LIFESTYLE
let the GAMESBEGIN SOMETIMES IT TAKES A ‘LOVE TRIANGLE’ TO GET PEOPLE TALKING. STORY KERRY HEANEY IMAGES STU RILEY Kerry Peterson checks out the action at one of her completed projects, Anna Meares Velodrome.
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LIFESTYLE PEOPLE
CHAT TO ANYONE who has built a house and you’ll quickly learn that it’s a painful procedure, full of pitfalls for the unwary and unpleasant surprises for even the most experienced. When the size of the project increases to include a sports stadium, a velodrome and an athletes’ village, the potential minefields only get bigger, but that’s where it gets interesting for RACQ member Kerry Petersen. Petersen packs a big punch in the construction world with responsibilities that include much of the infrastructure that will define the success of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. As the Queensland Government Department of State Development’s Deputy Director-General for Major Projects and Property, Petersen draws on 25 years’ project and property experience, but it’s her ability to cut through the ‘noise’ in a meeting room that is the secret to her success. When Petersen takes off her hard hat and sits at the table, people listen. “It started when my parents were building a house,” Petersen said. “The architects would come for a briefing and then produce a drawing showing all the bedrooms upstairs when the instructions were to put the master bedroom downstairs. “They just weren’t listening and during construction the trades didn’t either. There was a budget and requirements but no one was paying enough attention. When I got into architecture, that was where I wanted to be successful – hearing what people wanted and meeting those requirements.” An architecture graduate from the Queensland University of Technology, Petersen was set to join the workforce in the middle of the 1990s when the building industry was facing a major downturn. As she was knocking on the front door asking for a job at architectural practices, workers were leaving in droves through the back door. A cadetship in Public Works emerged as her career starting point. This eventually saw her working on secondment to Bligh Voller (now BVN) for the $25 million Conservatorium of Music project at South Brisbane. “During the last few construction weeks, opera singers were coming into the building in hard hats to rehearse for the opening. We changed from hard hats QUEENSLAND’S LARGEST CLUB
Kerry Petersen admires the view from Brisbane’s tallest building, 1 William Street, home to the state’s public service.
MY MOTTO IS UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER. at 5pm to attend the first performance.” It was Petersen’s last role as an architect, as her interest in helping clients get what they want, on time and within budget, drew her towards project management. Her success stems from an ability to get everyone around the table on the same page. She says even if you can’t achieve what people say they need, this helps them to understand why. “All the angst and issues tend to go away when you’ve got everyone on a level playing field. It’s about managing expectations and being honest about what you can achieve. Sometimes I have to share the ugly news that no one wants to hear. My motto is under promise and over deliver.” When the value of the building project totals millions, such as the $320 million Commonwealth Games venues program, the complications increase. That’s when Kerry Petersen’s ‘love triangle’ swings into action. “I call it my love triangle because effectively there are three clients to manage, not just the person who holds the money,” she said. “There is the government client who holds the budget, the asset owner who is
going to look after the venue for the next 30 years and reap the legacy benefits and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, which is responsible for the event. “We started with a budget and a commitment to finish 12 months ahead of the games and we are on track to do that, even with the competing demands of multiple stakeholders, 18 sports, multiple sporting and technical advisors, and complex transport and security considerations.” Petersen said although she was at the front line, it’s the strength of the team that drives success. When the Commonwealth Games flags are flying, the banners are raised and the seating is in place, Petersen said the result would be spectacular. “I hope visitors will be impressed by the size and volume of the venues and the way they work seamlessly, all produced within a fairly tight budget,” she said. Next on the drawing board is Townsville’s much anticipated North Queensland Stadium. Petersen said she was working with key industry stakeholders to ensure that local needs were addressed, local jobs were maximised and the stadium opened in time for the 2020 NRL season. If you think this sounds a little like a giant-sized episode of The Block with Petersen wearing the host’s hat and smoothing troubled waters so everyone gets a good result, you could be right. “I do watch The Block occasionally, even though it’s frustrating. They are always under huge pressure with unrealistic timeframes, but what they do is incredible,” Petersen said. “The project manager in me wants to streamline it.” n FEB/MAR 2017 THE ROAD AHEAD
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