FROM THE CEO
The discipline to deliver
“Geopolitics now sits inside the infrastructure equation.” This sharp observation comes from my New Zealand counterpart, ACE NZ’s Chief Executive Helen Davidson, who recently attended FIDIC’s Global Leadership Forum in Athens.
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Jonathan Cartledge | CEO, Consult Australia
ADVOCATING FOR YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS
From bases to places
Meet Consult Australia’s new Defence Manager
“Defence capability is highly skilled work that doesn’t have to sit in the cities,” says Consult Australia’s new Defence Engagement and Government Relations Manager, Dean Spence.
From Athens to Aotearoa
FIDIC Global Leadership Forum
ACE New Zealand Chief Executive Helen Davidson returned from the FIDIC Global Leadership Forum in Athens this month with a clear message: the most confronting challenges we face today aren’t technical – they’re about leadership.
A problem we can’t solve later
Maths in Schools Roundtable
Just 8.4% of Year 12 students study advanced mathematics. This figure is a fault line running beneath Australia’s future engineering workforce – and influences our ability to deliver increasingly complex infrastructure, energy and defence projects.
PEOPLE & MOVEMENTS
Peter Colacino has been appointed CEO of the Australian Constructors Association, succeeding Jon Davies, who steps down after six years. Most recently with Mott MacDonald, Peter is an NEC Contract Ambassador.
Greg Steele is leaving Arcadis. Most recently Chief Growth and Commercial Officer, Greg has contributed to industry bodies including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Engineering Aid Australia.
Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec and Canada’s AtkinsRéalis are to join forces. WGA’s Joint Managing Director Ben Stapleton said the deal will connect his firm’s 800-strong regional team “to broader technical expertise, global opportunities and investment”.
After more than three decades shaping infrastructure, Mark Fairweather is stepping into semi-retirement. Mark’s 11-year tenure with HDR, included nearly a decade as Managing Director.
Rebooting Australia’s Productivity
In the 2026 Annual Infrastructure Oration, Graham Bradley AO, Chair of Infrastructure NSW, called for decisive reform to lift investment, efficiency and national competitiveness.
A bridge becomes a benchmark
Tonkin + Taylor’s work on Tasmania’s New Bridgewater Bridge was applauded at the Consult Australia Awards for Excellence in March, and the new infrastructure icon received further honours at this month’s National Infrastructure Awards.
The room where it happens
Some conversations only happen behind closed doors. Consult Australia’s Boardroom Luncheons are where they take shape.
Build them and they’ll stay
Australia needs more engineering talent. But attraction is only half the equation. Once people enter the industry, how do we keep them and help them build careers?
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...
Factory of the Future
HDR has delivered Western Sydney University’s Factory of the Future, creating an immersive learning environment for advanced manufacturing, robotics and digital technologies.
Oil shock demands productivity reset
Outgoing CEO of the Australian Constructors Association Jon Davies warns rising oil prices are pushing construction costs higher and exposing long-standing inefficiencies.
WT at Sydney Metro West
WT has been appointed independent estimator for the Sydney Metro West linewide systems package, supporting cost certainty on the 24-kilometre Parramatta to CBD rail project.
Supercharging Australia’s future
Australia’s clean energy edge could drive an 84% larger economy by 2050, lifting GDP per capita by $38,000, according to the Investor Group on Climate Change.
Engineers take home two NAWIC scholarships
Northrop’s Isabel Duffy and Taylor Thomson Whitting’s Nishmin Hallam were both awarded scholarships funded by the NSW Government’s $20.2 million Women in Construction program.
Stantec moves idea to impact
Stantec’s employee-led sanitation concept, developed through WaterAid’s Winnovators program, is being piloted in Papua New Guinea.
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