Engineering Excellence from the Ground Up: The Team Delivering on some of Australia’s Most Demanding Infrastructure Projects.
Engineering Excellence from the Ground Up:
The Team Delivering on some of Australia’s Most Demanding Infrastructure Projects.
More Than a Consultancy: A Trusted Engineering Partner
Black Square Engineering operates across four core disciplines—mechanical, structural, electrical, and civil engineering—with a specific focus on large infrastructure and highrisk industrial plant. But their real value is in their approach.
“Our mission is to bring rigour, foresight, and problem-solving into every stage of a project,” says Principal Engineer and company director Joe Norris. “We’re not just ticking boxes for compliance. We’re engineering safety,
efficiency, and certainty into the backbone of our projects.”
That ethos is echoed by coprincipals Rod McDonald and Hugh Green, who, together with a handpicked team of senior engineers, represent a highly experienced technical group with nationally recognised expertise in verifying complex plant, certifying high-risk equipment, and supporting the delivery of infrastructure where the margin for error is zero.
From structural design and verification through to management of registration of
In the world of large-scale infrastructure, luxury—it’s the foundation. Behind refine our fuel, and connect our communities design, verification, and risk management. force is a team that doesn’t just understand it.
Welcome to Black Square Engineering, consultancy delivering solutions to complex engineering challenges across Brisbane, Townsville, and Adelaide, to partner for developers, contractors, than just compliance—they need confidence.
high-risk and registerable plant, Black Square’s scope spans the full lifecycle of industrial assets. Their engineers routinely operate as expert witnesses, third-party reviewers, and design certifiers for complex, safety-critical installations across a range of industries and regions.
Engineering That Builds the Nation
The projects Black Square supports aren’t just big—they’re essential.
Take GCWind, for example, an Australian wind energy services
infrastructure, engineering integrity isn’t a the projects that power our cities, communities lies a quiet force of management. And at the heart of this understand complexity—they thrive in
Engineering, a multidisciplinary engineering some of the most technically across Australia. With offices in Adelaide, Black Square is becoming the gocontractors, and operators who need more confidence.
company helping to roll out renewable energy infrastructure across the country.
“We design and certify their meteorological towers for a range of wind turbine configurations,” says Hugh Green, Principal Engineer.
“Then we perform site inspections and construction sign-off to ensure everything is executed to spec. It’s whole-ofpackage assurance for assets expected to operate in extreme environments for decades.”
Then there’s AG&P, a global leader in modular infrastructure
for the energy sector. Black Square provides the Australian verification and pressure equipment registration for AG&P’s refinery upgrade modules, which are designed overseas and shipped to Australian shores.
“We verified and signed off on the massive modules you see arriving by barge at Ampol’s refinery,” explains Green.
“Those units are the size of an office block, and every weld, bolt, and pressure vessel needs to meet Australian standards.”
Where Custom Engineering Meets Complex Infrastructure
Not all work is large and modular. Some of Black Square’s most valued contributions are highly specialised, custom-engineered systems designed to solve niche challenges in the field.
One such example is their ongoing work with Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, one of Australia’s leading civil contractors. Abergeldie is relining critical sewer and stormwater networks in cities nationwide, and Black Square provides engineering design and operational support for the custom machinery involved.
“Relining sewers involves deploying equipment in extreme conditions—confined spaces,
water ingress and high-pressure environments,” says Norris.
“We’ve developed purpose-built systems that allow Abergeldie to do this work safer and faster than anyone else. It’s engineering that’s truly enabling frontline success.”
The team also supports Klabella Solutions, designing and verifying tunnel segment handling units, bridge girder lifters, and whole-bridge formwork jacking systems used across major civil infrastructure builds in Australia and New Zealand.
“This is work that can’t afford to go wrong,” Norris adds. “If the jacking unit for a tunnel formwork system fails, that’s a major incident. That’s why we bring certified expertise, deep experience, and full transparency to every project.”
The Gold Standard in High-Risk Plant and Equipment
If there’s one area where Black Square Engineering truly distinguishes itself, it’s in the verification and registration of high-risk plant and pressure equipment.
From Team Furmanite’s maintenance of high-pressure refinery systems to AG&P’s pressure vessels, Black Square ensures each piece of equipment not only complies with Australian
Work Health and Safety regulations but also meets the highest standard of risk mitigation and operational performance.
This includes plant design registration and third-party verification under state-based WHS legislation, a process few firms in the country are as well-versed in. It’s a space that demands deep regulatory knowledge, precise engineering judgment, and an unwavering commitment to public safety.
“Whether it’s a refinery operating at 350°C or a bridge girder being lifted into position, our job is to ensure that the design is safe, the engineering is sound, and the operator can trust the process,” says Principal Engineer Rod McDonald, a Fellow of Engineers Australia and the company’s lead risk management expert.
Engineers You Know by Name
It’s rare for a consultancy to lead with its people—but Black Square
does. Their engineering team is a veritable who’s who of chartered and internationally registered professionals.
Principal Engineers Joe Norris, Rod McDonald, and Hugh Green are supported by a team of Senior Engineers including:
• Robert Treasure (Mech), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
• Caleb Lawrence (Mech), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
• Cameron Walker (Mech), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
• Oliver Dwyer (Mech), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
• Tim Phillips (Mech, Elec), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
All hold Chartered status (CPEng), registration on the National Engineering Register (NER), and recognition as APEC
and International Professional Engineers—testament to their capability and global standing.
“We believe our people are our product,” says Norris. “Our clients know they’re working with actual engineers—people who’ve signed off on refinery upgrades, tower lifts, and high-pressure systems— not just project managers.”
“Our decision to build a team with a high ratio of Chartered engineers to engineers and graduates is somewhat unique in the industry, and our clients appreciate that their jobs are in experienced, expert hands from day one. “
Regional Presence, National Capability
Black Square’s offices in Brisbane, Townsville, and Adelaide aren’t just convenient—they’re strategic. With a footprint across Queensland and South Australia, the team is well-positioned to respond to projects in major urban
M: 0417 333 104
P: 07 3188 0455
A: 1/15 Hook Street, Capalaba QLD 4157
W: www.blacksquareengineering.com.au
hubs as well as remote industrial and mining sites.
“Our Townsville office supports everything from North Queensland mining infrastructure to Pacific export terminals,” says Norris. “Brisbane services our southeast clients, and Adelaide gives us reach into the renewables and defence sectors in South Australia.”
“That said, one of our great strengths is what we call our digital nomadicy - we’ve established the ability to work from anywhere with the full resources of the team behind us.”
This regional strength, combined with national accreditations and international partnerships, gives Black Square the flexibility to deliver value on both local and global stages.
A Reputation for Thinking Ahead
In an industry defined by deadlines, risk, and regulatory scrutiny, Black Square Engineering has built a reputation not just for solving problems, but for preventing them. Their forensic engineering and
expert witness services have been called upon in investigations ranging from structural failures to plant shutdowns, giving clients not just technical answers, but legal confidence. They’re also increasingly engaged at the earliest stages of project planning—helping mitigate risks before the first shovel hits the ground.
“Our clients bring us in early because they know we’ll help them avoid expensive mistakes later,” says McDonald. “We look at how designs interact with installation, operation, and maintenance. We think about failure modes, about usability, about human error. That’s what real engineering is about.”
In a sector where outcomes matter and expertise is everything, Black Square Engineering isn’t just delivering compliance. They’re delivering certainty—one tower, one module, one signature at a time.
To learn more about Black Square Engineering’s capabilities or to speak with one of their senior engineers, visit www. blacksquareengineering.com.au.
Joe Norris
BEng (Mech), MIEAust, Dip PM, APEC, CPEng, RPEQ, NPER, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
Principle Engineer
P: 07 3188 0455
Hugh Green
BEng (Mech), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ
Principle Engineer
P: 07 3188 0455
Roderick McDonald
BEng (Mech), MEng, FIEAust, CPEng, EngExec, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), MAICD, RPEQ, RPEV.
Principal Engineer
P: 07 3188 0455
