• Roundtables and Working Groups

Member-driven advocacy

Consult Australia's advocacy work is member-driven through our; state/territory committees, roundtables and working groups. Participation in these is one of the benefits of membership.

State/territory committees

Each state and territory has a committee, giving members the opportunity to develop strategies to tackle local issues as well as contribute to the national agenda. Committee participants are often called upon to represent Consult Australia in local engagement activities (including meetings with government agencies etc). These committees generally meet monthly and require engaged individuals. Visit your state/territory page for more information on current participants and latest news.

Roundtables

Our roundtables give members the opportunity to discuss, provide advice and support the delivery of Consult Australia's advocacy work.The information sharing culture between roundtable participants builds understanding of best practices, as well as broader challenges facing the sector.

Roundtable participants are often called upon to represent Consult Australia in engagement activities (including meetings with government agencies etc) and provide support to state/territory committees on local issues (where relevant). 

We currently have four roundtables:

  • Defence Roundtable
  • Infrastructure Roundtable
  • People & Human Resources Roundtable
  • Liability & Contracts Roundtable

The roundtables generally meet quarterly, except for the Liability & Contracts Roundtable which meets every 4-6 weeks. Roundtables require engaged individuals with the skills/experience relevant to the topic areas. More information on current participants and latest news for each roundtable is below.

Working groups

From time to time we form working groups to work on specific advocacy campaigns or thought leadership pieces. Working groups allow a select group of members to do a deep-dive on a particular topic and provide guidance and feedback on drafting of policy initiatives.

We currently have seven working groups:

  • Asset Recycling Working Group
  • Building Reform and Compliance Working Group
  • Business Case Working Group
  • Mental Health Working Group
  • Procurement Campaign Working Group
  • Property Tax Reforms Working Group
  • Skilled Migration Working Group

Working groups meet as and when needed, often weekly or fortnightly at the start of an initiative and tapering off. Working groups require engaged individuals with knowledge relevant to the topic area and the time to provide (sometimes urgent) feedback and advice. For more information on working groups, contact us at: info@consultaustralia.com.au.

Priorities

Our Defence Roundtable oversee our engagement with Defence. Participants discuss the challenges and rewards of Defence work. Through the Defence-Industry CoLab participants drive increased collaboration between Defence and industry (consultants and contractors).

Latest 'top 3 takeaways'

Every meeting our roundtable participants summarise the 'top 3 takeaways' from the meeting which we share with the rest of the membership.

  1. Increased spend - COVID-19 recovery stimulus. To realise the benefits of the increased spend, we need to innovate – doing the same thing won’t get projects moving faster.
  2. Spend forecasting. Participants noted that phasing issues start from the initial business case and continue. One positive is the progress payments for milestones.
  3. Positive engagement. Roundtable participants are eager to continue the positive dialogue with Defence on range of issues including pipeline and contracting.

Current participants

Below is the list of the current roundtable participants. Want to get involved? Contact Kristy Eulenstein.

NameMember business
David Barter (Chair)Beca 
Barry GleesonAECOM
Liam Hale (alternate)AECOM
Danielle ToaseArcadis
Stephen CarrollAurecon
Simon West (alternate)Beca
Jonathon LargeCardno
Rhodi Jones (alternate)Cardno
Carl JenkinsGHD
Gary Hazel (alternate)GHD
Tasos Katopodis (Consult Australia Board representative)GHD
Jeremy Wheeler (alternate)GHD
Fran MitchellGolder
Paul HobbsHDR
Mirsad Abdic Jacobs
Tim NichollsKBR
Alistair AitkenRider Levett Bucknall
Mark Chappe (alternate)Rider Levett Bucknall
Andrew Beattie (alternate)Rudds Consulting Engineers
Paul McKenzieRudds Consulting Engineers
Kate Drews (Consult Australia Board representative)SMEC
Dan KeepSMEC

 

Priorities

Our Infrastructure Roundtable oversees our nationwide activities relating to infrastructure governance, funding/finance and procurement. Participants share best practice procurement and contracting used in infrastructure projects.

Latest 'top 3 takeaways'

Every meeting our roundtable participants summarise the 'top 3 takeaways' from the meeting which we share with the rest of the membership.

  1. Opportunity to improve procurement practices in response to COVID-19. Improving procurement practices remains a focus for the roundtable. A new paper on opportunities in response to COVID-19, and tangible best practice examples, will be released shortly.
  2. Presentation by Australasian Procurement and a Construction Council (APCC). Participants and APCC discussed COVID-19 as an impetus to improve practices. Consult Australia will closely engage with APCC on these potential opportunities.
  3. Pipeline transparency. Pipeline transparency and the role of the pipeline to support the COVID-19 economic recovery is another roundtable priority. New papers on the pipeline and stimulus and improving how work is packaged will be released shortly.

Current participants

Below is the list of the current roundtable participants. Want to get involved? Contact James Robertson.

NameMember business
Syd Gamble (Chair)Arcadis 
Ian CoxAECOM
Stephen SewellAECOM
Clara Tetther (alternate)Arcadis 
Jeff BookerArup 
Merrill Lee (alternate)Arup 
Rowenna Walker (Consult Australia Board representative)Aurecon
Allen Macourt Cardno
Mark PerryCardno
Noam Maitless (alternate)GHD 
Libby MitchellGHD 
Craig CurnowGolder 
Graham Scholey (alternate)Golder 
Stuart Manley (Consult Australia Board representative)Jacobs
Judith UrenJGU
James PlantKBR
Scott NieldStantec
Adam Chan-Sew (alternate)Stantec
Jo O'Brien Tonkin
Tim Ennis (alternate)Tonkin

 

Priorities

Our People and HR Roundtable oversee our nationwide activities relating to people and skills including; mental health, skills and inclusion. Participants share best practice initiatives on workplace issues and help develop member resources to assist particularly SMEs in this area.

Latest 'top 3 takeaways'

Every meeting our roundtable participants summarise the 'top 3 takeaways' from the meeting which we share with the rest of the membership.

  1. Workplace transitions. Many member firms are developing return to office guides and new remote working guides.  It was noted that many are playing catch up on the immediate effects of remote working at scale, and are now seeking to sustainably address issues that have arisen over recent months.
  2. Mental health concerns in the industry. Participants noted mental health concerns being experienced by many employees, particularly emerging professionals and managers. The general view was that fatigue and the effects of isolation are catching up on many. There is the potential for a real paradigm shift in how firms support employees, such as investing in tools to help with coaching and new platforms to innovate.
  3. Presentation on COVID-19 tracing apps in New Zealand. Participants were provided a walkthrough of Stantec's tracing app in NZ, which was created due to legislative requirements.  The app provides a geospatial element that allows businesses to use GIS and timestamps to instantly find out if employees could be at risk when COVID-19 outbreaks occur.

Current participants

Below is the list of the current roundtable participants. Want to get involved? Contact James Robertson.

NameMember business
Kylie Ward (Chair)Stantec
Stephen Troilo (Vice Chair)Northrop
Claudia Faulkner
ADP Consulting
Jane Moylan
AECOM
Amy Baxendale
Arcadis Australia Pacific
Phoebe Ryssenbeek
Arup
Lauren Di Pietro Aurecon
Sharon ProwleCardno
Holly Carson (Consult Australia Board representative)CGC
Amy Singh Douglas Partners
Catherine Drury-FoxGHD
Zoe RobertsonGolder
Chris Leung (alternate) Golder
Claire BurtonJacobs
Kerryn Scott KBR
Romi HoffenbergSLR Consulting
Leonie Kerley (alternate) SLR Consulting
Abesi MwendaSMEC
Brett Davis (Consult Australia Board representative)Stantec
Venelina KostourkovStantec
Gerry Doyle (Consult Australia President)Tonkin Consulting








Priorities

Our Liability & Contracts Roundtable oversee our nationwide activities relating to fairness in contracting, insurance as well as legal and regulatory risk. The roundtable includes legal practitioners and commercial managers. Participants share best practice initiatives on contracting and support state/territory committees to tackle local issues. Roundtable participants help develop member resources to assist on law reform issues, legal requirements and contracting issues.

Latest 'top 3 takeaways'

Every meeting our roundtable participants summarise the 'top 3 takeaways' from the meeting which we share with the rest of the membership.

  1. Quick action by Consult Australia. The roundtable noted the need for quick action by Consult Australia when government clients fail to engage industry properly on contracting issues, with Major Road Projects Victoria providing a prime example this week.
  2. New Client Briefing Note on joint ventures. It was agreed that Consult Australia should develop a Client Briefing Note on joint ventures. The roundtable noted some government clients mandating substandard contracts between parties forming a joint venture. Government clients should not be involved in the commercial arrangements between private sector businesses, especially when the client's interests are protected by the contract between the client and the joint venture entity.
  3. Access to global insurance policies. Roundtable members have been grappling with educating clients about insurance, particularly the limits of professional indemnity insurance and the hardening market. They were disappointed to hear that a government client understood the global nature of company policies, but believed it was reasonable to be able to access the whole policy for the entire business for one discrete project.

Current participants

Below is the list of the current roundtable participants. Want to get involved? Contact Kristy Eulenstein.

NameMember business
Josie Lewis (Chair)Stantec
Reid GrundAECOM 
Chris Tatum (alternate)AECOM 
Belinda RitchieArcadis 
Ainslie Blunck Arup 
Scott MenckAurecon
James GroverBeca 
Jennifer LordBG&E
Steven EvansCMC Asia Pacific
Michelle Golafshan (Consult Australia Board representative)Douglas Partners
Peter Hortis (alternate)GHD 
Denise ObstGHD
Craig Curnow (alternate)Golder
Derek NeilsonGolder
Felicity DonaldsonJacobs
Joshua MagennisKBR
Jeanette Thomson (alternate)KBR
David Field (ACT Committee representative)Northrop
Laura KennyNorthrop
Daniel MillerNS Projects Pty Ltd
Glenn ThomasSLR Consulting
David SaundersSMEC 
Jonathan AllanUmwelt