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National Transport Commission
Editor’s welcome
Australia’s infrastructure sector is undergoing a massive overhaul and nowhere is that momentum more palpable than in rail. From the sprawling intermodal freight networks to the critical urban transit systems, rail is the connective tissue of Australia’s future.
With AusRAIL PLUS, Australia’s largest rail event in the Asia-Pacific region, being held in Melbourne this month, this edition of Infrastructure magazine is taking a closer look at the transformative projects, essential maintenance and technological innovations that power the rail industry.
These include a company that is breathing new life into trusted rail assets, advances in non-invasive ground stabilisation and void-filling solutions, as well as bringing the industry into the digital age.
Rail interoperability has been a long-standing challenge in Australia, with different gauges, digital systems and regulatory frameworks creating inefficiencies across the country’s 18 freight and passenger networks.
In what has been described as the biggest change to rail since electrification, infrastructure and transport ministers have now set a national direction to address this fragmentation. We find out what it means and the next steps forward.
Big changes are also happening on the sustainability front, including the introduction of mandatory Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) – a framework designed to guide
Australian companies in disclosing their environmental, social and governance practices.
ASRS is not just a regulatory obligation, but a business-critical shift that will reshape infrastructure delivery. It’s also one that can be difficult to traverse for often stretched sustainability and finance teams. We talk with a company with a deep experience and understanding of infrastructure companies and projects that is positioning itself as the go-to expert for ASRS in the sector.
This edition also looks at how workplace culture is raising the bar in service delivery and the future of hire and construction in Australia and New Zealand.
Lisa Korycki Editor, Infrastructure Magazine
Get in touch at info@infrastructuremagazine.com.au or feel free to give us a call on 03 9690 8766.
Don’t forget to follow Infrastructure on social media – find us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
3 Editor’s welcome
8 Unifying Australia’s rail system AUSRAIL PLUS
11 Breathing new life into trusted rail assets
15 Governance and constructability in Victoria’s rail pipeline
19 Future rail runs on data
22 Silence: Track solution for railways
24 What AusRAIL PLUS has in store
26 Non-invasive ground engineering hits the tracks
29 Eliminating paper and data silos is key to modern project delivery ENGINEERING
32 Engineering resilience into Australia’s grid
34 Ground support: The case for smarter remediation
Rethinking disruption in
38 ASRS and infrastructure: PROJECTS 40 Delivering real value
42 Rebalancing risk, rethinking legacy 44 Guiding the future of bridge design
46 Workplace culture, raising
48 The future of hire and INDUSTRY OUTLOOK 50 Building influence through independence
52 Infrastructure Sustainability Council outlines an ambitious path forward 54 Skills gap blocking net-zero
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From ASRS readiness and reporting, to ecology, planning, risk, auditing and environmental management - we are here to support you.
Steve Fermio
Dave Stubbs
Celebrating our decade of growth
For a decade, ARCH has partnered with Australia’s leading infrastructure clients to deliver projects that shape our future.
Through three specialised divisions spanning Project Services, Environment & Sustainability, and Systems & Assurance, our 24 specialised offerings – from project management, constructability, and completions, through to sustainability ratings, stakeholder engagement, and systems assurance – ensure projects are delivered with certainty, safety, and lasting impact.
At ARCH, we are proud to celebrate 10 years of growth, supporting clients nationwide with the skills, experience, and commitment needed to achieve stronger outcomes, together.
If you are looking for a partner who understands the complexity of infrastructure and delivers with integrity, we would welcome a conversation.
Established Systems & Assurance Division 19 ACTIVE PEOPLE
7 ACTIVE PROJECTS
John Armstrong founded ARCH
Established Project Services Division Acquired ARTIFEX
Sydney Light Rail • Wynard Walk • Transport Access Program • Sydney Metro Northwest • WestConnex • Northern Beaches B-Line • Western Harbour Tunnel • Toll Systems Upgrade • Central Station Precinct • Global Switch Data Centre TAO for Lendlease, Built, Hutchinson & AW Edwards • Western Sydney Airport • Bango Windfarm
Craig Flood Director
Marketing & Business Development
craig.flood@archservices.com.au
0436 622 227
Dion Killiby Director Project Services
dion.killiby@archservices.com.au
0459 300 222
ACTIVE PROJECTS
Unifying Australia’s rail system
Infrastructure and transport ministers have brought Australia’s major interstate rail corridors under one digital signalling technology standard. It’s an historic step to drive a more productive, safer, and sustainable national rail system.
Rail interoperability has been a long-standing challenge in Australia, with different gauges, digital systems and regulatory frameworks creating inefficiencies across the country’s 18 freight and passenger networks.
In what has been described as the biggest change to rail since electrification, infrastructure and transport ministers have set a national direction to address this fragmentation – setting a national digital signalling pathway, strengthening rail governance, and streamlining rolling stock approvals to improve productivity and safety and reduce transport emissions, while helping to move more freight and people around the country.
Getting alignment across networks is a National Cabinet priority, and ministers have now agreed to one digital signalling technology standard across major connected freight and passenger corridors, known as the National Network for Interoperability (NNI).
It means that all digital signalling introduced on the NNI in future must meet mandatory European Train Control System (ETCS) standards so trains fitted with ETCS technology can move seamlessly across rail lines connecting Australia’s busiest cities, regions and ports.
“We wanted to avoid each Australian rail network adopting its own system and creating a new digital break-of-gauge between networks,” says Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
“To truly unlock the potential of rail, we are committed to improving harmonisation and interoperability across the sector. This means streamlining regulations and standards nationwide.”
National Transport Commission
Chair Carolyn Walsh likened the decision to the announcement last century to have a standard rail gauge across the country.
“It really is monumental for the future of rail in Australia in that it will improve efficiency, reduce costs and, importantly, improve the safety of railways,” Walsh says.
The changes have been welcomed by states and industry, with New South Wales Secretary of Transport Josh Murray noting it was hard to overstate the significance of states, territories and the Commonwealth all agreeing to pursue a common digital operating system.
“It’s the modern-day equivalent of finally choosing between VHS and Betamax, but for all the nation’s passenger and freight train control systems,” Murray says.
“The ideal is that freight trains will be able to move from the ARTC network to the network of another operator, and utilise a consistent
signalling system,” says King, adding that ministers had also strengthened the role of the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) to ensure Australia had consistent, industry-led rail standards.
Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie says the move will end decades of incompatibility and deliver “meaningful progress” toward a safer and more productive national rail system.
It will help to improve reliability and transit times, increase local manufacturing opportunities and help to reduce emissions through better fuel efficiency.
ROLLING OUT ETCS
With the pathway now set, attention turns to implementation as the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) works closely with the NTC to roll out ETCS across the NNI.
The ARTC will lead the development of ETCS for non-urban
environments, coordinating with other below-rail operators, customers, governments, and suppliers. While the NTC works with industry to develop a national rollout strategy, identifying the best order and timeline to fit ETCS technologies onto trains and tracks, as well as a cost-sharing framework to support future investment strategies, Infrastructure Australia has also identified the rollout of aligned national signalling on its national priority list.
“Digital signalling systems will give us powerful new insights,” Walsh says. “They’ll allow us to monitor trains’ performance, improve maintenance efficiency, and increase safety across the networks.”
Importantly, ETCS provides a shared digital language that allows data to flow seamlessly between networks. This creates opportunities to cut costs, boost productivity, and improve workforce mobility.
“Workers won’t need to retrain every time they move to a new network,” Walsh explains. “That’s a game-changer for both skills development and career pathways.”
ESTABLISHING A STRONGER NATIONAL STANDARDS BODY
Alongside its decision on a national digital signalling platform, ministers endorsed a new, strengthened rail governance model with a bigger role for the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) to advance national standards and deliver greater consistency across rail technology, trains, infrastructure, skills and training.
The model aims to overcome 20 years of low adoption of national standards by establishing a strengthened national standards body with teeth.
When making the decision, ministers considered three new governance options: expanding the role of the national regulator, creating a new statutory body, or strengthening RISSB. They rejected the first two as either conflicting or costly, instead tasking RISSB with taking on a bigger role as the industry-led standards body.
“Ministers agreed that the best way of continuing national reforms in a co-regulatory environment was for industry-led organisations to be involved in developing national standards with stronger alignment to national priorities,” says NTC Chief Executive Officer, Michael Hopkins.
“This will be a significant shift from Australia’s long-standing voluntary approach to standards to a more strategic and coordinated national approach that binds public and private rail operators together.”
The changes also require a more proactive role for the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) around interoperability. This will be explored as part of the consultation regulatory impact assessment for Rail Safety National Law reforms, already approved by ministers and out for public engagement in early 2026.
RISSB Chair Gillian Miles says the new RISSB will be led by industry, bringing public and private operators and suppliers to the table, with unions and governments to harmonise rail standards and implement the national rail standards.
RISSB Chief Executive Officer Alan Fedda says the organisation has already begun redesigning its standards development process, backed by stronger technical expertise and governance.
The changes will see RISSB lead the development of harmonised standards to support interoperability while the NTC continues to coordinate the development of rail’s first mandatory standards for ministerial approval. The first three mandatory standards will cover digital train control, driver interface, and rolling stock approvals.
Standards reform is based around a three-tiered framework with a must do/ should do/ can do logic.
“This unified approach will form the backbone of Australia’s future rail system,” says Hopkins.
A NATIONAL PATHWAY FOR ROLLING STOCK APPROVALS
Another key reform agreed by ministers was a new national pathway for rolling stock approvals, as well as a coordinated national procurement strategy for passenger trains to boost local industry participation, grow Australia’s manufacturing capability, and build greater resilience across the rail supply chain.
Today, rail operators must navigate separate and often inconsistent approval processes in every jurisdiction they operate in. It’s costly and duplicative and means that in some cases it takes longer to get a new train approved than to build it.
The NTC and various states and rail infrastructure managers have been working on ways to remove
complexities and reduce differences between network requirements.
The national pathway endorsed by ministers was developed by Transport for NSW in partnership with the NTC to consolidate and coordinate all rolling stock approval reform into one plan. It ensures all initiatives are pushing towards the same long-term vision of reducing the cost of rolling stock approvals for both rail operators and infrastructure managers.
The pathway includes work that the NTC is doing with governments and industry to:
• develop safety assurance guidance
• develop and pilot a single application form
• harmonise testing arrangements.
As well as jurisdiction-related projects, including harmonised interface standards, the New South Wales network acceptance process, and RISSB’s rolling stock register and registration system.
It’s a huge job, and the intent of the national pathway is to progressively build towards the national vision, starting with a pilot involving a small group of rail infrastructure managers and scaling up, says Hopkins.
NEW INTEROPERABILITY REGULATIONS HELP DRIVE NATIONAL RAIL REFORM
Further steps towards a more seamless rail system were taken recently with amendments to Rail Safety National Law regulations requiring rail transport operators on the NNI to have an Interoperability Management Plan as part of their Safety Management System.
The Plan will require rail infrastructure managers and rail operators to show they have considered national interoperability before making changes to their network. This marks a significant shift from the current approach, where networks need only focus on what works best for their own operations.
The amendment was made after extensive industry consultation and will come into effect from 1 November 2025 with a transition period until 28 February 2026.
“Right now, there’s such strong support for getting rail reform achieved,” says Walsh.
“This is about making rail a more competitive transport option. It’s about reducing emissions, improving safety, and helping move more people and freight efficiently as our population grows.”
agilitus.com
Breathing new life into trusted rail assets
Plasser Australia, the local arm of global track maintenance leader Plasser & Theurer, has long been synonymous with precision, durability and innovation. Headquartered in St Marys, Western Sydney, the company has steadily expanded its footprint with service o ces in New Zealand and Port Hedland, enhancing its ability to support customers across Australasia.
For its first four decades, Plasser Australia was almost exclusively focused on manufacturing.
However, recognising that customers needed support well beyond the delivery of new machines, the company opened its second workshop in 2015.
Workshop 2 was purpose-built for after-sales service, dedicated to overhauls, upgrades, and lifecycle enhancements that extend the value and productivity of track machines throughout their working lives.
EXTENDING VALUE THROUGH LIFECYCLE ENHANCEMENTS
Plasser’s machines are renowned for their longevity, with many still performing reliably after 40 years in service. This lifespan reflects the quality of engineering, materials, and manufacturing. But with such longevity comes the challenge of keeping older assets competitive and compliant in increasingly complex regulatory environments.
Plasser Australia offers a suite of lifecycle enhancement services, including:
• Life extension programs to keep machines operating efficiently for longer.
• Obsolescence upgrades that replace outdated systems and components.
• Restoration to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) specifications to preserve compliance and residual value.
• Functionality upgrades that enhance performance with the latest technology.
Maintaining OEM specifications is now more critical than ever, particularly as homologation and network approvals become more stringent worldwide. Plasser, as the original manufacturer, ensures
every machine leaving its workshop meets the necessary standards and retains its approval to operate on the network.
But lifecycle management isn’t just about compliance. Technology is advancing rapidly, and operators increasingly seek upgrades that deliver tangible performance improvements.
For example, Plasser now offers variable speed work heads for the 09-3X fleet and electric work heads for the 08-475/4S switch machines – both designed to enhance efficiency, reduce noise, lower energy consumption, and extend component life.
Off-the-shelf upgrade packages are being developed to provide customers with faster turnaround and cost certainty.
Plasser Australia Overhauls Project Manager, Steve Johnson, says that Plasser Australia currently sees two primary drivers for clients seeking upgrades or retrofits.
“First, ageing assets with high residual value that benefit from modernisation – typically through control system upgrades, SmartALC integration, or other PLC-based solutions,” Johnson says.
“Second, customers looking to boost performance with new technologies such as variable speed
Plasser’s machines are renowned for their longevity, with many still performing reliably after 40 years in service.
or electric tamping drives. These innovations reduce noise, increase ballast penetration, lower energy use, and cut wear and tear.
“For operators confident their machines will run for another 10-15 years, investing in these advancements makes strong commercial sense.”
EXPERIENCE THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
Plasser Australia has quietly but steadily grown its experience in overhauls and upgrades.
One notable project involved rebuilding a broom trailer that had been severely damaged in an engine fire – transforming a burnt shell back into a fully operational asset.
Another example is “Kermit,” a green machine imported from Japan, which required extensive modifications before it could be registered and approved for Australian rail networks. From structural alterations to final repainting, Plasser’s team ensured Kermit was fit for local conditions.
The company has also helped address non-compliance issues with imported machines. A recent collaboration with Swietelsky Australia involved Plasser delivering modifications to an 08-275/3S tamper, enabling it to operate unrestricted across Australia’s narrow non-electric gauge railways.
These projects demonstrate Plasser’s ability to combine practical problem-solving with OEM expertise.
Plasser Australia Managing Director, Matt Baynie, says that Plasser Australia is expertly positioned to help its customers who operate older assets ensure their machines continue to deliver value for their businesses.
“Our workshop teams and in-house engineering capability ensure, when the time comes, we have the expertise to give our customers’ trusted assets a new lease on life.”
CAPABILITY AND GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE SHARING
From its St Marys facility, Plasser Australia can manage up to two full machine upgrades simultaneously.
The workshop is co-located with the in-house engineering team, maximising efficiency and technical oversight.
Facilities include a state-of-the-art blast and paint booth, ensuring machines leave with a durable finish able to withstand Australia’s harsh conditions.
Beyond local capability, Plasser Australia draws on the global strength of the Plasser & Theurer network. Colleagues from RobelPlasser Service in Germany, for instance, have pioneered upgrade processes now shared internationally.
Staff regularly exchange knowledge across facilities in Austria, India, the United States and beyond ensuring that best practices and innovations are quickly adopted worldwide.
Plasser Australia’s headquarters in St Marys, Western Sydney.
An aerial view of Plasser Australia’s factory.
Image: Plasser Australia
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Governance and constructability in brownfield railway
Australia’s complex, dense urban rail projects demand sophisticated governance and constructability. This focus ensures e ciency, maximises safety, and minimises disruption amid increasing public scrutiny.
The nation’s rail infrastructure pipeline is evolving rapidly. Projects are growing denser, increasingly embedded in urban environments, and attracting heightened political and public scrutiny.
Delivering brownfield urban rail projects will demand more than scale and speed – it will require sophisticated governance and constructability strategies to minimise disruption while maximising efficiency and safety.
Two critical disciplines have emerged as defining factors for success: governance and constructability.
While governance offers a framework to manage complexity and align outcomes, constructability ensures projects are designed and delivered with practical construction realities front of mind. Together, they form complementary levers that will shape how brownfield rail projects are successfully delivered.
GLOBAL LESSONS IN GOVERNANCE Governance is the structured framework and processes that oversee the coordination, integration, and management of multiple delivery packages and stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of complex rail projects.
Effective governance goes beyond high-level oversight by integrating detailed, hands-on involvement in daily operations, ultimately enabling smoother delivery and reducing delays and disruptions.
Matthew Dinnison, Managing Director at FCC Construction Australia – the Australian Division of a large, international infrastructure and services company – reflects on lessons from the world’s largest metro projects in Riyadh, Toronto and Madrid.
FCC led delivery of three lines of the Riyadh Metro through the FAST Consortium. Dinnison says its governance approach offers key insights.
He cites the hands-on Project Integrator model as a standout feature.
"We embedded engineering and interface managers directly within delivery teams, rather than siloing integration into a separate workstream,” says Dinnison. “This ensured interface and integration issues were tackled proactively and in detail, well ahead of handover activities.”
This integration team took a technical-first approach, prioritising early definition and resolution of complex interface challenges, safety assurance, testing, and commissioning.
“Systems and safety assurance were embedded from day one, enabling progressive assurance and
development of a robust safety case for day-one operations.”
Central to this governance model was a dedicated Project Management Office led by FCC and supported by technical working groups comprising subject matter experts across design coordination, testing, commissioning, and requirements management. This structure ensured alignment across the program and rapid resolution of issues by those closest to the work.
Dinnison notes that governance often fails by underestimating integration’s scope.
“It’s not just about infrastructure delivery – building the structure, track, and stations – but also about operations, maintenance, testing, and commissioning. A narrow focus can cause misalignment, delays, and costly conflicts late in the program.”
To avoid this, FCC’s approach embedded delivery package representatives within integration
Constructability ensures smooth project delivery from the outset.
Images: Martinus
teams, fostering ownership and accelerating issue resolution.
“Treating integration as a central, cross-cutting function rather than a downstream activity better manages complexity and reduces risk,” says Dinnison.
An innovative element of interface governance was the Temporary Operations Work Permit Office, which coordinated access and work permits across interfacing contractors to optimise program sequencing and reduce delays.
Dinnison emphasises that governance must be hands-on.
“Successful governance is embedded within daily operations –engineering and interface managers work alongside delivery teams, resolving issues in real time. The integration team owns the program sequencing, ensuring logical, coordinated delivery and proactive risk management.”
CONSTRUCTABILITY IN PRACTICE
While governance offers a strategic framework, constructability focuses on how projects are built.
Martinus General Manager Major Projects, Travis Rawling, explains why it is so important for successful project outcomes.
“In simple terms, constructability is planning, designing and reviewing a project with the actual construction process in mind,” says Rawling.
“But it has evolved beyond just confirming that a project can be built – now it’s about enabling the most efficient, safe and reliable construction process.”
Rawling cites the Sydney Metro SWM4 project’s off structure beam solution as a clear example.
“We eliminated the need for major structural upgrades to an ageing bridge asset identified as a high risk early on.
"This avoided the relocation of a water pipeline and the associated risk of project delay from the additional approvals needed.
“This alternative delivery method overcame challenges related to site access and reduced impacts on live rail corridors and road networks.”
Such innovations come from early, constructor-led reviews of design concepts, allowing teams to identify and mitigate risks before construction begins. Rawling pointed out that these challenges are especially acute on brownfield projects, where existing assets, live operations, and tight access impose constraints rarely found on greenfield sites.
“Brownfield rail projects demand constructability thinking that integrates access limitations, asset conditions, and operational impacts. These constraints often drive innovative solutions and methods.
“The best outcomes happen when construction-led solutions influence planning and design early on, not as an afterthought.”
At the same time, for less complex projects, constructability input should come after concept development to avoid stifling creativity.
“For these situations, where tried-and-true solutions and methods exist, it is better to allow the concept thinking to develop a little further to ensure there is enough meat on the bone to give the constructability team enough information and data to work with," Rawling says.
“More often than not this sees the constructability approach focusing heavily on the site conditions and environment.
“That all said, constructability is never a finish-to-start relationship with planning and design. By that time, you have missed the opportunity and really expose the project to rework, or worse delay.”
Rawling says that collaboration discipline is a foundation block for constructability success.
“Without collaboration – between designers, planners, delivery partners – there is no constructability or if there is, all the benefits are lost.”
WHERE GOVERNANCE AND CONSTRUCTABILITY MEET
The interplay between governance and constructability is crucial. Governance provides the frameworks and coordination mechanisms to manage complexity and align multiple delivery packages, while constructability ensures the
work is practical, safe, and efficient on the ground.
Dinnison and Rawling both agree that embedding these disciplines into daily operations – rather than treating them as separate, siloed functions – drives better outcomes.
“As governance teams own the integrated program and resolve interface issues in real time, constructability teams bring delivery insights that shape designs and sequencing,” Dinnison says.
“This collaboration accelerates issue resolution and improves predictability.”
Rawling says, “When constructability leads early design decisions, the project is safer and more efficient to deliver, reducing disruptions on live networks and ensuring smoother sequencing.”
BRINGING GLOBAL AND LOCAL STRENGTHS TO BROWNFIELD RAILWAY PROJECTS
FCC and Martinus have built on their 2023 global partnership by establishing the Align Wide Alliance, combining global governance experience with local constructability expertise.
This partnership aspires to bring those combined strengths together in a collaborative, complementary way that enhances existing delivery models. The goal is to help improve the resilience and effectiveness of the complex rail program as it navigates dense urban environments and increasing political visibility.
Dinnison says that brownfield railway projects are complex with competing stakeholder drivers, with major risks around broader community disruption.
“Lessons from projects in our global portfolio of metro projects show that integrated governance with technical rigour and close collaboration is essential to managing those risks," he says.
Rawling agrees, “Applying constructability thinking early and embedding cross-disciplinary collaboration ensures these projects aren’t just designed well on paper, but are buildable, safe, and delivered efficiently.”
With governance and constructability working hand in hand, Victoria’s rail pipeline is better placed to meet its challenges and deliver worldclass urban infrastructure that supports the state’s growth for decades to come.
FCC and Martinus representatives at the signing of their MoU in 2023.
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Future rail runs on data
As Australia's rail networks shift towards ever more sophisticated computing systems; the humble cable is being called upon to do a lot heavier lifting.
Video feeds, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven sensors, high-resolution monitoring systems, and predictive analytics are rapidly replacing legacy infrastructure across transport corridors, terminals and tunnels.
At the heart of it all – unseen by passengers but essential to performance – are the fibre networks carrying a deluge of data across the network.
According to George Karanikolaou, National Product Manager at Madison Express, it’s a shift with serious implications for infrastructure planners.
“Where in the past, maybe you could get away with a 24 or 48 fibre cable, now you're looking at needing 72, 200 or even 300 fibres – just to carry the amount of bandwidth needed,”
Karanikolaou says.
AXLE COUNTERS TO AI
To understand the infrastructure challenges facing modern rail networks, Karanikolaou looks back a few decades.
“Traditionally, it was fairly simple switch sensors – like axle counters – that told the network where the trains were,” he says.
“That evolved into data-logging sensors that could capture speed and other variables."
Now, that model is giving way to camera-based AI systems that can analyse rail environments in real time.
“The future is going to be more AI-based. And that implies more cameras, because current AI works heavily on visual recognition,” Karanikolaou says.
These high-resolution, videoheavy systems come with major bandwidth demands – especially where safety-critical applications like level crossings and train detection are involved.
“If you're running a rail system and you want to see whether two trains are going to crash, you can't afford the signal to go pixelated,” he says.
“It’s not like watching Netflix at home.”
Beyond bandwidth, cabling systems in rail must stand up to a different kind of pressure: environmental abuse.
are key areas where Madison Express is innovating.
“Most transport infrastructure creates unique challenges. Cables are often installed in ducts – dark, damp spaces with plenty of water – and that’s perfect for rats,” Karanikolaou says.
Rodent attacks on cabling are a common and costly risk. For electrified rail systems, traditional metal armouring is not a safe solution.
“You can induce voltages onto the steel armouring, and that can create serious problems,” he says.
“If someone's working on a cable and it's been energised to three kilovolts, it's not a good day for that person.”
Instead, Madison offers non-metallic solutions such as fibre-reinforced or glass-reinforced plastic (FRP) armouring, designed to resist vermin without conducting electricity. These designs are tested to meet tough state-based standards such as Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) cable protection specifications.
SMALLER, STRONGER, SMARTER
One of the less obvious constraints in rail upgrades is conduit space. As more fibre is deployed along corridors, many conduits are approaching capacity. Pulling out legacy cable is not always viable –meaning new installations need to be space-efficient.
“We’ve got a lot of cable designs that offer high fibre counts without increasing the physical size significantly,” says Karanikolaou.
“You're not using up more conduit space, and you're also getting better bend radii, which means you don't need huge pits.”
Cable miniaturisation, improved bend tolerance and smarter packing densities are key areas where Madison is innovating.
“Where a traditional 144 fibre might have filled a conduit, we can now offer 160 or 180 fibres in the same footprint,” he says.
“That’s a big win when trenching is expensive and access is limited.”
Rail tunnels present another layer of complexity. Operators want cables that are submersible, fl ame retardant, rodent-proof and fl exible – all at once.
“The problem is, the materials that are great for water submersion are often poor for flame resistance, and vice versa,” Karanikolaou says.
“So, we’re always playing with material innovations to meet all these competing needs.”
The company also provides indoor-rated cabling and passive infrastructure for network rooms, including racks and non-active connection components.
“It's not just what's next to the rail line – you have to think about what's inside the computer centres and data hubs too,” he says.
Karanikolaou believes the shift to AI-driven camera systems will only accelerate in rail.
“If you can have a camera that recognises something, you eliminate the need for multiple sensors,” he says.
“You might need one sensor for temperature, another for speed, another for volume. With a camera, especially one with both visual and infrared capabilities, you can do it all.”
This convergence of functions means fewer physical devices but far greater data loads. As image resolutions rise, so too do infrastructure requirements.
“That’s where we're heading – more video, more AI, more bandwidth. And that's where cabling systems need to be ready,” Karanikolaou says.
Still, not all operators are racing to adopt next-gen cabling.
“Australia is a fairly conservative market,” Karanikolaou says.
“There’s a cautiousness – because if something goes wrong out on the network, it's not always easy to repair.”
He points out that in Europe, where rail density is higher, operators are more likely to test emerging designs.
“Here, the distances are greater, and the repair points are fewer. So, reliability is everything,” he says.
One of the key decisions facing asset owners is whether to plan for current needs – or future ones.
“They need to decide whether to install what we call ‘dark fibre’ – cable with more capacity than needed today, but that can be used progressively over time,” says Karanikolaou.
That choice informs everything from conduit sizing to trenching costs.
“Once they’ve made that decision, it pushes them toward certain cable types. And then you have to factor in the data centres – how much capacity you need at the core, not just out at the edge,” he says.
Madison has supplied fibre cabling to a range of recent tunnel and road projects, with traction building in transport and other infrastructure sectors.
THE ROAD (OR RAIL) AHEAD
Looking ahead, Karanikolaou sees more convergence, more bandwidth, and more pressure on infrastructure designers to think long-term.
“The higher the resolution goes, the more bandwidth you need,” he says.
“You can't afford lag or signal loss when you're relying on cameras for safety.”
For operators and engineers planning their next network upgrade, he offers a simple reminder:
"Think beyond what you need today. Whether it's the number of fibres or the resilience of your cable, the decisions you make now will shape what your network can do 10, 20, even 30 years from now."
That’s a future where the cable might matter more than ever.
Modern fibre networks carry a deluge of data across the network.
GROUND REMEDIATION | ASSET PRESERVATION
CONCRETE REPAIR | CELLULAR CONCRETE
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Silence: The track solution for railways
Rail projects can save millions and reduce noise pollution at the source with low-profile, environmentally-focused rubber systems for both noise walls and light rail track systems.
Australia’s urban rail projects grapple with the same problem: how to mitigate noise without sacrificing the aesthetic and liveability of inner-city areas.
Conventional, high-rise noise barriers, typically concrete panels, can be visually disruptive, block views for both residents and passengers, and quickly become canvases for graffiti.
The solution, which is increasingly appearing across major infrastructure tenders in Europe, is tackling the noise problem at its point of origin: the wheel-rail interface. This is the core focus of STRAILastic’s low-profile, high-performance rail systems.
LOW-PROFILE, HIGH-IMPACT NOISE CONTROL
The effectiveness of the STRAILastic mini noise walls system lies in its
ability to be installed as close to the rails and the track clearance gauge as possible – masking the tracks without being obtrusive. At the same time, the walls provide a visual confirmation that noise is being treated seriously by the asset owner.
By tackling noise at the source, STRAILastic’s low-profile mSW systems blend into the landscape, helping to maintain the community’s views across the corridor and those of train passengers.
The elements can be customised with printed panels in the local communities’ designs to seamlessly blend into the surrounding environment and further reduce their visual impact.
The lowest sound protection wall is just 360 millimetres high, with variants of 730
millimetres and 1250 millimetres also available, which ensures there is an option to suit the track type and local conditions. They can be installed on extended sleepers, concrete foundations or small screw piles.
STRAILastic’s Rod Pomroy says the noise absorption and efficiency of this approach is backed by hard numbers and proven delivery on major projects.
"Our low-profile mini sound walls – the mSW360, mSW730, and mSW1250 – absorb up to 11 A-weighted decibels (dBA), subject to the track fastening system, by using high-quality, fibre-reinforced rubber within a heavy steel frame,” Pomroy says.
“The walls can be combined with our STRAILastic Inox 2.0 rail web dampers to provide a broad attack on noise across all frequencies and
A mini sound protection wall installed on a track surrounded by residential properties.
vibration. For complex sections such as bridges or retaining walls, the STRAILastic_IP (infill panel) can be mounted directly onto existing railings, eliminating the need for separate support structures.”
He says the economic case is just as compelling; saving projects an estimated $3 to $7 million per kilometre compared to constructing high concrete walls – a key consideration for any asset owner or government agency major rail project.
But for specific small noise issues, short sections of walls are also useful, giving everyone a benefit.
EFFICIENCY AND RESILIENCE
Superior noise effectiveness comes from the system's material – a highquality, fibre-reinforced vulcanised
recycled rubber with a highly absorbent acoustic surface.
The products are durable, built to withstand the pressure and suction forces of trains passing at 120 kilometres an hour, and are resistant to UV, fire, and graffiti, which ensures a long lifespan.
LIGHT RAIL TRACK SYSTEMS
STRAILastic TOR plus GRS and R Track green track solutions reduce vibration and noise for encapsulated track within cities.
With more than 330 kilometres of track installed across more than 60 cities, the TOR plus GRS Light Rail Track Systems and the R Track Green Track Systems are fast and simple to install for all track types.
For example, a project in Munich involved converting four kilometres of ballasted track to a green track system in just three weeks.
Pomroy says to convert the T1 Ballasted track line from Sydney Markets to Dulwich Hill is about $800,000 per kilometre. The value proposition for infrastructure owners and contractors is clear: reduced cost and faster installation times, even during ongoing operation.
Beyond noise, the STRAILastic green track systems offer genuine ecological benefits, helping to reduce fine dust pollution and improve the microclimate in innercity areas. The system also acts as an insulator, protecting the track superstructure from stray current.
A NEW STANDARD FOR URBAN RAIL
The high-performance, low-profile products – from mini sound walls, rail web dampers to light rail track systems – all fight sound and dampen vibration, and are setting a new benchmark for urban and rural rail.
As the industry looks to innovative solutions to meet both stringent noise targets and budgetary requirements this technology fundamentally changes the noise equation for urban rail says Pomroy.
“We are delivering faster project turnarounds, multi-million-dollar savings, and a silent, greener corridor that genuinely improves the microclimate for the community."
For complex sections such as bridges or retaining walls, the STRAILastic infill panel can be mounted directly onto existing railings, eliminating the need for separate support structures.
The RTrack system for converting ballasted track to green track.
Rail transformation starts now
This month, Melbourne will welcome more than 7000 rail industry professionals for AusRAIL PLUS 2025, Asia-Pacific’s premier rail industry event.
Australia’s infrastructure sector is in the midst of a period of intense delivery, spearheaded by a publicly funded rail pipeline that has swelled past $100 billion through to 2030.
This immense capital investment is the nation's strategic response to exploding urban populations, critical freight bottlenecks, and nonnegotiable decarbonisation targets.
Yet, the industry faces persistent headwinds: an acute skills shortage, the global strain on supply chains, and the operational friction caused by historical network fragmentation.
The required focus on near-term delivery makes AusRAIL PLUS 2025, Asia-Pacifi c's premier rail industry event, not just relevant, but essential.
From November 25-28, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will become the epicentre of global and national rail intelligence, welcoming more than 7000 professionals for four days of intensive knowledge exchange.
Australasian Railway Association Chief Executive Offi cer Caroline Wilkie says the conference will highlight the very best of rail from Australia, New Zealand and around the world.
“There are a number of truly world-leading rail projects underway in Australia at the moment and AusRAIL PLUS 2025 provides the perfect opportunity to hear about their latest insights and innovations,” Wilkie says.
“We will also be showcasing speakers from some of the largest rail organisations around the world, making this an essential professional development and network opportunity for anyone working in rail.”
The conference program, featuring more than 120 local and international speakers, is structured to translate global best practice into local operational reality, sharing perspectives on investment, innovation, and sustainable transport.
The strategic Plenary sessions offer high-impact guidance from global players who have navigated intense network growth and technological integration, including Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Global Chief Executive Offi cer of Alstom, who will open the conference with his keynote, Tracks to Transformation: Australia’s Opportunity in the Global Rail Evolution.
These keynotes are supported by an assembly of international experts arriving in Melbourne, including Giuseppe Marino (Hitachi Rail), Hiba Farès (RATP Dev), Shunzo Miyake (East Japan Railway Company), Sara Elkady (Siemens Mobility), and senior leaders from Transdev, Groupe SNCF, the Go-Ahead Group, and Unipart Group.
THE TECHNICAL DEEP DIVE
The bulk of the four-day program is dedicated to the granular, technical solutions required to deliver the pipeline projects that are underway or imminent. The structure allows delegates to maximise their time
through more than 16 concurrent and technical streams, ensuring focused learning for specialised roles.
The streams zero in on four areas of project delivery:
• Innovation in Construction and Infrastructure: Sessions will focus on adopting modern methods of construction, automation, and smart-site logistics to drive immediate productivity gains and mitigate the strain of labour shortages.
• Digitalisation, AI, and Automation: Discussions will detail how to rapidly integrate technologies such as digital twin models, advanced signalling systems, and AI-driven condition monitoring to enhance operational safety and asset lifespan across networks.
• Freight and Heavy Haul: Given the strategic importance of bulk freight to the national economy, this stream will tackle the tangible steps needed to improve interoperability, increase capacity, and lower the carbon intensity of long-distance rail operations before 2030 deadlines.
• Workforce Development and Skills: Sessions will present real-world strategies for skills portability, upskilling legacy
workforces, attracting diverse talent (including a dedicated focus through the Women in Rail program), and fostering essential capabilities needed right now to complete major projects.
Panel debates will unite policymakers, operators, and industry leaders to discuss pressing political and operational priorities, including the path toward harmonisation of standards, concrete steps for First Nations engagement, and setting a pragmatic roadmap for sustainability.
The Exhibition floor, as the largest rail showcase in Asia-Pacific, will include more than 600 suppliers and organisations that will demonstrate their technologies and services.
The Exhibition fl oor, as the largest rail showcase in Asia-Pacifi c, is where more than 600 suppliers and organisations will demonstrate their technologies and services ready for immediate deployment.
The event’s social program is designed to facilitate the forging of essential relationships. From the Women in Rail Breakfast (sponsored by McConnell Dowell) to the high-profile Yellow Dinner (sponsored by Alstom) and the brand-new Flavours of Melbourne Street Party (sponsored by Hitachi).
The conference program is structured to share perspectives on investment, innovation, and sustainable transport.
Mainmark is extending its proven expertise in non-invasive ground engineering to one of infrastructure’s most complex, demanding and exciting sectors: rail.
Jamie McTaggart, Mainmark’s Global Director of Rail Advisory Services, is under no illusions about the challenge of expanding Mainmark deeper into a cautious sector in relation to the introduction of new products and novel procedures.
“The rail sector is deeply traditional and highly regulated. You can’t just roll in with a clever solution and expect instant buy-in,” he explains. “But when people see what we can do and how fast, with a competitive cost base, we usually get a call back for repeat business.”
That capability lies in Mainmark’s innovative ground improvement, relevelling and void filling technologies, including Teretek® and Terefil®.
These solutions deliver rapid, measurable results in hours rather than weeks, often without shutting down the line, a major advantage for
a sector balancing growing demand, restrictive maintenance budgets, and climate-driven challenges.
Already proven in road and aviation, Mainmark’s solutions are now helping rail operators extend asset life, reduce disruption, and improve safety, all while working within the sector’s strict operational constraints.
SMARTER MAINTENANCE WITHOUT DISRUPTION
Rail networks are designed to endure constant vibration and heavy loading across the passenger and freight tracks. Over time, this causes movement that can affect ride quality and safety, which can result in speed restrictions or unplanned renewals.
Traditionally, when this happens, asset renewals (eg track, structures) have to be undertaken, and this has been costly and disruptive.
Mainmark offers an alternative. Its fast-curing, highly controlled materials allow maintenance crews to mobilise, stabilise, and complete works overnight within standard short possessions or occupations, or in some cases, works can be completed during normal train running under strict safety protocols.
“It’s value for money in every sense,” McTaggart says. “You’re not tearing up infrastructure. You’re not halting services. And you’re extending asset life.”
THE SURPRISING SPEED OF CHANGE
For many asset managers and maintainers, Mainmark’s speed is eye-opening.
“One client told us, ‘I didn’t know you could just drill small diameter holes, inject resin, and
solve a track slab void overnight,’” McTaggart recalls.
The key is adopting a more sustainable approach. We want to show our colleagues in rail maintenance that there’s another way forward, one that fits their requirements and enhances, rather than disrupts, their operations.
Recent technical roundtables with operators and maintainers across Australia and the UK have showcased these results, with site inspections often booked the following week.
BUILT FOR LIVE RAIL ENVIRONMENTS
Mainmark’s products are designed to meet the demands of high-traffic networks. Teretek expands to fill voids and stabilise weak ground, while Terefil is ideal for abandoned culverts, inaccessible voids, and challenging geotechnical conditions. Both can be applied within short maintenance windows, sometimes in just a few hours.
The company recognises the importance of rigorous railway planning: product approvals, risk assessments, site-specific designs, and compliance with rail safety accreditation are all part of the process, and with each rail network in Australia having its own safety
accreditation requirements, that planning becomes even more critical.
“We work hand-in-hand with clients from inspections to geotech surveys, through to final design and delivery,” McTaggart explains. “We bring engineering rigour and safety compliance to every project.
“As part of our commitment to client partnerships, we always follow up with our clients to see how the asset is performing. Our ongoing monitoring programs are designed to validate performance and demonstrate the continued success of our engineered solutions.”
RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
The need for smarter maintenance is growing as funding shifts from the recent major infrastructure investment over the past 10 years to existing and ongoing asset management. Climate volatility is adding further pressure, with flooding, heat, and erosion threatening all railway systems, but more so on regional and remote networks.
Mainmark doesn’t aim to replace large-scale renewals but instead focuses on critical weak points before they fail. By integrating survey and rectification data into digital asset
management systems, the company also helps rail owners plan more effectively, extending renewal cycles and prioritising funding.
“We can tell them what was injected, how deep, how it performed and help them project how long it’s likely to last. That’s data they can use to justify extending asset life and push out renewal cycles to prioritise funding,” McTaggart says.
THE CHALLENGE OF VISIBILITY
Despite global success across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the UK, McTaggart admits Mainmark is still building presence and recognition in rail. The company is tackling this by engaging at industry events, rail forums, and direct client meetings.
“People might think of us as a small operator,” he says. “But once they see our international footprint, they understand our scale and capability.
“We believe there is a gap in the market for our rail service and look forward to being part of the railway family and working collaboratively together and proactively supporting the asset planning process. If we’re in the room partnering and collaborating, we can save time, money and future issues through these key risk mitigation strategies that we have been delivering in other sectors for years.”
LOOKING AHEAD
When asked what’s next, McTaggart hints at some future directions, including resin-based ballast stabilisation, already proven overseas and updated formulations that reduce embodied carbon and set even faster to meet sustainability targets.
But McTaggart says the real focus is on relationships: “It’s about engaging early, helping asset managers plan, respectful challenge, and showing that asset preservation doesn’t have to mean disruption or delay.”
At AusRAIL 2025, Mainmark staff will be in attendance all week, building connections and listening to industry needs.
“It’s not just about selling solutions,” McTaggart says. “It’s about engagement, collaborating, offering up solutions and helping rail operators and maintainers keep assets safe, reliable, available, maintainable and resilient.”
Complex work can be completed in hours, not weeks, and often without shutting down the line.
Image: Mainmark
ARKANCE'S Integrated Data Environment (IDE) establishes one centralised location for all project data.
The digital rail revolution
Embracing the digital revolution to eliminate paper and data silos and drive safer, faster, and more traceable project delivery.
Australia’s rail network is undergoing its largest modernisation in decades.
More than $150 billion in projects is reshaping how the nation moves, yet behind the cranes and contracts lies a quieter crisis: misplaced files, outdated plans and incompatible systems.
Peter Harris, Director of Digital Transformation and Partnerships at ARKANCE, says that disconnection is now the greatest barrier to delivery.
“Transformation is about how projects share information,” he says. “When everyone works from a single source of truth, rework drops and predictability rises. That’s what true digital maturity looks like.”
ARKANCE is working with contractors and operators to create integrated, cloud-based environments that link design, construction and operations.
THE PRICE OF FRAGMENTATION
For decades, major projects have operated across separate silos – designers model in software, construction teams rely on paper drawings and email updates, and asset managers receive incomplete or outdated files at handover.
Jeyay Sen, AEC Technical Consultant at ARKANCE says this patchwork approach leaves accuracy to chance.
“When information sits in personal folders or isolated servers, the risk of error grows. Outdated or duplicated data can end up in the wrong hands, and that’s where costly mistakes begin,” Sen says.
Sen has seen these problems unfold across every major infrastructure sector. “The consequences of using yesterday’s data aren’t theoretical,” he
says. “They show up as cost overruns, missed deadlines and public frustration.”
A design error missed in review but discovered on site can multiply in both time and expense. Rework remains one of the most consistent and preventable drains on project performance.
REWORK AND THE SAFETY PENALTY
Fragmented information carries a heavy price. The immediate cost is rework, but its impact stretches far beyond materials and labour.
Each correction sparks a cascade of administrative changes, new requests for information, revised procurement orders and rescheduled site activities.
Sen says teams lose momentum while updating drawings, validating data and re-coordinating work that was already complete.
Image: ARKANCE
“Rework isn’t simply moving an element on site,” Sen says. “It means revising designs, rechecking coordination and recalculating costs. Every change adds friction.”
Even small data discrepancies can stall projects for days or weeks. Crews are recalled, equipment sits idle and safety risks climb as congestion and fatigue increase.
“The implications of a minor data mishap can be severe,” Sen says. “It drives rushed workflows, pushes costs past estimates and puts pressure back on the people delivering the job.”
FORGING A SINGLE POINT OF TRUTH
ARKANCE’s response is to build digital integration around outcomes, not around a single piece of software.
Its central philosophy is the creation of an Integrated Data Environment (IDE), a unified ecosystem that houses every model, markup, compliance file and field record in one secure, shared location.
In this environment, an update made by an engineer is visible instantly to the project manager, site supervisor and asset owner. Everyone works from the latest version. The result is faster collaboration, clearer accountability and less time spent hunting for information.
Sen says this framework reshapes coordination. “It dramatically reduces the time spent on clash detection and approvals,” he explains. “Skilled staff can focus on solving complex problems instead of chasing documents.”
ARKANCE maintains an active feedback loop with its technology partners to ensure each tool remains practical for real-world conditions.
“Every feature we deliver has been tested and refi ned by multiple teams,” Sen says. “We can adapt quickly to what the industry needs.”
THE OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGE
For rail operators, the benefits of an IDE extend long after construction. The system produces a federated digital asset model, a live, navigable map where every component, from the high-voltage switchgear to the smallest valve, is connected to its data history.
“Simple errors, like a valve without a proper name, can cause major headaches,” Sen says. “During maintenance, tracking the supplier for that part can take hours. In a connected model, that information is available instantly.”
Through the use of QR tags or embedded metadata, each asset carries its identity and lifecycle record.
In a plant-room breakdown, a technician can open the model on a tablet, click on a motor and immediately access the supplier, part number and service instructions. What once took hours now takes seconds.
This level of traceability turns digital data into operational certainty. Assets are easier to manage, maintenance is safer and the life of the infrastructure extends well beyond its design phase.
THE PATH TO DIGITAL MATURITY
While vertical construction, including buildings and high-rise developments, adopted digital standards early, horizontal infrastructure such as rail, road and utilities is catching up fast.
The shift is driven by a demand for predictable delivery and a workforce fluent in technology.
Sen says the process does not have to be all or nothing. “Teams can begin small,” he says. “Pilot a section of work, prove the value and scale up once confidence builds.”
Experienced partners like ARKANCE can help organisations introduce new systems without disrupting existing workflows. Local technical support, on-site training and tailored integration are key to maintaining productivity during the transition.
According to Harris, the goal is a sustainable pace of change. “Digital transformation must strengthen what teams already do well,” he says. “It’s about enhancing expertise, not replacing it.”
A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
The shift from traditional, siloed delivery to integrated digital environments is more than an upgrade; it is essential infrastructure in its own right. A unified data environment underpins the precision, safety and accountability required for modern Australia’s transport future.
“The most important thing is to have a single point of truth,” Sen says. “Data must be accessible to the person who needs it and editable by the person responsible for it.”
Harris agrees that the industry’s future rests on information flow as much as physical construction.
“When data moves cleanly between design, delivery and operation, the whole system performs better,” he says.
“That’s how we keep projects on time, on budget and built to last.”
If you're interested in exploring how ARKANCE can help streamline workflows, request a complimentary discovery consultation with an ARKANCE technical expert.
ARKANCE helps the infrastructure industry – including major rail projects – move from fragmented traditional data management methods to integrated digital environments.
”Plasser & Theurer“, ”Plasser“ and ”P&T“ are internationally registered trademarks
Engineering resilience into Australia’s grid
Australia’s grid faces increasing pressures: climate extremes, evolving compliance frameworks, and rising demand. DC systems must be resilient, traceable, and reliable throughout their lifecycle.
For more than 30 years, Century Yuasa’s Power Systems Division has strengthened Australia’s grid with integrated DC systems that unite proven Yuasa VRLA (valve-regulated lead-acid) battery technology with locally engineered charging, monitoring, and protective components, all tested to perform in the demanding Australian conditions of critical infrastructure.
LOCAL BUILD, LOCAL ASSURANCE
In a sector where time delays can compromise entire projects and create cost blowouts, local Australian manufacturing is increasingly recognised as a resilience strategy. Offshore supply chains often introduce uncertainty – weeks of delay, fluctuating compliance standards, and mismatched designs for Australian conditions.
By manufacturing Intelepower Systems in Brisbane, Century Yuasa brings production closer to the point of use. Lead times shorten, quality oversight remains under Australian control, and responsive support is delivered by engineers who understand local operating environments.
This local capability also allows systems to be configured for their actual environments – salt-heavy coastal substations, heat-exposed inland switchyards, or remote sites requiring easy serviceability. By tailoring equipment to site realities, Century Yuasa eliminates compromise and delivers systems designed to endure.
STANDARDS AS FOUNDATION, PERFORMANCE AS PROMISE
For infrastructure operators, compliance is not a box-ticking exercise – it determines safety, funding, and operational certainty. Intelepower designs and certifies its systems to AS4044:2024 and
ISO9001:2015, embedding assurance into each stage of manufacture.
Every Intelepower System undergoes factory acceptance testing before delivery, with documentation that provides asset managers verifiable, traceable records from manufacture to commissioning through to decommissioning.
Because components are engineered, assembled, and validated as a complete package, utilities gain confidence that the system will behave as expected under pressure.
BEYOND THE BUILD
Resilience in infrastructure depends not only on robust equipment but also on predictable support over decades of service. Century Yuasa extends its role through nationwide engineering services – site audits, commissioning, asset management planning, lifecycle replacement, and safe decommissioning.
For operators managing distributed networks, this reduces fragmentation and ensures single-partner accountability for systems that underpin critical grid performance.
ADAPTING TO A GRID IN TRANSITION
By anchoring design and manufacture in Australia, building to national standards, and drawing on the Century Yuasa legacy, Intelepower Systems is setting a higher benchmark for what grid-support systems should deliver – dependable performance that strengthens the backbone of critical infrastructure.
Scan the QR code or visit intelepower. com.au to download
Image: Century Yuasa
GARLAND Armoured Optical Fibre Cable
Designed for environments vulnerable to rodent and termite damage, GARLAND’s Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) armoured optical fibre cables also allow safe installation near power lines and in lightning-prone areas.
The GLT-AS series features a PE/Nylon jacket, FRP armour, and a termite-resistant nylon barrier. UV-stabilised and water-blocked, it’s ideal for direct burial and harsh outdoor conditions.
The GLT-AZB series adds a second UV-stabilised Nylon jacket, offering enhanced protection and TMR compliance, with proven rodent resistance through extensive testing.
The new GLT-GS series delivers up to 30% space savings and a 20% reduction in bend radius — perfect for space-constrained installations.
9 Rodent and termite resistant with proven FRP (GRP) rodent protection
9 Termite barrier underneath rodent barrier for extra reassurance
9 Non metallic armoured, UV stabilised outdoor cable
9 Water blocked for underground use and direct burial suitable
9 Free from dangerous, harmful or environmentally damaging chemical additives
9 Optional low friction nylon coating
9 Smaller diameter version also available
Garland has been manufacturing quality cables for over 50 years. We’re owned, made and distributed by Madison Express, so get in touch with our friendly team for bespoke solutions and quality cable, made to last.
Ground support: The case for smarter remediation
Australia’s ageing infrastructure is facing pressure from climate extremes and rising demand, making preservation just as critical as new construction.
While the headlines tend to focus on billion-dollar infrastructure projects and grand-scale developments, the quiet battle being fought beneath roads, bridges, tunnels and slabs is just as critical to the nation’s functionality.
In that battle is Rectify Group, a ground engineering and asset remediation specialist with a focus on prolonging structural lifespans through smarter, less invasive intervention.
“Infrastructure underpins everything – our transport, supply chains, and utilities,” says Dr Philip Irwin, Business Development Manager at Rectify.
“The challenge is that much of it was designed decades ago. When you overlay climate extremes, reactive soils, and heavier loads,
you get accelerated deterioration. Asset preservation through targeted remediation is far more cost-effective and sustainable than wholesale replacement.”
This message is gaining traction as asset managers and local governments seek practical ways to extend the life of their networks in the face of tightening budgets, labour shortages, and rising community expectations.
Increasingly, they are turning to technologies such as resin injection, soil stabilisation, waterproofing and coatings – all fields where Rectify brings deep technical expertise.
REMEDIATION OVER REPLACEMENT
Traditionally, the approach to failing or subsiding infrastructure has
skewed toward full reconstruction. However, time, cost, and disruption have driven demand for alternatives that offer faster, more sustainable fixes – especially in complex, hightraffic or legacy environments.
Polyurethane resin injection is one such alternative. Although sometimes dismissed as a residential repair tool, the method is well-proven at infrastructure scale and internationally validated.
“Polyurethane resin injection has been proven globally for more than 40 years,” says Irwin.
“On infrastructure, we use it to stabilise bridge approach slabs, re-support road pavements, and fill voids beneath culverts.
“We can run night campaigns, inject under traffic control, and have assets open the next
morning. It’s rapid, minimally disruptive, and compliant with engineering standards.”
This fast return-to-service is a key benefit. On road and rail corridors, where even a few hours of closure can cause major disruption, non-invasive solutions offer compelling economic and social value. For warehouse operators and logistics centres, the ability to remediate sunken slabs without long downtimes is equally appealing.
CLIMATE-RESPONSIVE ENGINEERING
Climate pressures are compounding the physical demands placed on Australia’s infrastructure –particularly in regions with reactive soils, such as southeast Australia. Here, extreme dry spells are causing significant soil shrinkage, leading to slab movement, cracking and settlement.
“In southeast Australia we’ve just had one of the driest years on record,” says Irwin.
“Reactive clays lose volume as they dry, but not always uniformly leading to excessive differential movement. For bridges, culverts, and pavements founded on these soils, it means cracking, settlement, and instability. By injecting resins, we reduce soil reactivity, limit water ingress, and provide long-term stability.”
This kind of work requires more than just technical capability – it demands precise diagnosis.
For public works departments managing hundreds of ageing assets, differentiating between subsidence and heave can mean the difference between a successful intervention and an expensive failure.
“Subsidence – downward movement – is correctable. We fill voids, compact soils, and restore capacity,” says Irwin.
“Heave – upward movement due to swelling clays – requires careful diagnosis. It’s not about quick lifts but managing the water source and alleviating transition stresses. For infrastructure managers, the message is simple: get an accurate diagnosis before intervening.”
LEAKS TO LIFESPANS
Alongside structural movement, water ingress remains a major threat to asset integrity – particularly in tunnels, culverts, tanks and other below-grade structures. Left untreated, leaks accelerate corrosion and compromise both performance and safety.
Rectify’s approach combines internal leak sealing with external protection to provide multilayered defence.
“Water undermines structural integrity faster than most realise,” says Irwin.
“In tunnels, pumping stations, and culverts, we use high-pressure injection with polyurethane or acrylic resins to seal leaks internally. For broader defence, we apply protective coatings – epoxy, elastomeric polyurethane, or cement-based systems – to resist abrasion, chemicals, and water.
“The right coating can add decades to an asset’s service life.”
Again, the emphasis is on preventative engineering – extending life and functionality through tailored, often site-specific, solutions.
While coatings may lack the engineering glamour of structural builds, their role is fundamental.
“Think of coatings as the frontline defence,” says Irwin.
“They don’t just look good; they protect concrete and steel from abrasion, chemical attack, or weathering. A well-specified coating system can add decades of life to a tank, tunnel, bridge deck, or industrial slab.”
FIT FOR DIVERSE PURPOSE
Beyond resin, Rectify also deploys proprietary cementitious grouts such as R-GEO™ for broader applications –including void filling, soil stabilisation, and decommissioning.
These materials are engineered to meet a different set of demands than fast-setting resins, especially when high volume and flowability are required.
“For large voids, abandoned pipes, or mass fills, cementitious grouts are ideal,” explains Irwin.
“Our R-GEO range is flowable, self-levelling, and pumpable over long distances. We’ve used it to decommission redundant sewers, backfill behind retaining walls, and stabilise landslides. It’s an engineered, sustainable option that complements resin injection for larger-scale works.”
This versatility allows Rectify to work across a wide range of asset classes – from sunken slabs in distribution centres to heritage culverts, rail corridors and marine infrastructure –often with minimal excavation, service disruption or site impact.
ENGINEERED FOR LONGEVITY
Central to Rectify’s approach is a collaborative, multidisciplinary team comprising engineers, geologists, technicians and project managers. This internal bench strength enables them to assess, design, and deliver solutions in-house – reducing lead times and ensuring quality control from diagnosis to delivery.
Importantly, Rectify does not position itself as just a contractor – but as an asset preservation specialist. The distinction matters, especially to infrastructure owners looking for more than short-term patch jobs. With a growing portfolio across the public and private sectors, the company is helping to shift mindsets from reactive maintenance to proactive longevity.
The business case is also strengthening. Preserving infrastructure assets through remediation not only defers capital expenditure but aligns with broader sustainability goals.
“Prolonging the life of a structure not only makes economic sense, but it is also better for the environment,” the company notes in its mission statement.
As Irwin sums up, the path to infrastructure resilience is not always about building new.
“Slabs are designed to tolerate some movement,” he says.
“The trouble comes when only part of the slab is affected. Resin injection allows us to re-support and, where required, carefully lift slabs back to level. Way less inconvenient than weeks of demolition and reconstruction.”
For asset owners and engineers, early intervention and smart remediation deliver strong returns. With resilience, cost, and sustainability in play, companies like Rectify are helping keep infrastructure stronger for longer.
Few would challenge the idea that the construction industry has a desire for decarbonisation. However, the barriers to entry surround the construction industry’s would-be decarbonisers on all sides: new materials often come at a higher cost, are less practical or strong, or cause delays in design, delivery, or construction.
These factors tend to compound, leading to additional compliance hurdles for engineers, builders, and certifiers. Any embodied carbon reduction strategy needs to have an answer to these difficulties to be considered a viable option.
In short, for the lower-carbon solution to be chosen, it needs to be just as simple to design, build, and certify as its more carbon-intensive competitors.
The need to make change simple was the driving force behind creating SENSE 600®: an Australian-made, high-strength reinforcing steel from SENSE Solutions®.
“We wanted to make the lowercarbon choice the obvious choice,” said Anthony Ng, Engineering Solutions Manager, InfraBuild.
“We understand that our products need to deliver change without needing to vastly change behaviour and processes – of engineers, certifiers, builders, developers.”
SENSE 600 uses up to 16.7 per cent less raw material than InfraBuild’s equivalent 500N reinforcing steel alternative, delivering up to a 39 per cent reduction in embodied carbon from its innovative bar design. In addition to this reduction, it’s made in an efficient Electric Arc Furnace, from 100 per cent scrap steel.
“The real change offered by SENSE 600 comes from what doesn’t have to change at all,” said Ng. “It aims to make decarbonisation simple for those who choose to use it: from the design processes, through to certification, all the way through to how they communicate sustainability to their stakeholders.”
DIFFERENT BY DESIGN, NO DIFFERENCE TO DESIGN PROCESSES.
SENSE 600 can be substituted in place of standard 500N bars, using existing design software, with substitution guides and calculators provided to further support the process.
Respect for the time and process was a priority for SENSE Solutions engineers during the design process, said Ng.
“Removing the burden on engineers’ workloads in an alternative scenario where additional work would have been required was a key consideration for us. We didn’t want them to have to substantially change their processes to benefit from reducing a structure’s embodied carbon. Clever engineering and bar design, in the end, allowed us to keep their design processes the same.”
This same level of simplicity follows SENSE 600 on-site, with time and carbon savings both built in. During construction, no new machinery is required, and fabrication, bending, cutting, and placement all follow standard procedures, as you would with 500N reinforcing bar. Welding, too, follows existing AS/NZS 1554.3, so welders don’t need additional instruction or training.
By conforming to these existing standards, SENSE 600 adds another layer to its in-built efficiency. It meets relevant Australian Standards (AS/NZS 4671, AS 3600, AS 2159, AS 5100.5), and comes with CodeMark certification to support compliance and substitution under the Australian Building Code. Through this confidence in credibility, SENSE 600 hopes to enable a swifter pursuit of decarbonisation in the construction industry.
ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIAL, CERTIFIED.
Consumers and construction industry stakeholders alike are sceptical at the mention of ‘sustainable solutions’ without a strong evidence base.
“Industry stakeholders are calling for change that can be verified – that can be substantiated, measured and
Declarations
accredited,” said David Bell, Manager Sustainability and Insight, InfraBuild.
“Stakeholders at every stage deserve to feel confident in the sustainability solutions they’re investing in.”
According to David Bell, this motivated SENSE Solutions to prioritise obtaining verification and certifications to support their lower-carbon claims – certifications that they can pass along to those who choose to use their materials in their projects. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for SENSE 600 have been published and independently verified.
In addition to this, SENSE 600 has been recognised under the Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) program. These verified claims can, in turn, add strength to projects applying for Green Star certifications under the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), as well as Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) credits through the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC).
FROM INTENTION TO ACTION:
A SENSE OF WHAT’S TO COME. Through simplified workflows, pre-existing certifications and clearly substantiated environmental credentials, SENSE Solutions helps consumers bridge the gap between sustainable intentions and sustainable actions. By building change into its design, not into the processes of its end users, SENSE 600 helps answer the construction industry’s call for rapid decarbonisation: disruption without disrupting the people dedicated to making the change.
Images: Infrabuild.
Environmental Product
for SENSE 600® have been published and independently verified.
WolfPeak brings clarity to climate reporting
As mandatory climate disclosure becomes a reality, WolfPeak is helping organisations in the infrastructure sector make sense of the new Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) through a customised, hands-on approach that transforms compliance into opportunity.
What do the new climaterelated financial disclosures mean for the infrastructure industry, and how can Australian businesses leverage this process to drive performance and value?
Australia’s infrastructure sector is entering a new era of corporate transparency. The Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) – developed by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) to align corporate reporting with global rules – have made climate and sustainability reporting a core element of financial accountability.
ASRS demands a fundamental shift in how businesses manage and govern climate-related risks and opportunities. This new mandate is especially critical for the infrastructure sector, which is uniquely exposed to the financial consequences of both the physical risks (think floods, heatwaves, and extreme weather) and transition risks, including policy-driven cost increases, reputational scrutiny, and supply chain pressures.
In an industry where project delivery timelines always dominate, many companies haven't yet started the foundational work of collecting the right data and embedding the
necessary systems. This delay is creating a material risk.
WolfPeak is an experienced environmental consultancy with a strong sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) capability, proven through work with leading infrastructure contractors such as Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure (Abergeldie), John Holland and Transport for NSW.
The company has seen firsthand the advantages of tackling disclosure early.
“ASRS is no longer on the horizon – it’s here," says Ann Azzopardi, Sustainability and ESG Practice Lead at WolfPeak.
"Companies that wait until the reporting deadline will find themselves scrambling.”
The first phase has begun: Group 1 entities should be collecting data for FY26 reporting, with Groups 2 and 3 preparing to follow. Simultaneously, the ripple effect is already hitting the supply chain. As big players are forced to report their Scope 3 emissions, subcontractors will increasingly need to supply verifiable emissions and risk data to their clients.
“Mandatory reporting may technically start with Group 1, 2
and 3 organisations, but it quickly becomes a business requirement for the wider industry. This is why all businesses need to be aware of how the requirements will have an impact on their operations,” Ann says.
Jess Davis, Senior Environmental and Sustainability Consultant, says the rules may be the same for all, but the real difference lies in how each business builds and applies its systems to future-proof and gain an edge.
This is where WolfPeak’s unique expertise is invaluable. It offers a rare and powerful combination: deep industry experience in infrastructure and construction, coupled with a technical understanding of complex ESG and climate frameworks, including ASRS.
Not just advisors; the WolfPeak team are industry translators, bridging the complex language of sustainability with the operational reality of infrastructure projects.
The ASRS challenge often lands on the desks of small, already overworked finance and sustainability teams. WolfPeak eases this burden with a flexible, practical approach that scales to each client’s needs – whether it’s a gap analysis, a risk and opportunities review,
Mandatory climate reporting demands a fundamental shift in how businesses manage and govern climate-related risks and opportunities.
greenhouse gas reporting, or the full suite.
Working with Group 1 reporter Abergeldie, WolfPeak successfully delivered an ASRS readiness project which involved undertaking a thorough gap analysis against the AASB S2 requirements. It also conducted an organisation-wide climate risk and opportunity assessment and prepared greenhouse gas reporting.
Ann says the work WolfPeak did for Abergeldie brought together senior representatives from across the business, including finance, operations, and procurement. This cross-functional engagement not only informed the risk analysis but also helped clarify who within the organisation was best placed to take ownership of different aspects of climate governance moving forward.
WolfPeak’s approach is rooted in practical experience.
“Our point of difference is that we’re not just reporting experts, we’re infrastructure people,” Jess says. “We know how projects run, where the data sits and how to make compliance practical."
“We understand the language of infrastructure and the language of sustainability reporting – our specialty is bringing those worlds together,” adds Ann.
The scope of support WolfPeak offers is significant. It’s focused on helping clients not just meet the deadline but fundamentally embed climate resilience into the core of their business.
WolfPeak is ready to meet clients wherever they are on this journey: ”Whether it’s a Group 1 reporter, Group 2 or 3 preparing for what is to come, or a subcontractor just starting to think about emissions data, we can scale our support," Jess says.
“It’s not about box-ticking, it is not even so much about the reporting itself – it’s about building systems that embed climate resilience into the DNA of a business."
Ultimately, WolfPeak empowers businesses to find the right solutions
for them and transform a looming compliance threat into a tangible business opportunity.
“At WolfPeak, we’ve partnered with executives in the boardroom and teams on the ground,” Ann says.
“We know where the data sits, what the risks are, and how to make compliance into something achievable and valuable for every kind of business – big or small, Group 1 through 3, supply chain, council or construction.”
Image:
Romolo Tavani/shutterstock.com.au
The metro station construction site, part of the new Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek. WolfPeak supplied sustainability consultant support on several packages of the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport Project. Image: Steven Tritton, via Dreamtime
Delivering real value
As Australia’s infrastructure sector continues to grow in scale and complexity, so too does the demand for specialist expertise that spans the entire project lifecycle.
From navigating stringent safety and regulatory requirements to integrating diverse systems, managing stakeholder expectations, and ensuring sustainability outcomes, today’s projects require more than just engineering knowhow, they demand coordinated, multidisciplinary delivery capability.
Infrastructure delivery organisations are seeking partners who can help them manage technical risk, streamline delivery, and deliver tangible value, not just during construction, but from early planning through to operation and beyond.
Over the past decade, ARCH Services has built a strong reputation across Australia’s infrastructure sector for delivering measurable outcomes. Founded in 2015 by John Armstrong, ARCH began by offering engineering and project management, supporting major works such as the Sydney
Light Rail and Sydney Metro. As such, ARCH has developed a strong foundation in New South Wales.
Since then, ARCH has expanded its service offerings into three distinct areas: Systems & Assurance, Environment & Sustainability and Project Services and is now providing services in both Victoria and Queensland.
These three divisions span the full project lifecycle, from early planning, through detailed design and construction, to commissioning and operations. ARCH works across a range of sectors including rail, aviation, roads, buildings, power and renewables, social infrastructure, and water.
In doing so, it supports both government agencies and contractors to manage complexity, risk, regulatory obligations, sustainability, and stakeholder expectations.
SYSTEMS & ASSURANCE
The Systems & Assurance division provides specialist services for projects where safety, reliability and integration are mission critical.
ARCH Director Systems Integration and Assurance, Pakei Li explains that there are three key areas to the division’s service.
“One is to manage technical risk. Two is to manage regulatory compliance. And three is to manage scope,” Pakei says.
He says that by integrating seamlessly with delivery teams, ARCH ensures that risk management is not a bolt-on activity but a core part of every project.
These risk management services include:
• Managing technical risk: Ensuring that engineering and technical challenges are identified and addressed early
• Regulatory compliance: Making sure the project meets all necessary legal and safety standards
• Scope management: Preventing over-design or unnecessary work, so the project stays on track and within budget
• Systems integration and systems assurance: Overseeing how different parts of a project work together, and providing governance to ensure everything is progressing as planned
• Conflict management: Addressing and resolving issues that could threaten project success
• Progressive assurance: Regularly providing leadership with updates and evidence that the project is on course, which builds confidence at every stage
At the heart of ARCH’s approach is the concept of assurance.
“Assurance means confidence,” Pakei says. “Assurance is about progressively building confidence for any project, and making sure that risks, compliance, and scope are all managed effectively so that projects are delivered successfully.”
From rail programs to road upgrades, ARCH’s holistic, scalable, and client-focused approach ensures projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of safety and quality.
ARCH Director Systems Integration and Assurance, Pakei Li.
ARCH Services has built a strong reputation across Australia’s infrastructure sector for delivering measurable outcomes.
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
The Environment & Sustainability (E&S) team at ARCH is dedicated to delivering comprehensive support to clients throughout the entire project lifecycle, addressing the increasingly critical environmental, regulatory, societal and sustainability dimensions of infrastructure delivery.
ARCH offers climate risk and social impact assessments, stakeholder engagement and communication strategy, ensuring that projects don’t just meet regulatory obligations but are resilient, socially responsible, and have their community relations and communications managed properly.
Associate Director Environment, Mark Turner, says that ARCH positions itself as a true partner, working closely with clients to ensure project success from inception to completion.
“We want to be there and work with the client. Your success is our success,” Mark says.
This philosophy underpins ARCH’s approach, which draws on deep construction and environmental expertise to guide clients through every phase, from scoping and due diligence, through planning approvals, to project delivery.
Mark says a key differentiator for ARCH is its ability to guide clients through complex regulatory and environmental processes.
“What we try and do is demystify some of that process to help them achieve what is best for their projects.”
By breaking down approvals and compliance requirements into manageable steps, ARCH helps clients avoid unforeseen hurdles and manage risks efficiently.
ARCH also goes beyond standard sustainability rating schemes, focusing on tangible, realistic improvements and helping clients prepare for evolving requirements,
such as the new Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards. Its pragmatic, outcomes-focused approach ensures that projects are not only compliant but also deliver lasting value in terms of cost, carbon reduction, and overall impact.
Mark says that ultimately, ARCH’s holistic, collaborative approach means clients benefit from a partner who is invested in their success, providing expert guidance and practical solutions every step of the way, and ensuring that projects are not only compliant, but resilient, socially responsible, and better aligned with the values of the communities they serve.
PROJECT SERVICES
Project Services provides key support to its client’s projects, specialising in constructability advice, interface management, and project planning/ controls, delivering a wide range of services over many sectors.
One of the team’s unique values lies in its ability to bridge gaps between developers, builders, and authorities, helping clients navigate approvals and technical requirements.
ARCH Associate Director Constructability, Josh Boyd, says ARCH helps projects in the early phases with constructability advice.
“That's advising on construction methods, programs, opportunities and other options, helping our clients, normally in the business case phase, to get enough information into their project documentation to support the project being approved,” Josh says.
“We support clients with our understanding of the governance within organisations like Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro. I've spent a long time with Sydney Metro over the years, which allows us to help a developer navigate those approvals they need to work above or adjacent to the railway.”
Josh explains that ARCH helps bridge the gaps in knowledge and terminology in interfaces.
“A lot of the time developers will get these documents given to them by say, a rail authority. They read them and go, ‘I just don't know what they're talking about’.”
Engineering management and design oversight are also a strong focus. ARCH provides design management, interface management, technical reviews, and subject matter expertise. Ensuring that designs by multiple parties align, particularly across sectors.
ARCH also helps develop tender documentation, establishes schedules, cost control, resource planning, and progress reporting. This gives clients visibility and certainty.
Constructability analysis is also offered, to reduce risk and complexity during construction, advising how works can be staged, how services and utilities interfaces are managed and how construction methods will affect cost or safety, particularly in brownfield or operational environments.
SUPPORTING THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINE
ARCH Services has, over the past ten years, matured into a consultancy that provides a broad range of expertise, that can help its clients deliver successful and profitable projects in the Australian infrastructure sector.
Its three core divisions work across seven sectors and provide 24 primary services, combining deep technical capability, regulatory and assurance strength, and stakeholder and environmental insight.
Standing ‘stronger together’, ARCH is well placed to respond to the challenges the infrastructure sector faces: increasing complexity of safety and systems integration; higher expectations for sustainability and ESG; the need for better community outcomes; tighter regulatory regimes; and the imperative to deliver projects efficiently, safely and resiliently.
As Australia drives forward with major infrastructure programs, firms such as ARCH will continue to play a central role in ensuring those investments deliver their full potential.
For more information, visit www.archservices.com.au.
ARCH Associate Director Environment, Mark Turner.
ARCH Associate Director Constructability, Josh Boyd.
In the world of asset management, risk has never been far from view. But in 2025, its shape, scale and consequences are rapidly evolving.
There are more stresses than ever on asset owners,” says Clara Owen, National Asset Management Lead at Arcadis.
“Ageing infrastructure, climate change, increased performance expectations, budget constraints, ESG [environmental, social, and governance] requirements – it’s all getting more complex. Therefore, the way we manage risk has to evolve.”
Owen, a veteran of the rail and bridges sector with more than two decades in strategic advisory, believes that the traditional asset management structure – balancing cost, performance and risk – is under strain.
With budgets being driven down and performance expectations rising, risk is now the only lever many organisations can realistically pull. However, the experts say that pulling it blindly, or failing to read it clearly, can carry catastrophic consequences.
Owen points to the 1977 Granville train disaster as a case in point, wherein a crowded commuter train derailed and hit a
bridge, killing 83 people, highlighting deadly consequences of poor maintenance and ignored risk.
“The performance objective was to get the train in on time. Budgets were being contained. But the risk –the real probability that something would go wrong – wasn’t acted on.”
RISK EVOLVES FROM REACTIVE TO INFORMED
Asset management is no longer just about maintaining. It is about making informed, risk-based decisions in environments that are not only ageing but increasingly uncertain.
Owen likens the challenge to navigating stairs in the dark: “You don’t rip out the staircase. You look at how to manage the risk of using it – what’s changed, where the hazards are, does it still serve its purpose, and what the consequences might be,” she says.
A smarter approach, she argues, means embedding risk thinking through every stage of the asset lifecycle, from upfront planning to day-to-day operations.
“Good governance, a skilled team, clear roles, high-quality data, and the right tools – that’s what effective
risk management looks like today,” she says.
This approach is increasingly being codified in international standards like ISO 55000, which Owen describes as a framework that “brings asset management to the boardroom” and “aligns all involved departments to focus on the same value and outcomes”.
The latest iteration of the standard strengthens the emphasis on risk-based decisions, encouraging organisations to turn data into real insights, not just dashboards.
CHALLENGING COMPLIANCE CULTURE
This push toward more dynamic, evidence-based risk management faces cultural inertia. “Too often, standards written 30 or 40 years ago are still being followed without question,” Owen says.
“Visual inspections every two years might meet compliance, but that doesn’t mean you’re managing the risk.”
In fact, Owen argues that overreliance on outdated standards can become a risk in itself.
“They’re often used as a shield. If something fails, you can say, ‘Well, I followed the standard.’ But does that mean you’ve truly done your duty of care?”
She points to the Hammersmith Bridge closure in London and several bridge collapses in the United States (Pittsburgh and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore), Ponte Morandi Bridge in Europe (Genoa, Italy) and the recent Gambhira Bridge Collapse in India as wake-up calls for the industry. In all cases, authorities had followed legacy inspection protocols, yet critical structural issues went undetected until it was too late.
New technologies, such as Arcadis Bridge Health, which capture and interpret key data streams, now offer the chance to move beyond traditional methods. The challenge for the industry is to assess these innovations against legacy approaches and ask whether we are truly doing enough to prevent failures before it’s too late.
The results were costly shutdowns, public disruption, and a scramble to modernise.
“That’s the point,” Owen says. “Standards have to evolve, because the risk environment has – and so must the way we manage the resilience and safety of our assets for the future.”
LEARNING FROM OTHER SECTORS
Imagining what the future might look like, Owen points to sectors such as healthcare for inspiration.
“In medicine, patients are triaged based on risk. They use diagnostics, models, evidence-based protocols. That’s where infrastructure asset management needs to head,” she says.
It means moving beyond conditionbased assessment alone to embrace a systems-thinking approach, potentially incorporating behavioural, environmental and system-level insights to truly understand infrastructure risk.
Arcadis, for instance, recently partnered with Michelin in the United Kingdom (UK) to analyse driver behaviour data (including braking, speed and acceleration) alongside road surface data to predict crash risks.
“It’s not just reacting to past crashes,” Owen explains. “It’s about using artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to pre-empt risk.”
This pilot in the UK was highly commended at the Chartered Institute of Highways and
Transportations national awards and unlocked millions in additional road safety funding.
DATA IS AN ASSET
Owen looks at data, like infrastructure itself, as a valuable asset that needs proper care.
“Just as we manage the lifecycle of an asset, we need to manage the lifecycle of data. It should be high quality, up to date, structured, fit for purpose, and used,” she says.
Too often, Owen says, organisations collect huge volumes of data but fail to translate it into decisions.
“We worked with one client transitioning from a capital works phase to operations. They were preparing to collect 150 fields of data – but after engaging the operational team, it turned out they only needed 27,” she says.
Collecting the right data (rather than just more data), asking the right questions, analysing the data effectively, leveraging the right technology and involving the right people turns information into foresight – minimising and preventing risks, says Owen.
SHIFTING THE CULTURE
Still, culture remains one of the biggest barriers.
“You can have the best tools and data in the world, but if your mindset hasn’t shifted to whole-oflifecycle thinking, you’ll be stuck,” Owen warns.
This mindset shift starts at the top. Boards and senior leaders must embed asset risk into strategic planning and align it with organisational values – whether those are community service, financial return, or ESG outcomes.
“As transformation partners, Arcadis has supported many clients in the critical process of clearly defining and articulating their value frameworks – in doing so, we’ve observed how this clarity unlocks deeper strategic insights and fosters a more comprehensive understanding of risk,” says Owen.
“If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve – what your community, financial or environmental priorities are – you can’t assess risk properly. You’ll default to compliance.”
CLIMATE CHANGE AS CATALYST
One force compelling organisations to reassess their risk posture is climate change. In Owen’s
experience, it’s now universally acknowledged as a top risk.
“In a recent global survey, every respondent ranked climate change as the key risk factor for their infrastructure,” she says.
Extreme weather is outstripping the assumptions behind traditional asset design, creating stressors engineers never planned for. Yet many systems still resist “betterment” – investing in resilience during rehabilitation.
This leaves assets repaired to yesterday’s standards while today’s risks escalate. Combined with rising performance pressures, Owen says the issue is unavoidable: “Is the money being spent wisely, and is the balance between short-term fixes and long-term resilience really being maintained?”
“We know the risks, but until we treat all risk data as essential for decision-making rather than optional for consideration, we’ll continue to see preventable failures repeated,” Owen says.
FUTURE-READY RISK MANAGEMENT
According to Owen, a future-ready approach to asset risk is built on three pillars: a clear value framework, a whole-of-lifecycle mindset, and strong data governance – augmented by advanced analytics, technology integration and a focus on sustainability and resilience.
“It starts at the beginning,” she says. “You need to define what value looks like for your organisation. Then align your strategy, processes and systems to support that. And underpin it all with good data, the right digital tools, and collaboration.”
She also sees enormous promise in automation and artificial intelligence.
“Human eyes will always have limits. Tools can process thousands of data points, categorise defects by criticality, and help you decide what matters,” Owen says.
Ultimately, Owen’s message is not about chasing perfection but about becoming more informed and intentional.
“Risk is dynamic. It’s evolving. The best we can do is understand it clearly, manage it proactively, and be willing to challenge old ways of thinking,” she says.
For asset owners across Australia and beyond, the question is no longer just whether to reassess risk, but how urgently they are prepared to do it.
Guiding the future of Australian steel bridge design
As bridge design continues to evolve across Australia, access to practical, up-to-date technical guidance is essential. Two newly released resources aim to support engineers, designers, and decision-makers in delivering more e cient, durable, and cost-e ective steel bridges.
These two guides provide endto-end support across both preliminary concept planning and detailed design.
SUPPORTING THE DESIGN OF EFFICIENT AND DURABLE BRIDGES
Steel has long been a trusted material for bridge construction due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. This is increasingly important for longer spans, where lower dead load can lead to a more efficient structure and lower foundation costs.
In support of broader bridge design requirements, The Technical Guide: Composite Steel Road Bridges, has been developed by experienced bridge designers from the engineering firm WSP in
collaboration with BlueScope and industry partners.
HIGHLY VISUAL FORMAT
Comprehensive and highly visual, this guide supports the preliminary design of economical composite steel multi-girder road bridges.
Aligning with current Australian standards, the guide assists civil engineers, government departments, construction managers, quantity surveyors, and procurement professionals with early-stage planning and design.
What sets this resource apart is its clear, image-led format, featuring striking photography of steel bridges from Australia and around the world.
The guide presents span tables and example configurations in a clear
and easy-to-follow layout, enabling project teams to quickly assess the suitability of steel within bridge design while referencing realworld examples.
Rob Danis, BEng (Civil), National Business Development Lead –Infrastructure, BlueScope, says the guide gives engineers a fast and reliable way to assess whether a steel bridge solution is viable for their project.
“It enables informed planning based on up-to-date Australian standards, backed by global best practice and local experience,” Danis says.
BlueScope offers XLERPLATE® steel plate and welded beams and REDCOR® weathering steel plate and welded beams, suitable for a variety of bridge types, from
New Fitzroy River Bridge, Kimberley, WA featuring welded beams made from REDCOR® weathering steel. Images: Bluescope
short-span to long-span road bridges, as well as rail and pedestrian bridges.
This new guide replaces the original 1998 Composite Steel Road Bridges – Concepts and Design Charts published by BHP Integrated Steel. It incorporates more than two decades of acquired industry knowledge and construction practice in alignment with the requirements of the current Australian Bridge Design Code (AS/ NZS 5100.6:2024).
The included charts provide a practical resource for the early-stage design of composite steel bridges with spans of up to 80 metres. They include both standard BlueScope Welded Beams and custom-made three-plate or box girders for longer spans, with options for use of REDCOR weathering steel or coated XLERPLATE steel.
This publication is intended as a starting point for fast, preliminary bridge design. While it offers a robust foundation for assessing feasibility, a qualified engineer must be engaged for detailed design and final validation.
INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE AND COLLABORATION
Developed in partnership with HERA (Heavy Engineering Research Association of New Zealand), in collaboration with many industry experts, the updated Weathering Steel Design Guide for Bridges in Australia is now available.
This 2025 edition is a comprehensive update of the original 2017 guide, bringing together the applied knowledge and industry practices to support the economical design of bridges made from REDCOR weathering steel.
It collates essential guidance to assist the Australian industry with the efficient and appropriate application of REDCOR weathering steel in bridge projects. The guide also provides practical advice to achieve the expected performance and planned
design life of these structures to the local conditions.
REDCOR weathering steel offers an additional advantage: long-term durability. In suitable environments, a tightly adherent oxide layer or ‘patina’ develops, which significantly reduces the corrosion rate compared with conventional structural steel.
When used in an appropriate environment and detailed correctly, the use of REDCOR weathering steel can lower its whole-of-life costs compared to carbon steel and concrete bridges. It can provide an attractive, very low-maintenance and economical solution, extending the scope for cost-effective steel bridges.
This new guide helps stakeholders make the most of those benefits by providing technical guidance tailored to the Australian context. It covers key considerations across design, detailing, fabrication, construction, inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation.
“We’re seeing growing interest in the use of weathering steel for bridge projects across Australia,”
Danis says. “This guide is about giving engineers the confidence and tools to design for durability, and to fully realise the performance and economic benefits REDCOR weathering steel can offer when used in the right conditions.”
REDCOR weathering steel girder bridges are a compelling choice for modern bridge design. When correctly detailed, the excellent durability of REDCOR weathering steel can reduce maintenance requirements, resulting in cost savings over the bridge's lifespan.
“By making early-stage steel bridge design more accessible and visual, we hope this guide becomes a go-to reference for project teams across Australia,” Danis adds.
“It’s a resource that allows for smarter planning and better conversations around cost, buildability and timing.”
Both of these updated resources – The Technical Guide: Composite Steel Road Bridges and the Weathering Steel Design Guide for Bridges – highlight the importance of industry collaboration.
They refl ect the combined expertise and input of engineers, fabricators, civil construction companies, government departments, BlueScope and other key stakeholders across the bridge design and construction sector.
To download these guides scan here:
The new Technical Guide: Composite Steel Road Bridges and the new Weathering Steel Design Guide for Bridges in Australia
A diagram of a typical steel girder bridge section.
Workplace culture is raising the bar in service delivery
While many businesses continue to chase e ciency through cost-cutting and contractor-heavy models, a di erent philosophy is gaining ground –one which places people and culture at the centre of operational excellence.
In this emerging model, quality isn't viewed as a product of process alone, but as the outcome of a strong, values-driven workplace: where leadership is intentional, where teams are invested in each other’s success, and where reputation matters more than shortterm margin gains.
As Agilitus’ Managing Director, Craig Bloxham, says, “If we focus on our people and our culture, then the rest will look after itself.”
FOUNDING PHILOSOPHY: VALUE OVER COMMODITY
Since its founding in 2017 by Craig Bloxham and Tony Comerford, Agilitus has steadily carved out a reputation in Australia’s resources,
energy and industrial sectors – not just for its technical excellence, but for how its people-centred culture underpins everything.
At a time when many businesses in the engineering and design world focus heavily on the bottom line, Agilitus insists the secret sauce is very much its people.
Bloxham and Comerford had known each other for decades, starting their careers together as engineering graduates in the 1990s. They worked for a large, well-reputed business in North Queensland, where over time the priorities shifted – balance sheets, efficiencies, commoditised services – away from what they believed made a real difference: quality, integrity, reputation.
As a result, they stepped away and established what would eventually become Agilitus.
“We both felt that the key ingredients needed to be a very successful, high-quality engineering design service were starting to disappear. It ended up being more about the balance sheet, rather than good value services,” Bloxham says.
From the start, Agilitus placed reputation above the raw financials, deliberately anchoring its future on quality and client trust rather than cost cutting alone.
CULTURE AS A STRATEGIC ASSET
One of the defining features of how Agilitus operates is that its culture isn’t just lip service. It’s
Agilitus Managing Director, Craig Bloxham and Senior Structural Engineer, Sam Smith.
baked into recruitment, leadership development, ownership, behaviour expectations and even day-to-day operations.
“From a client perspective, the feedback we constantly get is that the quality of our services is very, very good,” Bloxham says.
“What they don’t see is what happens within the business for that to occur, and that’s where your culture comes into play.”
Bloxham explains several ways that Agilitus works to build and maintain a strong workplace culture, including:
Leadership development:
All current leaders have been through a leadership development program, which Bloxham co-leads with psychologists. “It's not just what you deliver but how you lead and collaborate,” he says.
Behavioural expectations:
"We ensure that everyone at Agilitus has each other’s back, works as a team, and creates an environment where everybody feels safe and secure,” Bloxham says, stressing that even a contractor to full-time employee involves examining how someone behaves in the team.
Permanent employment and ownership:
Unlike many firms in the sector, Agilitus relies overwhelmingly on permanent staff rather than contractors, which reinforces stability, continuity, and investment in people.
Earlier this year Bloxham and Comerford bought out external shareholders and sold portions of their ownership to key, long-serving staff.
They say giving staff a chance to “have skin in the game” drives a different level of engagement.
“They understand the opportunity for themselves, and it gives them control over their own destiny.”
These cultural pillars feed directly into client outcomes – faster decision-making, predictability, designs that are fit for purpose – not overly conservative, yet solid and reliable.
All of this leads to stronger client trust.
Bloxham says that Agilitus’s clients often comment on the high value proposition, that designs are fit for their intended purposes, and that
the company is willing to engage early, throughout project inception, and over the full asset life.
He notes their reputation is growing. “New clients roll up every day wanting to engage with us because of the brand recognition.”
GUIDING GROWTH WITH CULTURE INTACT
With more than 450 staff now and multiple locations (Perth, Queensland, Newcastle), Agilitus has arrived at a meaningful scale.
But growth isn’t a goal on its own – it is measured in how far its brand, reputation, and culture can expand.
Bloxham says the company’s strategy isn’t to chase international scale, but to deepen coverage and
impact in Australia – with the same standards and culture which got them to today.
Agilitus shows that high-quality service isn’t built by technologies or processes alone. It’s built by people: recruiting them, developing them, giving them ownership, expecting kindness, teamwork, and accountability – and making sure every team member knows their voice, work, and wellbeing matter.
As competition in engineering and design firms intensifies, Agilitus’ people-first culture may be its most enduring point of difference. And judging by where it’s come from, and where it intends to go, that difference doesn’t look like it will fade any time soon.
Agilitus Managing Director and Co-founder, Craig Bloxham.
Images:
Agilitus
Powering progress: the future of hire and construction in ANZ
Equipment hire and construction service specialist United Rentals is embarking on a new phase of growth aimed at providing more value to businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
With a focus on growing its fleet, expanding its footprint, and building trust through collaborative, communitydriven partnerships, United is laying the foundation for better outcomes for local businesses and its customers.
As the largest equipment rental company in the world, United works together with its customers, communities and employees to find tailored solutions with a shared commitment to service and safety.
This collaborative mindset is a major part of the company's ‘Work United’ philosophy, which focuses on partnerships that help overcome any challenge.
“Our goal in the ANZ region is simple – to be the most trusted partner in the industry by delivering smarter solutions and building stronger communities,” says Neil Littlewood, United Rentals Regional Vice President.
“This next phase of our growth is about investing
in people, innovation and infrastructure to help the industry move forward.”
FIVE-PILLAR GROWTH STRATEGY
United Rentals’ regional approach is built on a five-pillar strategy designed to deliver realworld value.
First, the company continues to expand its rental fleet. From earthmoving, traffic solutions, shoring, propping and fluid solutions; to bespoke containers
and engineered systems, the goal is to offer unmatched availability and reliability.
Second, it is scaling its physical footprint with more branches, logistics centres and support infrastructure across both metro and regional areas. With more than 60 branches and more than 700 staff already across Australia and New Zealand, United Rentals says it is prioritising accessibility and local responsiveness.
The third pillar is a sharp focus on delivering tailored support to the construction and hire industry. Across temporary works design, fleet deployment or site facilities, United Rentals positions itself as a project partner, not just a supplier.
Fourth, the company is focused on helping local businesses deliver better project outcomes. By reducing coordination complexity, ensuring equipment readiness, and offering expert advice, it seeks to support clients in staying on schedule, within budget, and compliant with safety standards.
Finally, United Rentals wants to bring greater choice to the market. By offering a full spectrum of specialty and general hire solutions under one umbrella, it wants to simplify procurement for its clients, while also reducing reliance on multiple vendors – all without compromising on quality or service.
As part of this growth, United is reinforcing its commitment to safety and innovation. With an ISO 45001 safety and system management certification, the company manages all its operations by implementing effective controls to protect the health, safety and welfare of all workers and visitors by eliminating or minimising risks to health and safety.
THE 5S PROCESS
United Rentals implements a rigorous standard across its branches known as ‘5S’.
The system – Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, and Self-discipline – enables United teams to maintain peak performance while operating with the highest safety and quality standards.
“By eliminating clutter, optimising workflows and adhering to strict cleanliness protocols, branches are designed to support seamless operations and superior customer service,” Littlewood says.
“The 5S process is ingrained in our culture, ensuring every branch reflects our commitment to operational excellence, productivity and creating a safe, welcoming environment for both employees and customers.”
EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE
Through its acquisition of businesses such as Orange Hire, Royal Wolf and Shore Hire, United is now a leading supplier for a range of products and services. These include:
Earthmoving and traffic management (Orange Hire)
With adaptability and reliability at its core, United has an average fleet age of just three years, ensuring that its customers benefit from the latest, safest and most reliable equipment on the market.
Shoring, propping, and fluid engineered solutions (Shore Hire) Using leading design and analysis engineering software, United can monitor intricate and robust structures from the ground up to ensure projects are completed effectively and safely.
Storage containers and worksite facilities (Royal Wolf)
United delivers innovative and reliable containerised solutions for hire and sale, and can provide modifications to meet customer specifications.
FOCUS ON PEOPLE AND PURPOSE
United Rentals supports diversity and inclusion across its businesses. It has a number of employee resource groups across Australia and New Zealand.
These include Veterans United, Women’s United, LGBQTI+ United and Mental Wellness United. It also runs a comprehensive mental health strategy and an internal Compassion Fund. These offer benefits and support to the team and make sure United can recruit the best people.
Its social impact work is equally hands-on. Through partnerships with Variety Australia and Save the Kiwi in New Zealand, the company supports causes with meaningful outcomes –from accessible transport for children to environmental regeneration and species conservation.
Additionally, United Rentals says it is committed to helping communities and customers in protecting the environment by conducting its operations in an ecologically sustainable manner and minimising its contribution to pollution.
“United is committed to working with our customers to reduce environmental impacts, without sacrificing the quality and reliability of our services and products,” Littlewood says.
“With a highly skilled team, we thrive on delivering innovative, solution-driven outcomes and are eager to continue to build a network of trust and mutual support in this industry.”
Recent acquisitions allow United Rentals to reach new heights.
How Infrastructure Victoria built influence through independence
Ten years ago, Infrastructure Victoria was launched with a mandate to do something bold: provide expert, independent infrastructure advice to government, free from ministerial direction.
Adecade since its launch, Infrastructure Victoria’s model is not just surviving, but maturing into one of the state’s most influential public bodies.
Infrastructure Victoria was born of bipartisan reform in 2015 under the Infrastructure Victoria Act, designed to promote long-term, evidence-based thinking in an area often shaped by short-term political pressures.
With its third 30-year strategy soon to be tabled in Parliament, Chief Executive Officer Dr Jonathan Spear says that independence remains the bedrock of its success.
“We created a model that was unambiguously independent through the legislation and the culture and operation of the organisation,” he says.
“But also, very clearly collaborative with government and other stakeholders. That has been a hallmark throughout.”
The body is best known for its statewide infrastructure strategies, published every three to five years and tabled in Parliament to inform all parties. However, it also provides advice to government on specific matters, sometimes confidentially, and produces research designed to shape future infrastructure policy.
A DECADE OF IMPACT
Since 2015, Infrastructure Victoria has released two long-term strategies. The third will be tabled in Parliament this month. It has also offered influential guidance
The independent infrastructure advisory body recommends faster and more frequent bus services for Victoria, especially in Melbourne’s growth areas and regional cities.
on topics including decarbonising infrastructure, urban density, school infrastructure, bus reform, and adapting to climate change. Spear says the track record speaks for itself.
“We’ve got a really good hit rate of government accepting and implementing our recommendations,” he says.
“It’s between 80 and 90 per cent. That’s partly because of what we recommend, but also because we work collaboratively with other stakeholders and government to help push in the right direction.”
Part of that success lies in the model’s ability to balance long-term thinking with short-term practicality. Spear says the organisation has become increasingly focused on advice that is both ambitious and implementable.
“It's giving practical and pragmatic advice about what the government can do in the short to medium term that’ll set us up really well for the long term,” he says.
That approach is evident in the upcoming 2025–2055 strategy. While the final document remains under wraps until tabled, the draft outlines 43 priority recommendations with a cost of $60–75 billion over 10 years and benefits exceeding $155 billion. The focus, Spear says, is not on big-ticket items alone.
“More than half [of the recommendations] are actually about better maintenance, better pricing, policy change, better planning – so we get the best out of the government’s Big Build investments made over the past decade,” he says.
When large-scale capital spending is recommended, such as social housing, schools, or public transport upgrades, Infrastructure Victoria pushes for a staged, long-term approach.
“It gives the community some certainty that there's a program that’s going to deliver infrastructure when and where we need it,” says Spear.
“It also helps drive productivity improvements and reduce costs when you plan delivery over time.”
RESEARCH WITH REACH
Over the past years, Infrastructure Victoria has released a suite of high-impact reports, including its award-winning Choosing Victoria’s future, which modelled five scenarios for urban growth.
The evidence pointed clearly to the benefits of more compact cities: better economic and environmental outcomes, stronger
public transport access, and lower infrastructure costs.
The research estimated Victorians could be $43 billion better off by 2056 under a more compact model, compared to a dispersed growth scenario.
Another standout was Fast, frequent, fair: how buses can better connect Melbourne, which recommended ten actions to improve the city’s underused bus network. These included increasing service frequency, expanding hours, improving interchange design, and planning for bus rapid transit corridors. The report received widespread media coverage and industry interest.
Other major work includes advice on reducing infrastructure-related emissions, adaptation planning for climate resilience, and boosting housing supply through better land use integration. Taken together, Infrastructure Victoria’s research program has become a champion of policy-ready ideas across sectors.
“Our advice includes practical, step-by-step actions Victoria can take to reduce emissions, adapt to climate risks, and better use what we’ve already built,” Spear says.
DRIVING CHANGE
For an organisation that does not build or fund infrastructure, influence is everything. Infrastructure Victoria has built credibility through robust analysis, bipartisan engagement, and what Spear sees as “persistence”.
“It takes a lot of time. We’re able to build the evidence base and our thinking, and government’s thinking, over the past 10 years,” he says.
That longevity has been underpinned by exceptional continuity in leadership. Outgoing Chair Jim Miller has been with Infrastructure Victoria since its inception, and both Spear and Director of People and Culture, Victoria Thaine, have been with the organisation since its beginning.
“Continuity has let us go from a real start-up to a mature organisation with a strong culture,” Spear says.
“We consistently have one of the highest ratings of employee engagement in the Victorian public sector.”
In May 2024, Infrastructure Victoria scored a 97 per cent satisfaction rate in the People Matter survey, outperforming all benchmarks.
“That’s partly because of the clarity of purpose and mission that we have. It attracts a fantastic, diverse team,” says Spear.
The new website, launched in early 2024, reflects this maturity. Designed for accessibility and plain-language presentation, it has dramatically increased engagement with the organisation's library of more than 180 reports.
BUILDING SOCIAL LICENCE
One of the more provocative ideas in the draft strategy is reducing speed limits to 30 kilometres per hour in local streets where children are present – a move backed by road safety data but politically sensitive.
Infrastructure Victoria helped build support for reform and the state government has already made changes to its speed laws.
“We can help with the evidence base, with community sentiment, and with sharing stories about how these changes can improve the quality of life for Victorians,” Spear says.
“We're not advocates, but we provide a platform for more informed debate.”
That ethos applies across its work. Infrastructure Victoria is not a campaigning body, but it does aim to shape the infrastructure conversation.
The final version of the 2025–2055 strategy will be tabled in Parliament this month, following community and stakeholder consultation. It will, for the first time, include a goal to achieve self-determination and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Beyond the strategy, the advisory body’s role continues to evolve. With infrastructure investment facing tighter budgets and rising demands, the value of independent, long-range planning is only growing.
Spear remains confident the model will endure.
“It allows us to challenge thinking, consider new ideas, and help build consensus on what matters,” he says.
“It’s a model that works – and it's working for Victoria.”
Dr Jonathan Spear, Chief Executive O cer, Infrastructure Victoria. Image: Infrastructure Victoria
Strategy 2030: An ambitious path forward
As Australia faces increasing pressures from climate change, urbanisation and economic transition, the infrastructure sector is being called upon to deliver not only resilience but also leadership in sustainability.
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s (ISC) newly released Strategy 2030 outlines a clear and ambitious path forward for sustainability in the sector – one that builds on tangible outcomes delivered over ISC’s history.
The ISC is also set to unveil its 2025 Impact Report, the latest of its annual publications that track and communicate the measurable outcomes of the ISC’s work. It showcases the collective impact of infrastructure projects certified under the IS Rating Scheme and highlights how sustainability is delivering real-world benefits, such as through reduced emissions, avoided costs, and improved industry capability.
This evidence base plays a crucial role in shaping ISC’s Strategy 2030. While the strategy was developed primarily through consultation with members and stakeholders, the insights and data from recent impact reports helped identify where ISC’s tools and services are driving the most value, and where there is room to evolve.
As ISC Chief Executive Officer, Toby Kent, explains, the report “communicates to our various stakeholders the value of what we do, and that value, above all, is measured through the impact that we make across social, environmental, economic and governance domains.”
DEMONSTRATING VALUE THROUGH MEASURABLE IMPACT
For ISC and the infrastructure sector 2024/25 was a significant year. A total of 29 As Built projects were certified across sectors including rail, road, water and energy. These projects achieved a combined reduction of nearly 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), with estimated avoided costs of more than $1.2 billion, primarily through energy savings, material efficiency and emissions reduction.
“We’ve done work to better articulate the financial value of designing and operating sustainable infrastructure,” says Kent.
“What we’re seeing is significant benefits in relation to avoided
materials, improved performance, and reduced biodiversity impacts. These are now more clearly recorded and understood.”
These insights reflect ISC’s unique role, not just as a certifier, but as a platform for market transformation, influencing how sustainability is embedded into infrastructure planning, design and delivery.
STRATEGY 2030
While the Impact Report reflects on the past, the Strategy 2030 is firmly future-focused. Developed through extensive consultation with ISC members, partners and stakeholders, and informed by the findings of previous impact reports, it responds directly to the evolving infrastructure landscape.
“More than historical impact reports, the new strategy has been driven by a deep engagement with different users of our tools and services, understanding where a broad range of constituents see the most value in our work,” says Kent.
The strategy is built around four strategic pillars:
1. Industry insights and knowledge – transforming the ISC Ratings process into a source of valueadding information, helping the sector access actionable, datadriven insights.
2. Market and Community Confidence – ensuring consistency and rigour in verification to maintain trust and reliability in sustainable infrastructure.
3. Communities of Practice and Networks – catalysing innovation and sharing best practice by bringing together all parts of the infrastructure ecosystem.
4. Public Voice and Advocacy –amplifying industry positions on
sustainability through collective advocacy and policy influence.
Underlying these pillars are three key enablers: a commitment to being partnership-led, digital-first, and people-powered.
TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION
A cornerstone of the strategy’s implementation is the evolution of ISC’s tools and processes. This includes the rollout of the IS v2.2 Design & As Built Tool, released in October 2025, which helps project managers verify that they meet best-practice sustainability standards throughout the design and construction phases, to deliver economic, social, environmental, and governance benefits.
“We’ve taken significant efforts to ensure the sustainability requirements remain unchanged, but we’ve made the process much easier,” says Kent.
“It’s more efficient, involves less duplication, and reduces the administrative burden, especially for smaller projects.”
In tandem, ISC has introduced a new model for independent verification. Where previously two external verifiers were used, the new system incorporates one external verifier supported by an in-house quality control function.
According to Kent, this will “reduce uncertainty for the users of our ratings” and ultimately cut down on unnecessary overinvestment sometimes occurred due to uncertainty around meeting verifier expectations.
SCALING FOR A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
ISC’s strategy recognises that the infrastructure pipeline is evolving.
“We’ve probably passed through the era of mega-projects,” Kent reflects. “It’s not that they won’t exist, but there will be fewer.
“We’re aligning our tools and support for smaller-scale projects, particularly in energy transition and water infrastructure.”
The ISC is also exploring its role in digital infrastructure, both as a critical asset class and as an enabler of connected, efficient systems. This aligns with ISC’s updated purpose: ‘to enable connected infrastructure that supports people to thrive on a healthy planet.’
Throughout both the impact report and the strategy, one theme is clear: the ISC is positioning itself as an integrator and enabler across the sector.
This includes offering new partnerships, supporting emerging technologies, and creating opportunities for smaller players to engage in sustainability transformations they might not otherwise afford.
“Our future is about being seen as part of a broader ecosystem. We want to lift others up, and in doing so, we think we’ll be rewarded with trust and stronger support in return.”
With infrastructure central to climate, social equity and economic resilience agendas, ISC’s dual focus on measured impact and strategic foresight puts it in a unique position.
The 2025 Impact Report demonstrates the real-world outcomes sustainability can deliver, while the Strategy 2030 ensures those outcomes become more consistent, scalable and accessible. Together, they form a roadmap for an infrastructure sector that is not only fit for the future but actively shaping it.
New sporting facilities delivered as part of level crossing removal works. Image: Infrastructure Sustainability Council.
Skills gap blocks net-zero
Time is running out to get our construction workforce ready for net zero. Infrastructure Australia’s Chief Executive, Adam Copp explains.
Every time the discussion arises around net-zero emissions, the spotlight falls on renewable energy projects. What often gets overlooked is the construction of infrastructure that each and every one of us uses every single day – from ports and roads to rail and buildings.
The assets we rely on to get us from A to B could end up being one of our biggest roadblocks in achieving our national ambition to get to net zero emissions by 2050.
Infrastructure and buildings are directly responsible for nearly a third of the country’s emissions. These emissions are produced in the manufacturing of building materials, such as in fossil-fuel-powered steel mills or concrete plants. They are also created during construction, for example, in the transportation of materials and the use of dieselpowered machinery or generators at construction sites.
Then there are the indirect emissions – say from the vehicles that use a new road, or trains using a new rail line. This, together with direct emissions, accounts for almost half of Australia’s total emissions.
In 2023 alone, all emissions produced by the country’s infrastructure and buildings totalled 303 million tonnes. That’s the equivalent of running more than 70 coal-fired power plants or having approximately 70 million petrol cars on our roads for that year.
If we’re serious about reaching net zero, we’re going to have to take a large chunk of these emissions out of the equation. To do that, the infrastructure sector is going to need
to rethink how it designs, builds and operates assets. But its ability to do that will come down to the strength, capability and confidence of its workforce.
In a bid to tackle this challenge, a coalition of industry peak bodies and government agencies from across the country, known as Infrastructure Net Zero, joined forces to dig deeper into what’s required to build the workforce we need to decarbonise Australia’s infrastructure projects.
In launching the Delivering Net Zero Infrastructure: Workforce Report recently, we have for the first time a unified, sector-wide view of the occupations and skills we need to undertake this task.
Right now, of the 200,000 workers delivering the nation’s major public infrastructure pipeline, only around half perform activities that reduce emissions.
Confidence is a major barrier.
According to a 2024 Infrastructure NSW survey, 90 per cent of government and industry respondents were aware of carbon’s impact in infrastructure. But over a third of government and a fifth of industry respondents admitted to having low confidence in their ability to reduce them. In other words, professionals such as engineers, architects, and construction managers, who are all central to delivering lower-emission projects, aren’t sure where to begin.
While learning on the job is par for the course in many fields, when it comes to decarbonising infrastructure, we’re in uncharted territory. Formal training is required.
Infrastructure and
are directly responsible for nearly a third of the country’s emissions.
Some commendable efforts are already underway—universities and professional bodies have rolled out training. Many were established ahead of their time and were addressing an obvious need in an environment where there was no certainty or guidance.
The challenge is that amongst these various programs, there are no common benchmarks and no consistency. This means there is no national standard defining what skills are needed to lower emissions in infrastructure projects and no clear, consistent way to teach them.
To address this, our report lays out a national game plan to help grow and upskill the essential infrastructure workforce Australia needs to get to net zero and beyond.
One of the key recommendations is for the urgent development of a nationally coordinated, crosssector training effort backed by government, industry and education providers. Training that standardises what it means to design, build and maintain infrastructure projects with net zero in mind. Courses that give current workers a clear path to upskill and give new entrants the confidence they’ll be job-ready.
Decarbonising how and what we build is a huge, generation-defining task. There are multiple people in the supply chain whose decisions carry significant weight on whether a project can be successfully decarbonised. To support them in making the right decisions, we first need to empower them with the skills and confidence they need to do so.
buildings
Australia Chief Executive O cer.
AusRAIL PLUS 2025 returns to Melbourne
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