Hayley Morgan

Waste Infrastructure in Transition: Contracting for a Moving Target Why procurement strategy is becoming as important as technology in delivering Queensland’s next generation of waste infrastructure. Introduction Queensland’s waste sector is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. The introduction of Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) services, increasing landfill diversion targets, investment in Materials...

Contact ESG is no longer simply a reporting obligation or policy aspiration. Increasingly, it is becoming a core procurement and delivery requirement for public infrastructure projects. As Queensland moves closer to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Games), councils and public sector agencies are under increasing pressure to deliver infrastructure and services that...

The best way to avoid construction disputes isn’t to manage claims better—it’s to create fewer claims in the first place. Introduction By the time a project becomes consumed by variation claims, extension of time requests and contractual disputes, the underlying problem has usually existed for months. The claim itself is rarely the cause of the...

For many years, public sector procurement has operated on a relatively simple premise: transfer as much risk as possible to the contractor and allow competitive tension to determine the price of that risk. Design and Construct (D&C) and lump sum contracting models have often been the primary mechanisms used to achieve that outcome. However, as...

Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline is creating unprecedented pressure across the construction and infrastructure sectors. Transport, energy, water, waste, housing and civic infrastructure projects are all competing for the same contractors, consultants, suppliers and skilled labour. At the same time, agencies and councils are under increasing pressure to deliver projects faster and with greater certainty as Queensland...

Procurement Under Pressure: Why “Business as Usual” No Longer Works Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline is accelerating at a pace not previously experienced. In the lead-up to 2032, councils, council-owned corporations (COCs) and delivery agencies are being asked to deliver more, faster, and with greater complexity and scrutiny. The pressure is not just on what gets delivered...

Introduction Queensland is entering a once-in-a-generation infrastructure delivery cycle. Driven by population growth, housing demand and the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, councils across the State are being asked to deliver more infrastructure, faster, and under greater scrutiny than ever before. Significant funding is being committed. Pipelines are expanding. Expectations are...

Fuel Cost Recovery Just Changed – And Construction Should Be Paying Attention The Fair Work Commission has just made a significant move in response to fuel volatility — and its implications go well beyond the transport sector. Under the Road Transport Contractual Chain Order – Fuel Cost Recovery – 2026, parties across the road transport...

Third-Party Cyber Risk: The Governance Issue Hiding in Plain Sight A recent Queensland Audit Office (QAO) report is a timely warning for councils, government-owned entities and public sector agencies: one of the most significant cyber risks may not sit inside your organisation at all, it may sit with your suppliers, vendors, consultants and service providers....

Cost Escalation is Back – Are your contracts Ready? Cost Escalation is Back — Are Your Contracts Ready? The recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East is already having tangible, real-time impacts on Australia’s construction sector. Fuel prices are rising. Oil markets are volatile. Transport and logistics costs are increasing rapidly. As always, these...

The Role of Legal and Probity Advisors in Strategic Procurement From Compliance Checkpoint to Strategic Partner Legal and probity advisors are often engaged at the final stage of a procurement — just before release, or when something has gone wrong. In both cases, their role is typically reactive — reviewing documents for compliance or resolving...

Procurement in Infrastructure Delivery: Managing Risk Across the Lifecycle Infrastructure delivery is one of the most complex and high-risk areas of procurement for councils. Major projects – whether roads, waste facilities, water infrastructure, community assets or urban revitalisation programs – involve significant capital investment, technical complexity and long asset lifecycles. Yet procurement risk is often...