The 2010 National Infrastructure Awards were held on 11 March giving the opportunity for the infrastructure sector to come together to showcase the successes of the industry over 2009.

PROJECT OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by ARUP

Melbourne Channel Deepening Project

Port of Melbourne Corporation, Royal Boskalis Westminster, Cardno, Minter Ellison, GHD, Sinclair Knight Merz

The prestigious Project of the Year for 2010 was awarded to Victoria’s Channel Deepening Project. The selection of this excellent project also marks the first time that a project delivered under an alliance model has received the award.

The Channel Deepening Project – completed in November – was the largest marine infrastructure project in the Port of Melbourne’s 150-year history and will underpin future growth for Australia’s most valuable container port and deliver economic benefits of more than $2 billion to the national economy.

Giving the port at least another 30 years of capacity, the project involved the removal of nearly 23 million cubic metres of sediment from Port Phillip Bay, allowing ships up to a depth of 14m to enter the bay and the Yarra River at high or low tide. The previous maximum depths had been 11.6m, or 12.1m at high tide.

CHAIRMAN’S PRIZE

DR KERRY SCHOTT | MANAGING DIRECTOR, SYDNEY WATER

Sydney Water Managing Director, Dr Kerry Schott, received the 2010 Chairman’s Prize for her career-long contribution to the infrastructure sector.

Dr Schott has had a range of roles over her career spanning the public and private sectors. Before being appointed to head Sydney Water, Kerry served as a Deputy Secretary in the NSW Treasury, as well as a distinguished career in academia and as a senior Deutsche Bank executive. In 2007, Kerry was selected to serve on the Board of Infrastructure Australia - recognising the depth of her understanding and commitment to the infrastructure sector. 

GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARD – Sponsored by the University of Wollongong’s Smart Infrastructure Facility

Sydney Desalination Plant

Sydney Water, Blue Water Joint Venture (John Holland and Veolia Water Australia) and Water Delivery Alliance (Bovis Lend Lease, McConnell Dowell, Kellogg Brown and Root, Worley Parsons, Environmental Resource Management and Sydney Water)

Sydney Water, in partnership with the Blue Water Joint Venture and Water Delivery Alliance delivered this $1.8 billion project on time and $60 million under budget, with the plant coming into operation in January. The project was procured during an acute water shortage and long-term water restrictions and demonstrated a strong partnership between the public and private sector to deliver a project that ensured that the state was no longer dependent on rainfall, “drought-proofing” Sydney’s water supply. World-leading measures to minimise impact on the land and marine environment, including stringent monitoring of the marine environment and the development of a 67-turbine wind farm to offset the plant’s energy use, were part of the project.

CONTRACTOR EXCELLENCE AWARD – Sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland

Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM 7)

Baulderstone, Leighton Contractors

The Clem Jones Tunnel opened in March 2010 and will carry up to 100,000 vehicles a day, bypassing the CBD and 24 sets of traffic lights, reducing travel times in Brisbane by up to 30 per cent. Two $50 million, 4000-tonne boring machines imported from Germany tunnelled 20m a day, extracting 3.5 million tonnes of rock to build the twin, two-lane tunnels.

ADVISORY EXCELLENCE AWARD – Sponsored by Hansen Yuncken

Biosciences Research Centre Project

KPMG

The new La Trobe University facility is a $288 million world class agricultural biosciences research and development centre built under a PPP for the Victorian Government and La Trobe University. The Plenary Research consortium – comprising Plenary Group, Grocon and Honeywell Services – won the tender to design, construct, finance and provide facility management services required for the operation of the facility over a 25-year period. KPMG was the lead commercial and financial advisor to the state government and La Trobe University. The centre will be a key plank in protecting Victoria’s $11.8 billion agricultural sector, by fostering the development of new generation crops and livestock for drought-prone conditions and enhance the response to plant, animal pest and disease outbreaks.

FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD – Sponsored by the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

Victorian Desalination Plant

The $3.5 billion Victorian desalination plant is the world’s largest Public Private Partnership commissioned since the global financial crisis. In spite of the liquidity crisis at the time of its procurement, the project has been fully financed by the private sector - demonstrating confidence in the sector both domestically and overseas. Macquarie, The State of Victoria and numerous other participants collaborated in an innovative financial structure, with the state government saying it would step in as a lender of last resort to finance the plant, In practice, the project was 50 percent oversubscribed after it was syndicated.

OPERATOR AND SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD – Sponsored by Plenary Group

Acacia Prison

Serco Asia Pacific

Acacia Prison is Western Australia’s only privately managed prison. Serco expanded and invested in numerous education, training, rehabilitation and resettlement programs in 2009, focusing on restorative justice and community and social responsibility. Enhancement and upgrading of correctional facilities and services – done at the same time as 200 additional prisoners were integrated into the prison – was aimed at ensuring prisoners left Acacia with the ability to make a positive contribution to society.