November 2025

Advocacy wins in 2025 

From productivity and procurement to registration reform, our 2025 advocacy reflects deep partnerships and practical solutions led by member issues and insights.

Kristy Eulenstein, Head of Policy and Government Relations
I was proud to release our Unravelling Risk report this year, which has been so well received by members as well as government stakeholders. The intent of the paper was to untangle the knotty issue of risk – as we often hear clients cry ‘risk!’ when we ask for the why behind procurement and contracting settings and decisions. The report explores how we get into the design, construct and litigate cycle and proposes five reform threads to get us to a more collaborative contracting environment. 

It is amazing how useful Unravelling Risk has been in discussions with clients across Australia on cost certainty, productivity and project value. This has been a passion project of mine and I am pleased that the report is helping facilitate the necessary discussions between our members and clients.

Kristine Banks, National Policy Manager
This year was one of productivity reviews, enabling us to promote what good regulatory reform looks like and reinforce digital by default opportunities. The National Construction Strategy (planned for release shortly) will also target digital productivity opportunities. The launch of the NSW Infrastructure Digitalisation and Data Policy was an important milestone as NSW leads the way with a policy codesigned with Consult Australia members. Seeing the tangible results of our long-term advocacy reinforces why Consult Australia’s work matters.”

Alison Kirk, NSW & ACT Manager
We have leveraged our established government forums and Boardroom Lunches through 2025 to increase member engagement and progress advocacy issues of most importance to member businesses. 

Our strong relationships through existing forums across the ACT public service allowed us to push for and realise a new tool for pipeline transparency. We also secured Infrastructure Canberra’s commitment, in its Industry Engagement Plan, to meaningful industry collaboration to modernise practices including increased flexibility with procurement, and the development of a risk-sharing framework. All this despite significant machinery of government changes. 

Our advocacy activities in New South Wales have yielded several significant wins that demonstrate Consult Australia’s ability to advance member interests and provide evidence-based solutions. For example, working with the new Building Commissioner, we continued to successfully push against the introduction of the proposed Engineering Practice Standard. The real-world examples provided by members fuelled our submissions to the review of NSW building laws and our appearance at the Parliamentary Public Works and Accountability Committee’s inquiry. Our advocacy is reflected in the Committee’s Final Report recommendations.

This advocacy was in addition to growing our relationships with planning, energy and water clients including EnergyCo, WaterNSW, Placemaking NSW and the Bradfield Development Authority. It has been a busy year!

Emma Thunder, WA ManagerWe have created even more opportunities for member engagement with government across different portfolios and agencies, despite a significant machinery of government change happening at the start of the year. For instance, we continue active participation in the WA Road and Rail Construction and Maintenance Industry Advisory Group (WARRCMIAG) and we have seen a pick-up in activity of the Industry Sustainability Strategic Approach Taskforce and the various working groups (on early project development, risk allocation, innovation, carbon neutrality and diversity). 

Highlights for members this year include engagement with DevelopmentWA, Infrastructure WA and Westport. Our influence is clear as we recently secured from Westport a two-week extension to the dure date of the panels to the end of January 2025, in line with our Pause for Wellbeing campaign. 

Consult Australia is looked to for improved ways of working, as we were recently invited to a ‘Working Together Forum’ with the key decision makers across the transport and major infrastructure portfolio to discuss more collaborative approaches (including how to ensure consultants are practically ‘at the top table’ in alliances) and explore productivity gains of mutual benefit.

Laura Macdonald, Queensland Manager
I started the role with a new Queensland Government and my focus has been to consolidate previous momentum– whether in the government’s rollout of procurement for 2032 Games infrastructure and venues, or Consult Australia’s ongoing work with clients (such as cost certainty and contracting discussions with Transport and Main Roads). 

On the Games, Consult Australia has created significant opportunities for members to influence including providing input to the 100-day review, securing the new Deputy Premier for a Boardroom Lunch and continuing ongoing engagement with the Games Delivery Authority. The 100-day review report recognised, in line with our advocacy, the limitations of the two-stage managing contractor model for infrastructure delivery and highlighted the need for flexibility to adopt alternative models and innovative procurement approaches 

Another win came in the Health Capacity Expansion Program Independent Review where our input was reflected in the Review’s recommendations for a programmatic approach to share learnings and innovation and improved governance. The Queensland Productivity Commission also heeded our call for productivity uplift through a rethink of policy and regulatory settings.

Mark Rogers, Victoria &Tasmania Manager
We have not only strengthened our influence across the transport and building sectors in both states, but also grown new relationships with energy and environment portfolios.

In Victoria, we have built on our existing relationship with Major Road Projects Victoria and established a regular forum with the new Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA), creating a structured platform for ongoing dialogue and strategic alignment. In the health sector, the appointment of new leadership at the Health Building Authority (also now part of VIDA) has opened the door to more collaborative and transparent discussions, with the CEO choosing Consult Australia for a Boardroom Lunch before launching the Authority’s new strategy more broadly. We have created a mutually beneficial engagement with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) as well as VicGrid, and members made significant input into DEECA’s new climate tool. 

Our advocacy efforts have been impactful, with submissions provided on critical legislative and strategic initiatives, including Review of the Professional Engineers Registration Act, Infrastructure Victoria’s 2025–2035 Plan, and Labour Hire Reforms.

In Tasmania, the Department of State Growth, Infrastructure Tasmania, Treasury and Crown Law continue to seek our feedback on infrastructure priorities, contracting and project outcomes. A major highlight has been our engagement on the Unravelling Risk paper with these agencies. In addition, we have welcomed the new approach at TasWater on collaborative contracting and remain committed to assisting TasWater to delivery its pipeline of work.

Matt Williams, SA, NT & Defence Manager
The recent halt of a state-based registration scheme for engineers has been a significant win in South Australia for members. It is clear that member input on cost used in our submissions swayed the government to instead prioritise national registration. This is a significant breakthrough not just for SA, as Consult Australia has been pushing for a ‘driver licence’ model across state lines for many years to reduce unnecessary registration costs for firms and improve productivity. 

In the contracting space, following our advocacy SA Water removed uncapped liability from its tender process. SA Water has also improved the frequency and scope of industry briefings to improve pipeline visibility which Consult Australia initiated in 2024. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport has considered our significant proposed changes to its new AS4122-2010 Special Conditions. Initial indications are that the Department will adopt a number of our proposals. 

In the Northern Territory, following Consult Australia’s push, the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure has arranged an industry forum to report back on improvements the government has made to procurement, design and delivery. With some new investments, projects and infrastructure in the Territory over the next couple of years, Consult Australia is working with the NT Government to promote the economic opportunities as well as informing members of the immediate project and infrastructure investments, especially in relation to defence, energy and resources. This will assist members in planning for future work opportunities and resourcing needs in the Territory. 

Looking ahead

Consult Australia’s advocacy team is preparing for state elections in South Australia and Victoria, ensuring our priorities and positions are well-articulated and aligned with the evolving political landscape. 

“We will continue to leverage our existing thought leadership such as Unravelling Risk and Digital by Default but also invest in new content informed by member input and interest,” says Kristy. 

“The influential relationships we already hold across jurisdictions will be maintained with purposeful engagements at established government forums, but also supplemented where needed with particular focus groups to drive outcomes. 

“In 2026, we will continue our focus on solutions, informed by member experience and case studies. There is as much as a role as ever for members to influence our advocacy direction and activities. When I say our advocacy is member-led, I mean it,” Kristy concludes.