensland. Damian has 20 years’ experience in government and infrastructure sectors and has worked on major projects such as the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and Origin Energy’s Australia Pacific LNG project. He replaces interim CEO, David Quinn, who took on the task of setting up Building Queensland and producing the first infrastructure pipeline reports.

WSP Australia’s Asset and Network Performance team has welcomed three new senior recruits. Appointed as Intelligent Transport Executive, Pascal Felix joins the firm after spending the last seven years as Executive Director for Main Roads WA. Michael Bushby, a former Chief Executive of the RTA and most recently Executive General Manager for Asset and Infrastructure Services at Leighton and Ventia, joins the team in a consultancy capacity. Greg Evans is the former Executive Director for Asset Maintenance with NSW Roads and Maritime Services.

SLR Consulting has appointed Alex Campbell to lead its infrastructure sector in Asia Pacific. After graduating in the UK with a Masters in Engineering, Alex has acquired over 14 years' environmental consulting experience. As an acoustic engineer, Alex specialises in architectural and building acoustics, environmental impact assessments, building services noise control, and vibration assessments and mitigation measures.

Jacobs has welcomed Baojin Wang as its new Principal Transport Economist, based in Sydney. Most recently, Baojin has been Principal Manager of Economic Evaluations at Transport for NSW, where he was involved in the successful completion of evaluations for a number of motorways, Metros, light rail projects and bus rapid transit projects.

He also represented NSW on the review of the Australian Transport Assessment and Planning (ATAP) guidelines.

Arcadis Australia Pacific has appointed Pru Sanderson in the newly created role of Melbourne City Executive. Pru is an urban development, place-making and city sustainability expert, with significant experience in both Government and private sectors. She was previously the CEO of VicUrban, and has held various leadership positions including at GHD, Federation Square and Monash Property Management, and as a Director of the Committee for Melbourne, Parks Victoria and the Zoo Board.

Industry updates

Beca has appointed Chris Morley as Sydney Planning Team Lead. Chris has 20 years of experience as a transport planner, most recently with WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff as Director for Transport Planning, based in Shanghai and previously worked for London Underground and in consultancy with Halcrow (now CH2M Hill).

Wayne Bretherton has been appointed Director of Property and Buildings, Australia and New Zealand at WSP Australia. Wayne has over 30 years’ experience delivering a diverse range of projects including the Queens Wharf Development and the Centre for Children’s Health Research.

International hotel designer Angela Biddle has joined Scott Carver as Principal of Interior Design. Angela is recognised for creating innovative hotel brands and memorable spaces within a constantly evolving hospitality market and, following a lengthy stint as a Lead Designer with unique London design house YOO, co-founded by creative director Philippe Starck, she brings boundless global experience and creative leadership to Scott Carver.

Global rail expert Sharon Mawhinney has joined Arcadis Australia Pacific as Infrastructure Advisory Lead – Rail and NSW. Formerly from PWC, Sharon is a leader in rail advisory services, having worked on major projects such as the Parramatta Light Rail, North West Rail Link, Canberra Light Rail as well as the Sydney Light Rail.

Tim Chapman is the new Regional Director for SMEC’s southern region covering WA, SA and Victoria. Tim joined SMEC in 2014 and was the previous Regional Manager for Canberra.

Having started his career as a military officer, he has since has held a number of executive leadership positions in global engineering services companies and has delivered business outcomes across Australia and in a number of international jurisdictions.

SMEC has welcomed Dan Spackman as the new Regional Manager for Canberra. Dan is an accomplished business leader, team manager and project director in the engineering consulting and water engineering sectors.

He is a Civil Engineer with over 16 years’ experience and has operated in a variety of roles including: design management, operations, and project management; as well as business development and client relationship management.

Consulting Matters

Editor Kisanne Dulin

President

Arup has appointed Ross Campbell as its Highways Business Leader, Australasia.

A Roads Australia Fellow of 2014, Ross has led large multi-disciplinary engineering teams in Australia and the UK. His appointment will see him join Arup’s Transport and Resources leadership team to set the strategic direction for the highways business across Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand. Ross will officially take over the reins from Anthony Schmidt from the beginning of April.

Kumar Parakala has taken up a new role as Global Leader – Digital at GHD Advisory.

Kumar, the founder and Managing Director of digital transformation and growth consultant Technova and former global partner at KPMG, brings more than two decades of experience and insights of working at the intersection of business and technology with leading global organisations. Most recently he was named International Professional of the Year at the SEARCC-ACS Digital Disruptors Awards.

David Collett has joined SMEC as an Executive Project Manager for the Southern region, based in Melbourne.

David is a Civil Engineer with over 28 years’ experience delivering innovative solutions in the consulting and construction industries. In a varied career, David has led a variety of engineering infrastructure projects including; The Preston Tram Depot Redevelopment, Saigon Premier Container Terminal Project, Tullamarine Calder Interchange Alliance and the Dublin Light Rail Project in Ireland.

Andrew Mather

Chief Executive Officer Megan Motto

EA to CEO Accounts/Administration Coordinator Guillaume Marchand

Director – Membership & Commercial Services Kisanne Dulin

Director State Operations Manager SA & NT Jan Irvine

Associate Director Policy & Government Relations Ryan Bondar

Associate Director Government and Industry Affairs Chris Drummer

Communications and Events Manager Mark Rock

Corporate Designer Voltaire Corpuz

Editorial submissions kisanne@consultaustralia.com.au

Advertising enquiries info@consultaustralia.com.au Consulting Matters is produced by Consult Australia. Phone: (02) 8252 6700.

Website: www.consultaustralia.com.au

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Consulting Matters

Industry updates

WSP Australia recently welcomed Tim Parker to the role of Director Sustainability, Australia and New Zealand. Tim is based in Sydney and has more than 20 years' consulting experience with some of Australia’s largest companies and government agencies on energy, environmental and sustainability issues, as well as supporting international businesses to reduce energy costs and implement sustainable practices.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Wood & Grieve Engineers has acquired LHO Group to expand the hydraulics services team within the firm’s Sydney office. LHO Group have been one of the preeminent specialists in hydraulics and fire design for more than 50 years and have been at the forefront of the hydraulics industry in Australia having been involved in many of the nation’s iconic projects including the Sydney Opera House, the new Brisbane International Airport and Canberra’s Parliament House, the Sydney 2000 aquatic centre and the Sydney and Queensland Conservatoriums of music.

AWARDS Congratulations to Consult Australia Past President and former Cardno Chairman Dick Kell, who was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal at the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards. Dick is one of Australia’s most distinguished

engineers, having appeared frequently in the Engineers Australia Top 100 and earning a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1998 for services to engineering. Dick continues to serve as an excellent mentor to Cardno's younger engineers and managers.

The Roy Hill team from WSP Australia recently received the Australian Mining Prospect Award for ‘Excellence in Environmental Management’ for a number of noteworthy initiatives including the deployment of an innovative above-ground traveller methodology for construction of the overland conveyor at the port which minimised the impact on mangrove trees and on completion, saved 85% of the clearing allocation approved by the EPA. Consult Australia congratulates the winners of the Financial Review Client Choice Awards 2017

SPECIAL AND NEW AWARDS Market Leader New Zealand: Beca NZ PRACTITIONER AWARDS Consulting Engineer: Sam Corbett - Jacobs NZ INDUSTRY AWARDS Best provider to Construction & Iinfrastructure: Golder Associates Best provider to Mining, Oil & Gas: GHD Best provider to Property: Douglas Partners

NEW MEMBERS

OVERALL WINNERS Best Professional Services Firm Revenue > $200M: Arup and Beca NZ (joint) FIRM AWARDS Best Consulting Engineering Firm Revenue < $50M: GTA Consultants Best Consulting Engineering Firm Revenue $50M – $200M: Douglas Partners and MWH, now part of Stantec (joint) Best Consulting Engineering Firm Revenue > $200M: Arup and Beca NZ (joint)

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Collins & Woolcock Desart Control Systems Holding Redlich JWC Nation Partners Organica Engineering Oztron Energy Peled Engineering PLAN E Landscape Architects Powerlyt Group Pty Ltd Precise Geotechnical Pritchard Francis Seed Engineering Taft Engineering The Dichtomony Group Utilis Weston Williamson

Industry updates

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Consulting Matters

Industry updates

From the President Often the firm has sufficient resources to handle the demand, but the resources are not located in the right geographic area. Firms therefore need to get better at moving work and / or resources around.

There is currently an infrastructure boom cycle taking place in certain states in Australia, particularly on the East Coast. In order to cope with the increased demand created by this, most of our member firms will have to be able to substantially ramp up capacity. Firms will however want to do this in a sustainable way so that they are not faced with having to retrench large numbers when the cycle ends.

There are a number of ways that firms can create this capacity in a sustainable way, and we will explore some of these: 1) Moving people or work around (creating virtual teams).

Often the firm has sufficient resources to handle the demand, but the resources

are not located in the right geographic area. Firms therefore need to get better at moving work and / or resources around.

Provided the client facing people are where the project is, the rest of the virtual team can be located elsewhere in the country. The added benefit of this is that overall utilisation rates, and therefore profit margins, are improved.

Firms do need to invest in good IT and communication systems to make this work. Design and drawing standards need to be consistent across the country, and project briefings need to be done using standard templates, so that they can be easily interpreted by virtual teams all around the country.

2) Making better use of mature-aged resources.

By utilising experienced resources to work in teams with younger graduates, you get the double benefit of retaining the experience of the mature-ages resource while enabling the graduates to perform at

Making better use of mature-aged resources.

By utilising experienced resources to work in teams with younger graduates, you get the double benefit of retaining the experience of the mature-ages resource while enabling the graduates to perform at a higher level than they would normally be capable of.

a higher level than they would normally be capable of. This is possible due to having an on-hand mentor readily available to assist. This also builds permanent capacity for the future.

3) Use can be made of Complimentary Resource Centers (CRC’s).

CRC’s are usually set up by a firm in a state or country which has a surplus of trained resources. This surplus normally results in lower hourly cost rates. You can therefore build up your capacity—and even retain surplus capacity—at a much lower average cost of resources. If you build the CRC team up there is also the added benefit that with the CRC is servicing multiple offices, it is easier to even out resource scheduling.

As with using virtual teams, in order to make CRC’s work effectively, it is important to have good IT and communication systems between the CRC and other offices. Once again, consistent design and drawing standards are imperative, and standard templates need to be used for Project briefing. On larger projects, it works best if an engineer from the home office briefs the CRC team in person at the start of the project.

By using one or more of the methods detailed above, a firm can increase it’s capacity in a sustainable way

Andrew Mather President

What’s happening at Consult Australia

Consulting Matters

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From the CEO The last few years has seen an unprecedented movement of senior people in our industry. CEOs and MDs have moved sideways, upwards and overseas with surprising rapidity, and it is becoming harder than ever to keep track of who's who and where! This movement is great for career advancement for some, but it also brings with it a number of challenges that the industry must face.

Issues to do with knowledge management, stakeholder relationships, capability depth and resilience must all be faced by firms who are seeking to implement robust systems and frameworks to protect against key person risks.

Developing the next generation of leaders against this backdrop has never been more critical. Yet when time seems to be such a scarce commodity in this era of tighter timeframes and never ending private and professional demands, the challenge is to make time to ensure this development occurs.

Consult Australia’s FutureNet Business Leaders program, which recently kicked off in NSW, is a great example of such professional development. This intense program not only teaches key business skills, but also challenges participants to work in cross-disciplinary collaborative teams on real world projects, all the while under the supervision of seasoned industry mentors.

The feedback from course participants, as well as supervisors and mentors, is consistently fantastic—with many of the young professionals using the skills they hone through the course to take on key stretch roles on completion.

But whilst the focus on development for young professionals is important, it can be easy to forget that professional development needs to continue throughout the journey of one’s career. Recent studies have shown that mid-career professionals tend to miss

out on PD opportunities, and formal PD can be particularly difficult for this cohort due to increased work and often family responsibilities coinciding at this stage of life. It is important therefore, that structured opportunities for development are embraced by firms seeking to retain this talent.

And then there's the leaders of our industry, who are often so busy working in and worrying about their firm that they often don't take the time to think about their own PD. Taking 'time out' to consider new market opportunities, best practice management ideas or the broader business environment as well as network with peers and potential partners is an important way to stay informed and energised.

It is with this in mind that Consult Australia forms the program for our ASPAC Leaders Conference (formerly the CEO Conference).

The change in name reflects the differing titles and structures of our industry, but also gives a nod to the distributed leadership models that make our sector one of great depth and success.

This year, we will hear from politicians, journalists, economists, public and client sector clients, experts on diversity, mental health, governance and trade, and of course our own industry leaders. The program will both provide context for the ever-changing business environment in which we compete, as well as providing food for thought with regard to best practice in managing the complexities of our 'people businesses'.

The 2017 Conference will also bring a particular focus on gender and inclusion. The gender balance on the entire program reflects Consult Australia’s commitment to ensuring female leaders are prominently profiled to not only represent the diversity of views which engenders more sophisticated debate, but to profile senior women to inspire and engage the next generation of female talent.

Issues to do with knowledge management, stakeholder relationships, capability depth and resilience must all be faced by firms who are seeking to implement robust systems and frameworks to protect against key person risks.

Our Consult Australia Male Champions of Change have also been challenged to ensure a more diverse delegation of leaders, and we will be specifically asking all firms to consider inviting their female staff to network with the leadership of the sector at our Cocktail Reception on May 4.

Building capacity for our industry’s future has always been a core remit for Consult Australia, and we will continue to deliver a range of events and services to make sure there are opportunities for learning across all phases of the career life cycle. The challenge is for firms to continue to invest deeply in their people—not just for talent retention but for the broader betterment of our sector’s contribution as a whole.

Megan Motto Consult Australia

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Consulting Matters

What’s happening at Consult Australia

Division Updates With varying market conditions around the country Consult Australia’s state and territory managers share their insights on key challenges and opportunities for our member firms.

ACT

Kevin Keith We trade across boundaries yet govern as though enclosed. We communicate across countries online, yet so often distance holds back our regions. We watch as rivers run freely through state and across territory lines, yet complicate waters journey to industry and households.

Climate change, future employment, increasing urbanisation: areas share the same challenges, yet so often work on solutions in isolation because of arbitrary political boundaries along state and territory lines.

This is magnified in the Australian Capital Territory, an autonomous area enclaved by New South Wales whilst also serving as the economic driver for the southeast of ‘The First State’.

The ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian recently reaffirmed commitment to an updated Memorandum of Understanding encompassing a major cross-border housing development, catchment management, regional tourism, and economic development.

The recent population figures released by the ACT Government and discussed extensively in various media outlets did not include neighbouring Queanbeyan— approximately 40,000 people most whom will have an explicit relationship with Canberra and all of whom will share future mobility, energy, transportation and employment needs.

There is a Canberra Spatial Plan too, albeit from 2004 and looking in need of review, which seeks to set the ACT in context of the region.

Yet there is something more fundamental which needs to take place.

The Canberra Region, or CBR Region, must become better defined.

It is time for a Greater Canberra Commission.

This may sound like semantics, but is critical to have an area explicitly defined as Greater Canberra, governed by a strategic body, with authority to implement areas within the MOU, and with significant profile to shift attitudes to a more outward-looking interpretation as to what ‘Canberra’ is.

The recent population figures released by the ACT Government and discussed extensively in various media outlets did not include neighbouring Queanbeyan—approximately 40,000 people most whom will have an explicit relationship with Canberra and all of whom will share future mobility, energy, transportation and employment needs.

In the UK, I worked with Regional Development Agencies and on Multi-Area Agreements. I was involved, albeit at arms-length, with the development of Local Enterprise Partnerships and lobbied for infrastructure spend through the Regional Growth Funds. I championed the work of Manchester and their decade long process of partnering with surrounding councils to negotiate in unison with central government, which subsequently led to the evolution of the now lauded City Deals.

Throughout this work were some underlying trends: firstly, to do more with less as the purse strings in Whitehall tightened post the global financial crisis; secondly, to rebalance a national economy which had become too London-centric; thirdly, to build capacity at a local level involving both the public and private sector; and, finally,

to concentrate on driving growth based not on arbitrary political boundaries set decades prior, or regions defined by the hands of a compass, but by what made economic sense: functioning economic areas.

It is this notion, this definition, of what truly represents a functioning economic area, that should determine all conversations about Canberra’s future. The greater the population, the greater connectivity, the greater participation in this economy, the stronger growth will be.

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What’s happening at Consult Australia

NSW

Matthew Trigg Over the past year we have sought to further align the events and professional development being offered in New South Wales with our advocacy agenda and the varying needs of our member firms.

This has seen a range of highly successful events that have delivered not just clear value for participants, but that have directly helped us to improve the policy and business operating environment for those working in our industry.

For example, August saw the milestone Built Environment Meets Parliament forum presented by Consult Australia with the support of a range of other partner and supporting associations. Sponsored by the Minister for Planning and by UrbanGrowth NSW, this forum achieved tangible progress on a wide range of issues, including the NSW Opposition expressing strong support for greater adoption of value capture financing to unlock and bring forward more infrastructure projects and praising the long-standing work of Consult Australia in the area.

The strong pipeline of work and high levels of business confidence allow New South Wales to continue to be a test bed for a range of topics and formats that can then be rolled out for the benefit of member firms and their staff located throughout Australia.

This approach will see us deliver an event on Implementing a BIM Mandate in Sydney in October that aligns with our wider work on data and supporting the increasingly digital approaches used by our members. This work will continue and be further supported as the discussion is continued by similar events in Adelaide and Perth in the coming months.

Our events and advocacy work (as with all services by Consult Australia) is built on the feedback we receive from members. If there is a particular area you or your firm would like us to be more involved in, keep in mind that our door is always open.

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NT

Jan Irvine Consult Australia has long advocated the need for a strong, stable pipeline of infrastructure projects in The Territory to ensure employment opportunities, skills retention and economic prosperity. We have advocated strongly for a number of procurement reforms highlighted in our report Better Buying Better Outcomes— where a major finding of the report was that improvements in public sector briefs, delivery models and contracts offered big opportunities to make each dollar of public funding go further.

A collaborative approach, regular meetings with Ministers and Departmental Managers, as well as conducting a quarterly working group with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics has seen the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner MLA announce a number of policy reforms in direct response to our calls outlined above.

These announced reforms include: •P lacing a cap on the maximum weighting on price in tender evaluations of 30%.

•P rohibiting shortlisting on price alone.

•P roviding tenderers with more detailed post-tender feedback.

• Requiring all agencies to publish agency forward procurement plans.

•D elivering public sector training and development initiatives including e-learning resources and a professional development forum for all NTG procurement professionals.

The reforms, such as the cap on the maximum weighting on price in tender evaluations of 30% and prohibiting short listing on price alone, along with the requirement of published forward procurement plans is a positive step in establishing a healthy procurement and risk management culture. The initiative to train Government procurement professionals is a principal piece of the public sector procurement puzzle—skills related to determining sensible risk allocation and contract terms are paramount in successful project delivery and realising best value for money for the Government and the community.

Following the announcement it is clear the Northern Territory Government has listened to us and taken some really positive steps toward best practice procurement. The NT Division continue their engagement with Government and are currently addressing further public sector procurement challenges, such as unlimited liability.

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SA

Jan Irvine Over the next decade and beyond, South Australia is committed to partnering with Defence, industry and academia to capitalise on the state’s existing strengths and identify new opportunities for growth.

In support of this, the SA Division continues our engagement with Defence SA. Working closely with Defence and industry, Defence SA targets investment and expansion opportunities, drives and supports the delivery of major defence projects and facilities, and pursues the location of additional Defence units and capabilities in our state. Defence SA also plays a key role in supporting the Commonwealth Government’s strategic defence policy, particularly by increasing local industry participation and ensuring that state-of-the-art infrastructure and a highly skilled, industry-ready workforce is in place to underpin defence projects.

Significant announcements have been made over recent months regarding the Defence space in South Australia including future plans for Techport, Edinburgh Defence Precinct and the Land Systems Precinct—with particular emphasis on opportunities for local business arising out of the Future Submarine and Frigate programs.

With the news in early December 2016 the contract for the design of new shipyard facilities at the Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) South had been awarded to Danish company Odense Maritime Technologies (OMT), State Manager Jan Irvine met with representatives of OMT, the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) and Defence SA to introduce Consult Australia and discuss opportunities for local consulting firms regarding the ASC’s Techport Shipyard redevelopment.

Australia is home to some of the brightest and best engineers and designers in the world and the realisation of a strong defence industry in our State will provide the opportunity to utilise these great minds and build a sustainable knowledge hub, that isn’t just world class, but that has the ability to serve the population for decades to come.

As the South Australian defence industry activity gains momentum, it is the Division’s intention to ensure our members are kept up to date, well informed and connected to major stakeholders.

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Techport Australia is the centre of naval shipbuilding in Australia, home to two major, long-term defence projects and the confirmed build location for Australia’s next generation Future Submarines and Future Frigates. Australia’s Future Submarine program is the largest, most-complex naval defence program in the nation’s history, while the Future Frigates represent a major warship capability. The Offshore Patrol Vessel program will also commence at Techport Australia in 2018.

A new $230 million Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) will be headquartered in Adelaide to connect Defence needs with the innovation and expertise of Australian industry and help grow a competitive, sustainable Australian defence industry.

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ConsultED is an online platform that provides access to a variety of interactive short training courses tailored specifically for our industry and available from the convenience of your desktop!

What’s happening at Consult Australia Consulting Matters

QLD

Jillian Carney VALUE FOR MONEY An extraordinary number of hours are spent each week in meetings, in paper work, in reviews, in decision making, and in discussing and lamenting, value for money.

Value for money can mean many things and depending on what side of the fence you’re sitting on can simply mean most work for least money. In the case of Consult Australia Queensland we have drunk a lot of coffees, had a 100 conversations and spent entire days in any given week talking with clients, our member firms, State Government and the Opposition about this very issue – Value for Money.

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To name a few, we’re talking to Housing and Public Works, Transport and Main Roads, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Queensland Health and the Opposition. Our relationships extend from the Minister, to the Directors-General, to the Executive Directors, to the operational teams on the ground, through to our members participating on working groups to achieve real solutions in procurement and tendering practices. Keep an eye on our monthly e-news if you’re keen to know more.

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Unsurprisingly, once you talk, and listen, to enough people you find that actually you’re all concerned about the same things. What it ultimately comes down to is that we all agree value is about economic, social, innovation and fit-for-purpose criteria. Of course, the dollar is a factor but you’ll be glad to know that Consult Australia QLD are having the conversations, educating, and working with State Government to ensure that procurement is not based on just the almighty dollar and we hope will truly reflect Value for Money.

VIC & TAS Zeina Iesa

Our first event of 2017, kicked off with the CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, Michel Masson hosting a breakfast on 1 February for our Victorian Members. Together we discussed the short, medium and long term infrastructure needs and priorities for Victoria and the delivery and implementation of the 30-year strategy. Challenges on the project where consultants can make a significant contribution were also addressed. We look forward to continuing our engagement with IV. Justin Madden joined us for our end of year event at Melbourne Town Hall. With a diverse background in AFL, Parliament, architecture and consulting, Justin’s industry knowledge and expertise is hard to surpass! We enjoyed celebrating the end of another great year for the Victorian division.

As part of our national partnership with Cbus, we welcomed Cbus Property Group, CEO, Adrian Pozzo as our guest speaker on 1 March 2017. With a portfolio exceeding $7 billion in the commercial, retail and residential sector, Cbus Property is a unique property investor and developer with the company’s core business a reflection of Cbus’ philosophical commitment to investing in the Property and Construction industry, which employs its members. Thank you to Cbus for hosting this very popular event!

CEO of Victorian Planning Authority, Peter Seamer announced his resignation from the role in mid-April and the Victorian Division Committee has invited him for a luncheon hosted by Colin, Biggers & Paisley on the 22 March. With Victoria’s population projected to hit 10 million by 2051, planning for this growth requires the VPA to be innovative in its thinking and implementation, cut red tape and work closely with councils, government agencies, the community

and our industry. We look forward to congratulating Peter for all his achievements throughout his time at the VPA.

TASMANIA The Tasmanian division hosted a BIM seminar on Contractual Liabilities and Insurance. Darren Pavic, Broking Manager, Bovill Risk & Insurance Consultants explored the evolving world of client drafted contracts, how they impact upon your professional indemnity insurance and the extent to which you can transfer your contractual risk to your insurer.

We look forward to our upcoming BIM seminar and working with our industry experts to share how we can best plan for BIM. Are you interested in becoming part of the Tasmanian Division committee? Please register your interest, by emailing zeina@consultaustralia.com.au

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Consulting Matters What’s happening at Consult Australia

WA

Steve Coghlan WA State Election 2017 Whilst the WA State Election on March 11 yielded an overwhelming victory to Mark McGowan and Labor, it also has highlighted more than ever the importance of implementing an independent long term infrastructure planning authority within the State.

Granted that the incoming State Government was quite clear that Roe 8 would not proceed if they won, which they did, however unfortunately that does little to quell real concerns regarding sovereign risk and the potential damage to the State’s attractiveness as a place for future private investment in infrastructure. And let’s be honest, the latter point is going to be one that many state governments, not just this one, will have to contend with in the years ahead as we fast approach a $40 Billion State deficit.

To be fair to the incoming government this is not an issue necessarily of their doing, but it is certainly something that successive governments, on both sides of the divide, are at fault of not rectifying when and where they had the chance. And whilst there are many reasons as to why there remains a lack of independent long term infrastructure planning within WA, one key reason worth highlighting is the fact that politicians tend to want to retain the ability to effectively (i.e. with limited scrutiny) influence how constituents, particularly within marginal seats, will vote at elections. The problem with this is that without an independent statutory body to provide transparent, business case proven, prioritised infrastructure planning advice to the government of the day, and by default the community at large, there remains too much of an opportunity for hundreds of millions, and potentially billions, of dollars to be ill spent on projects that may not necessarily be in the best interests of people in this State.

Whilst Labor’s ‘Infrastructure WA’ policy that it took to the March election will be a good step forward if implemented, it is still yet to be seen what one key and defining aspect of it will be; namely whether it is established as an independent authority under an act of parliament; or whether it will simply be an ‘advisory body’ and hence

open to stacking with members akin to the government of the day’s own political persuasion.

With Consult Australia having advocated for many years to establish an independent statutory infrastructure planning authority in WA, we are hopeful that the new State Government moves quickly to implement such a plan in a way that ensures any such body is independent, expert, transparent and established in statute. These key aspects to do with any such authority’s independence and standing under the law will be essential to helping shape WA in a way that maximises the State’s long term social and economic prosperity for generations to come.

To find out more you can download a copy of our WA Election Platform 2017 ‘Better Planning, Better Procurement, A Better WA’, or email us at wa@consultaustralia.com.au for further information.

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With Consult Australia having advocated for many years to establish an independent statutory infrastructure planning authority in WA, we are hopeful that the new State Government moves quickly to implement such a plan in a way that ensures any such body is independent, expert, transparent and established in statute.

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3-5 May 2016 Sydney Harbour Marriott

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Consulting Matters Features

Planning and sustainability lessons from Canada the decade to 2015 will generate $63 billion in GDP over their lifetimes and create more than 700,000 jobs.

Promising to prioritise action on climate change during his election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed to an ambitious 2030 target to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels. The Canadian Government has also developed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, which outlines an approach to price carbon pollution and measures to increase technological innovations that support Canadian businesses in a global low-carbon economy.

Leadership at the city level is also taking shape. The City of Vancouver passed its Zero Emissions Building Plan in August 2016, which requires that all new construction emit zero operational carbon by 2030. The Passive House building standard is being used as a framework to fulfil the plan, and the number of Passive House Canadian buildings has accelerated rapidly.

The Shangri-La is Vancouver’s tallest building and an NDY Sterling Cooper project.

Vancouver's Deputy Mayor, Councillor Andrea Reimer, drove the award-winning Greenest City Action Plan, making Vancouver a global leader in environmental action.

“The Greenest City Action Plan is a broad, long-term strategy to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020,” Reimer says.

WITH ALMOST 10 MILLION SQUARE METRES OF CERTIFIED GREEN BUILDING SPACE, CANADA IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST MATURE GREEN BUILDING MARKETS. Canada certified almost 35 million sqm of floor space in 2016 under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and the total number of LEED–certified projects now exceeds 2,900.

Canada is a lynchpin in the $1 trillion global green building market—and is a valuable contributor to jobs and economic growth throughout the nation.

The Canada Green Building Council’s Green Building in Canada report, published in 2016, found that sustainable building generates $23.6 billion in GDP and supports almost 298,000 direct jobs. What’s more, Canada's portfolio of LEED buildings certified over

“Specific goals include reducing our ecological footprint, vehicle traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and waste going to landfills. We are also encouraging bike, foot and public transit trips and local food production, improving air and water quality— and of course greener buildings.

“We are particularly focused on doubling the number of ‘green jobs’ in our city. Worldwide, green jobs are outpacing other kinds of economic development three to one, and we think this may be a key to our city’s future growth.”

On the other side of the country, the City of Toronto continues to work with building owners, managers and the development industry to ensure that buildings achieve high-energy performance and low environmental impact. The Better Buildings Partnership has helped facilitate more than 2,500 retrofit projects, representing a gross floor area of 52 million sqm in floor space.

The economic impact of this has been extraordinary. More than 60,000 ‘person years’ of employment have been created, with cumulative cost savings of almost AUD $380 million. More than 3.8 million MWh of electricity has been saved, and 690,000 tonnes of emissions—the equivalent to powering 72,000 average homes for a year.

Last year, NDY acquired Vancouver-based mechanical engineering firm Sterling Cooper—a company with four decades of expertise as a sustainable engineering specialist in Canada.

CaGBC’s President & Chief Executive Officer Thomas Mueller says “NDY has a solid reputation for leadership in sustainability” and is “delighted to welcome NDY into the fold as a member” of what is now the world’s second largest green building council.

Mueller says Canada has “just 13 years to reach aggressive national and international commitments to climate change” but that the size and scope of LEED-rated projects around the country and the upcoming release of a net zero carbon standard for Canada mean the industry is ready to “hit the ground running and do our part in the countdown to 2030."

Tony Arnel Global Director of Sustainability Norman Disney & Young Tony Arnel is the Global Director Sustainability at Norman Disney & Young. Tony is a founding Director and immediate past Chair of the Green Building Council of Australia. He was an elected Director of the World Green Building Council (2006 - 2012) and was the Chair for three years between 2008 - 2011. Tony is also a trustee of the Sustainable Melbourne Fund, Chair of the Energy Efficiency Council, and 2014 recipient of the World Green Building Council Chairman’s Award.

Features Consulting Matters

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Consult Australia moves the debate forward The Australian Digital Built Environment Principles mark an important step in the adoption of digital technologies in the built environment and the policies that support them.

Each jurisdiction in Australia has typically taken a different approach to each aspect of developing and utilising digital built environments (BIM, Smart Cities, IoT, etc.). Industry also lacks a consistency of approach to the digital aspects of the built environment, with increasing disagreement and conflicting expectations observed relative to the level of technical detail being discussed.

Some in the public sector have openly expressed having â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fatigueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the often cyclical debate on many of these issues and a lack of agreement from industry of what is required at a policy level, with topics such as BIM having been discussed for over a decade with little actual progress on realising its potential benefits.

The need for government and industry to collectively create a supportive policy environment has become increasingly essential in order to enable the benefits of new technology and approaches.

After years of typically repetitive and disconnected debates, in mid-2016 Consult Australia began a process of consultation with industry and government to find a pathway toward a supportive policy environment that will better enable the potential benefits of digital technology and approaches to our built environments.

On behalf of industry and led by the Digital Built Environment Task Group, Consult Australia has worked with hundreds of stakeholders to develop and deliver the Australian Digital Built Environment Principles.

These Principles aim to become a common point of reference that work and policies can be aligned to, and for which business and government can express their support.

The intention is to break through the technical language and marketing rhetoric and focus decision makers on those actions that will help to ensure the delivery of long term benefits.

Photo courtesy of Sydney Opera House and Arup STARTING WITH BIM

INNOVATION ROUNDTABLE

Using BIM as the catalyst, an initial workshop was held in Sydney in September 2016 to begin the process of breaking down the various technical requirements into achievable public policy objectives.

Participants discussed the current lack of a consistent approach across government on any given project, with many outcomes determined more by the skills, knowledge, and interest levels of particular individuals and not part of any coherent systemic approach at the client level.

Our ongoing work in this area, including in relation to the Principles, BIM, Smart Cities, IoT, and more will be led by our Innovation Roundtable.

The biggest call was for certainty and consistency, with the need to move beyond always talking about BIM being paramount.

This led to an extensive three-month survey of industry and government stakeholders.

This feedback was then assessed by the project team and presented to the Task Group who developed the principles into their final form based on the feedback received and their own expertise.

The Principles were released on March 28 in Sydney at the Smart Cities Forum presented at the Museum of Sydney.

Consult Australia is encouraging active engagement on our Innovation Roundtable, which will have its first meeting on Monday 3 April 2017.

The Innovation Roundtable is suitable for professionals within our member firms who are actively working on the leading edge of their profession. However, it is also open to all members who have an interest or experience in innovation issues.

Matthew Trigg If you are interested in participating, please contact the Roundtable Coordinator via info@consultaustralia.com.au

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Consulting Matters Features

Upgrading of AS5488 to become a Utility Engineering design standard WORK IS UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE OUR COUNTRY’S APPROACH TO MANAGING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES WITH A NEW APPROACH LOOKING TO FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS IMPLEMENTED DURING THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL CONSTRUCTION OCCURS.

The tell-tale hiss and the distinctive smell of natural gas got most of the workers out of the area in time, but not all of them.

When the dust had cleared from the explosion that rocked the USA town of Rochester in Michigan on the afternoon of May 20, 1992, one man lay dead and seventeen were hospitalised from wounds received in the blast.

It was clear what had happened: a construction crew had disturbed an underground gas line while working on a beautification project downtown.

Technically, the required precautions had all been followed, the one-call (equivalent of Australian Dial Before You Dig) centre had been alerted as required by law, the gas company had made its mark on the ground showing where it thought the gas line was supposed to be, the engineer had called for excavation at the particular spot (of course with a disclaimer regarding the accuracy of underground utility data) and the construction people had ‘hand-exposed’ as required at the spot indicated by the engineer.

But all this was small consolation to the families of the dead and injured. And what’s more, no one could actually be held accountable.

USA ADOPTS SUE Although Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) began in the early 1980’s, it wasn’t until 2000 that this tragic event (which was one of many) prompted the USA to adopt the use of SUE to underpin its standard for the management of underground utilities.

SUE is a specialist engineering service incorporating geophysical mapping, vacuum excavation and computer surveying to allow underground facilities to be located both horizontally and vertically. The data is then provided and managed in an electronic format for the project owner or engineer during the design stage of a construction project.

The role of SUE is to ensure that the responsibility for recording, designing and managing existing and new underground utilities is at the feet of the SUE design engineer. Without it, the industry essentially

SUE is a specialist engineering service incorporating geophysical mapping, vacuum excavation and computer surveying to allow underground facilities to be located both horizontally and vertically.

Features Consulting Matters

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has no ‘rulebook’ for relevant project or asset owners, local authorities or state government bodies to mandate for all design engineers.

This leaves the ultimate responsibility for underground utilities being pushed down to the building contractor and opens the potential for differences found in the field to what is shown in drawings, leading to the potential that dangerous utilities will be struck by excavation equipment or to expensive redesign costs and delay claims, not to mention the associated safety aspects and insurance claims.

Five countries have SUE standards in place – the USA, Canada, UK, Malaysia and Ecuador.

Recent data from the UK indicates that on average each year there are 12 deaths and 600 serious injuries attributed to contact with the electricity network alone, but as the UK standard has not been in place long enough, there is no comparable data available to indicate how well it is addressing this safety issue.

Similar injury statistics are not readily available across Australia, however Dial Before You Dig reports that they receive more than 1,000 reports of pipe damage incidents every month.

AS5488, known as Classification of Subsurface Utility Information (SUI), was released in 2013 and, in an attempt to mirror similar international standards relating to underground utilities, its subject matter is largely survey based but has neither the breadth, nor industry buy-in of its international counterparts.

ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY FIRM TAKES UP THE MANTLE WGE’s National Underground Utility Manager Rob Sansbury, in association with Standards Australia and Engineers Australia, is working to change this.

“In short we want SUE to be recognised as a specialist area of engineering and we want there to be a rulebook for all design engineers,” Sansbury says.

Sansbury is working closely with Nick Zembillas who has been a member of the committees in each of the five countries that have developed SUE standards as well as the current AS5488 “The USA’s Standard has been in place for many years and University studies on multiple projects have shown that there are cost savings in the order of $3 to $10 during construction for every $1 spent on SUE during the design process,” he points out.

“Furthermore, the SUE standard improves safety because there are fewer utility strikes.

There is no conceivable reason why Australia should not be on a par with the world’s best approach with regards Utility management.”

If you would like more information contact: rob.sansbury@wge.com.au

Rob Sansbury Wood & Grieve Engineers

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Consulting Matters Features

The Future Leaders of Your Business For over a decade the FutureNet Business Leaders Course has been developing the future leaders of our industry while providing an invaluable networking and development opportunity for participants.

While the course has developed and evolved over time to respond to changing needs from the sector, in 2017 the Course has undergone its biggest transformation yet.

Beginning in early March, the Course runs over 16 ‘sessions’ every second Thursday evening, with a two-stage team project being undertaken from session six onward.

WHAT DOES IT COVER? The Course is tailored to build on existing personal strengths, develop new skills, and broaden industry networks for the capped number of participants.

Each session explores one of a range of topics with leading speakers from both within the industry and more broadly. Last year saw the first time we engaged with the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) who helped participants explore how they held themselves and their communication capabilities.

Winning team from the 2016 FutureNet Business Leaders Course in Sydney.

Consult Australia also provides separate development and networking opportunities throughout Australia (check out consultaustralia.com.au to see what is coming up near you).

In 2017 the course will see the following topics: • Cohort/Team Bonding • Self Awareness

CAN WE SEND MORE THAN ONE FUTURE LEADER?

• Leadership and Influencing Skills • Networking Workshop • Motivating Teams • Innovation Workshop • Government Relations • Leading Communications • Cultural and Change Management • How the Law Affects Your Job • Contracts and Risk Management • Technology in the Real World

valued by their employees and looking to take the next step in their career.

Over the years this has seen a range of professions represented from both the public and the private sector, such as engineers, architects, planners, quantity surveyors, project managers, and many more.

• Persuasive Negotiation

For many companies the Course is an opportunity to reward and support a firm’s best employees; those seen as future leaders of their firms and industry.

WHO IS IT FOR?

WHERE IS IT RUN?

The Course targets built and natural environment professionals with five to ten years of industry experience, who are highly

The FutureNet Business Leaders Course is run in Sydney with similar programs operating in Queensland and Victoria.

• Winning Bids • The Value of Understanding Finance

Yes, some firms send a single participant each year while others tend to send a small group of participants.

It is common for many organisations to make sending a participant part of their staff development activities, often complementing internal activities.

INTERESTED IN 2018?

Applications for the 2018 FutureNet Business Leaders Course open in October, but you can express interest by contacting nsw@consultaustralia.com.au

Features Consulting Matters

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FutureNet Professional Development in Melbourne Top left: Kevin Sheedy with participants.

Top right: Tony Horan presenting on Risk.

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Consulting Matters Project case studies

Landmark footbridge connects fans to Australian Open

For many people, Melbourne is synonymous with sport. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Melbourne Park precinct is home to the Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Garden Square, and hosts around 200 events each year, including the Australian Open, which attracted a record 720,000 spectators this year.

Fans heading to the Australian Open and other events are benefiting from a new way to access Melbourne Park. This pedestrian connection avoids crossing Batman Avenue at road level, so that crowds of spectators can arrive and return home safely. The bridge is a key part of Stage 2 of the Melbourne Park Redevelopment.

The new Tanderrum Bridge forms an unbroken pedestrian link from Flinders

Street Station to Melbourne Park, reducing travel time and eliminating the need to cross Batman Avenue. The bridge extends from Birrarung Marr over Batman Avenue into Melbourne Park over a length of approximately 300m and a width of 8m (7.5m clear width from handrail to handrail). There are five main bridge spans with a maximum span measuring 44m. Each span has an 1,100mm deep steel box girder separated in two halves with a longitudinal splice bolted together on site to enable transport and minimise disruption to Batman Avenue during construction,

the bridge is the filigree cladding using steel tubing to form the balustrade for the bridge barrier, continuing under the entire soffit of the bridge. In order to achieve the soffit level, a halving joint was required between the three spans of the bridge that are supported by the pier. This involved complex profiling to the end of the box girder beam as well as the pier corbel.

The in-situ concrete deck varies in thickness to achieve the cross-falls and landings in the surface profile. A distinctive feature of

The completed structure was officially opened in December 2016, but the concept of its iconic form was first developed in a design competition, which was won by GHD, John Wardle Architects (JWA), NADAAA, and OCULUS in August 2014.

The new Tanderrum Bridge forms an unbroken pedestrian link from Flinders Street Station to Melbourne Park, reducing travel time and eliminating the need to cross Batman Avenue.

The project also included an elevated concourse area with office and ancillary spaces below, modifications to the existing Federation footbridge, landscape and lighting works.

Gerald Lovell, GHD Principal Structural Engineer, says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The use of the steel box girder highlights how a lightweight steel section can produce a bridge structure that could span 44m over a busy road and yet be slender enough to achieve vertical

Consulting Matters

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The challenges with construction stage deflections and the dynamic response under pedestrian loading were managed with a significant precamber and tuned mass dampers respectively.

Photos courtesy of Major Projects Victoria/HiVis

clearances over Batman Avenue and under the Federation footbridge whilst retaining accessibility ramps. The challenges with construction stage deflections and the dynamic response under pedestrian loading were managed with a significant precamber and tuned mass dampers respectively. Positioning the box girder profile below the deck helped achieve Major Projects Victoria’s (MPV) goal of both ‘the appreciation of the landscape from the bridge

and the appreciation of the bridge from the landscape’.”

The blade piers supporting the bridge were inclined in order to achieve clearance requirements from site boundaries and avoid existing in ground services, as well as adding architectural interest.

This project benefitted from a collaborative relationship between MPV, JWA, Fitzgerald Constructions and the GHD design team.”

The name ‘Tanderrum’ refers to a welcoming ceremony by the people of the Kulin nation of Victoria, involving song, dance and cultural exchange.

Gerald Lovell Jonathan Short GHD

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Consulting Matters Business essentials

Understanding Slip Resistance Laws In a recent article, we looked at how to reduce public falls and accidents. One point we championed for the reduction of public falls, was the need for small slotted slipresistant grates in public areas. Well, it looks like legislators agreed with us, because new legislation surrounding slip resistance has been implemented. In this article, we’ll examine the real life implications of the test methodologies defined by recently released AS 4586 Slip resistance classification of new pedestrian surface materials, and explore how they are relevant to your next project.

The classifications are explained in the handbook HB 198 Guide to the specification and testing of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces with a view to aid the designer in assigning the correct level of slip resistance for an application.

These tests determine ratings of slip resistance that are important to understand when undertaking a commercial or industrial project that requires drainage systems to be installed. They ensure that the appropriate level of slip resistance is applied to avoid slips and accidents.

Which level of slip resistance is right?

NSW Angel Place Sydney photo courtesy of ACO Australia.

When are slip resistance standards required?

All slip resistance standards and safety requirements must be rigorously adhered to in commercial and industrial projects in order to maintain public safety, increase access and avoid compensation claims. Pedestrian areas such as walkways, shopping centres, hospitals and other public areas require various levels of slip resistance as outlined by the classifications in HB 198. But it pays to keep in mind that standards for one project, for example an outdoor architectural installation, might be vastly different to, say, those for an indoor food service environment. Furthermore, the compatibility of floor finishes with adjacent grates is critical to avoid undesirable trip hazards. The safety requirements for such spaces will also vary greatly depending on WHS and disability access requirements.

ACO’s Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grates cover a range of slip resistant ratings to cater for drainage projects in a wide range of sites.

What are slip resistance ratings?

In order to assess the slip resistance of a grate or floor surface, three tests are specified in AS 4586 which measure slip resistance in various areas.

• The wet pendulum test can be applied for areas that become wet in the rain, such as stormwater grates.

• The wet-barefoot inclining platform test is designed for wet areas where shoes are not worn, such as water parks and beach areas.

• The third kind of test is designed for commercial and industrial areas that can become dirty with oil or grease. It is called the oil wet inclining platform test and is applied in internal industrial and commercial environments such as kitchens and food processing areas.

With the increase in litigation and compensation for injuries caused by slips and falls, designers must now closely consider specifying grates and floor surfaces that comply with the appropriate standard for slip resistance. However, this does not always mean installing a grate with a high level of slip resistance. Specifying a grate which is too slip resistant can be dangerous for the public and in fact contribute to an increase in public accidents and compensation claims.

Designers need to weigh up slip resistance ratings against other potential hazards.

For example, if a grate has a higher slip resistance rating than the surrounding floor surface, it could catch a toe or heel and cause a trip hazard.

The important thing is for designers not to lose sight of the main objectives when installing grates: ensuring the safety of patrons and providing exceptional surface drainage solutions.

How can I make my project slip resistant?

To help prevent public injuries, ACO believes that slip resistant grates should be implemented where possible. Each of our commercial grates complies with AS 4586 legislative requirements for slip resistance.

Our Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grates are available in stainless steel, ductile iron and plastic designs to suit applications in a wide range of projects. The grates feature raised mechanical nodes for tread durability and are designed to prevent small heels from becoming trapped. These industrial, residential and commercial grates comply with a number of Australian and international standards for pedestrian, wheelchair, bicycle and cane use.

To learn more about proper slip resistant grate specification, refer to www.heelsafe.com.au or call ACO on 1300 765 226.

ACO's Stainless 5 Star Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grate.

Consulting Matters

Heelsafe ® Anti-Slip trench drains

ACO’s pedestrian-friendly trench drains ACO’s extensive range of pedestrian-friendly grates ensure public safety by reducing potential falls and injuries. The grates comply with AS 4586 for slip resistance and AS 3996 for load rating requirements.

Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grates are available in a choice of stainless steel, ductile iron and plastic designs.

All grates are available with ACO’s modular range of sloped V-profile trench drains to ensure safe and efficient drainage.

Ph: 1300 765 226 | sales@acoaus.com.au | www.acodrain.com.au

ACO. The future of drainage

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Consulting Matters Corporate social responsibility

RedR Report: Michelle Sanson MICHELLE SANSON WAS A SYDNEY SOLICITOR BUT THREW IN HER OFFICE JOB TO WORK WITH REDR AUSTRALIA AND USE HER SKILLS IN HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION. “I FEEL FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WORK IN PLACES AFFECTED

BY CONFLICT AND NATURAL DISASTERS,” DR SANSON SAYS. “BUT I AM NOT SPECIAL, AND IT DOESN’T MAKE ME A GOOD PERSON. WE ALL CONTRIBUTE IN OUR OWN WAY TO THE HUMANITARIAN EFFORT. LAWYERS, ENGINEERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK IN AN OFFICE EACH DAY ARE CONTRIBUTING AS THEIR TAXES ENABLE AUSTRALIA’S SUPPORT FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AROUND THE WORLD. IN FACT, I THINK WE CAN ALL CONTRIBUTE BY KEEPING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS OPEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING AROUND THE WORLD, BECAUSE IT COULD JUST AS EASILY HAVE BEEN US.” HERE, SHE TALKS ABOUT HER WORK.

When a crisis hits, such as the conflict in Syria or Cyclone Winston in Fiji, there are lots of people who work hard to get assistance to where it’s needed most. Engineers might design refugee camps that become temporary cities and public health specialists help prevent the spread of diseases. But there also needs to be people like me who consider the contextual dynamics. If resources are being allocated and delivered to an area, we have to consider how it will change the power dynamics, who will receive them, and, more importantly, who may miss out and why. We can’t assume, for example, that all households are headed by a male, or that they have the physical and technical capacity to rebuild their own homes.

On the ground, there can be a lack of understanding of the basic principles of humanitarian assistance. Among them is impartiality, meaning that assistance is given solely based on need, with no distinctions drawn based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or political persuasion. I help ensure humanitarian assistance is provided in a way that protects people’s safety and dignity, and does not exacerbate conflict or tensions.

Often there’s no perfect answer and the situation on the ground is in a state of flux.

By an accident of birth, we have the good fortune to grow up in a place where we are safe, where we have access to good nutrition and education, and where we are able to speak and be heard.

In my work, I have seen people who have never known safety, who are stunted from malnutrition, who have only ever defecated in open spaces and never had clean water to drink or have never seen the inside of a classroom. These people did not ask for these lives and they are no less intelligent and no less worthy and deserving than us. In fact, I have met some of the most intelligent people in the most unlikely places.

While visiting an African slum, I met a 12-year-old girl who had read a medical textbook left by a traveler. She knew it from

Michelle Sanson supports locals working to eliminate violence against women in Fiji.

Photo: RedR Australia

On the ground, there can be a lack of understanding of the basic principles of humanitarian assistance. Among them is impartiality, meaning that assistance is given solely based on need, with no distinctions drawn based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or political persuasion. I help ensure humanitarian assistance is provided in a way that protects people’s safety and dignity, and does not exacerbate conflict or tensions.

Consulting Matters

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SELECTED TRAINED DEPLOYED

FOR SHORT-TERM PAID INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY WORK

RedR’s Jean-Noel Melotte meets a Hurricane Matthew survivor at the entrance to her temporary shelter in Haiti.

SINCE 1992 REDR HAS DEPLOYED OVER

900 specialists in over countries 85

We provide people with expertise in the following fields to support global humanitarian operations: • • • • • • • •

Logistics Public Health Child Protection Humanitarian Protection Nutrition Education IT + Data Communication Field Monitoring

• • • • • • •

Safety Water, sanitation + hygiene Site planning Engineering Civil-military coordination Communications Coordination

Do you have what it takes? Visit www.redr.org.au water and sanitation + camp management + shelter + logistics + infrastructure assessment and repair

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Consulting Matters Corporate social responsibility

cover to cover and wanted to learn more.

Imagine what a chance at a different life could mean for that girl?

In a remote village in northern Laos, I happened to speak with a woman who invited me inside her house. There was a 10-year-old boy with a severe physical disability lying on his side with his head on the floor, staring ahead. He was able to see, hear and speak and yet, having been born into an environment where people with disabilities simply don’t go to school, he spends most of his life on that floor.

If someone carried him the short distance to the local school, he could quite easily learn like the other children. Just imagine if someone had given him a wheelchair.

I’ve been to around 70 countries and believe that most people want the same thing— a safe and healthy place where they can live, work and see their children grow up happy.

I just dip in and out of these places, often deployed by RedR Australia as an expert on a mission with the United Nations or as an independent consultant. I go, assess, engage, listen, learn, train, analyse, advise, report and leave; there are humanitarians who serve for years in one location, and of course many people in the affected communities I work in will spend their lives there.

What doesn’t change is being able to work with great people on challenging issues.

I have already had more incredible experiences than I could have hoped for so I don’t really have any further ambitions.

A version of this article first appeared in the Journal of the Law Society of NSW and this is published with their permission.

Dr Michelle Sanson RedR

Michelle Sanson with ethnic minority hill tribe women in northern Laos.

Photo: RedR Australia/Bountham

Industry comment Consulting Matters

Industry comment: Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms within the Construction Sector The Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Act 2015 (Cth), which commenced on 12 November 2016, extends the existing unfair contract term regime to a new category of ‘small business contracts.’

The new law deems unfair terms in small business contracts void where: • At least one of the parties is a small business (less than 20 employees, including full-time, part-time and casual employees); • The up-front contract price is less than $300,000, or less than $1m if the contract exceeds 12 months; • The contract is a standard form contract (i.e. prepared by one party with little opportunity to negotiate); and • The contract contains an unfair term.

If these elements are satisfied, the unfair contract term will be declared unlawful and severed from the contract on application of one of the parties, with compensation available to the aggrieved party.

The following issues are particularly relevant to small businesses within the construction sector: • The use of standard form contracts; • Tssues with Head Contractor risk pass-through; • The impacts of SPVs; and • The prevalence of “unfair” contract clauses in construction contracts.

Cocktail Reception Harbour 220 Level 15, Hudson House, 131 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW Thursday, 4 May 2017 Time: 6:00 - 9:00pm

These specific issues will be explored in more detail in an upcoming article.

Scott Alden, Partner Victoria Gordon, Graduate Holding Redlich

Leaders from Australia’s largest consulting practices are gathering in Sydney to consider the future of the industry. We are delighted to invite you to a reception with these C-suite executives and influential decision makers from across industry.

Cocktail Reception Sponsor

Click here to register

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Consulting Matters

Want to talk insurance with someone who knows your industry?

Working you way through your businesses insurance requirements, particularly when it comes to professional indemnity, can be like navigating your way through a forest.

That's why, way back in 2009, Consult Australia created the PI Pathway and partnered with brokers that we were confident not only knew our industry, but would also provide our members with the level of service that we would be happy to endorse.

Bovill Risk IC and Planned Insurance have been partners on the pathway since its inception, and nine years later they are continuing to help our members find their way through the insurance forest for not just PI insurance but across all their business insurance needs.

For more information contact our PI Pathway Partners below:

Protecting Professionals

Bovill Risk & Insurance Consultants www.bric.com.au

Planned Cover www.plannedcover.com.au

Darren Pavic, Broking Manager PO BOX 1020 Richmond North Victoria 3121 1800 077 933 bw@bric.com.au

Simon Gray, State Manager PO Box 1983, North Sydney New South Wales, 2059 1800 077 933 sydney@plannedcover.com.au

Photo courtesy of Seb Zurcher

In-house training available!

Thinking about professional development?

Consult Australia offers a number of intensive training programs to provide consultants with invaluable skills, knowledge and advice. This powerful training puts you in control and allows you to better protect your business.

For more information visit: http://bit.ly/caeducation

Learn vital information about: • Designer duties under current legislation • Hazard identification tools

2017 dates: WA: 3-4 Apr VIC: 4-5 May QLD: 25-26 May NSW: 1-2 Jun

Contracts for Consultants Learn vital information about: • Contract formulation & terms • Contractual relationships

• Risk assessment, control, and management

• Liability & Insurance

• Safety in design procedures and documentation

• Professional indemnity insurance

• Onerous contract terms • Dispute resolution

• Best practice examples

Facilitated by Tony Horan - one of the most knowledgeable and experienced barristers working in the construction industry in Australia.

Member price: $1,800 Non-Member price: $2,680* Includes the Safety in Design Tool Kit which is free for members.

*

The Role of the Superintendent Topics include:

2017 dates: VIC: 17 May NSW: 21 Jun

• Scope of duties • The dual roles of the Superintendent • Decision making and conveying information • Liability of the Superintendent • Insurance issues Facilitated by Tony Horan - one of the most knowledgeable and experienced barristers working in the construction industry in Australia.

Member price: $1,300 Non-Member price: $1,550

2017 dates: VIC: 18-20 May NSW: 22-24 Jun

Member price: $2,900 Non-Member price: $3,770

ConsultED ConsultED is an on-line platform that has been developed to provide Consult Australia members (and others) with access to a variety of interactive training courses from the convenience of their desktop.

• Legal,Standards and Codes • Business Practice • Health and Safety • Human Resources

Member price: $40 Non-Member price: $52 Mar 2017

Safety in Design