Marina van der Walt: Trends and Insights and Associated Reforms for NSW Infrastructure Projects

The John Grill Institute for Project Leadership’s Infrastructure in a Changing World talks series continued on Wednesday August 24 with the visit of Head of Assurance at Infrastructure New South Wales, Marina van der Walt.

Ms van der Walt spoke about Trends and Insights and Associated Reforms for NSW Infrastructure Projects.

The NSW Government announced an infrastructure pipeline of $112.7 billion over the next four years in its 2022-23 Budget – a record investment that highlights the importance of completing projects on time and within budget, despite unprecedented challenges faced by the construction industry.

“We have a responsibility to share some of the issues that we’ve recognised across the program and we work hand in glove with industry on addressing those,” Ms Van Der Walt said.

“We have a vested interest in developing capability and so it helps us in the planning and delivery of our programs – so speaking here gives me the chance to share some of the problems we are faced with and provides that opportunity to develop capability.”

The past year saw the largest increase in construction costs on record – driven by inflation, global supply chain constraints, higher freight costs and skilled worker shortages.

Ms van der Walt emphasised the need for cross-sector collaboration to ensure the effective delivery of major projects.

“We require a system-wide approach to all of the above and instead of talking about risks, it is what can we collectively do about it as government, industry and academia,” she said.

“That is working closely together and navigating through it together and listening to lessons learned in other areas and where we’re breaking new ground.”

The next event in the Infrastructure in a Changing World talks series will take place on Wednesday September 21 – with the University of Sydney Business School’s Professor Michael Bell​ providing his insights on The circular economy in construction.