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Month: May 2026

Annual Gala Awards – 2026 Finalists

Posted on by Reshma vallabhaneni

Finalists Announced for the 2026 ISC Awards

Celebrate the pinnacle of ISC Connect 2026 at our Gala Dinner & Awards Night – an evening dedicated to recognising leadership and excellence across the infrastructure sustainability sector. Join colleagues and industry leaders for a memorable night of fine dining, entertainment, and celebration, as we honour outstanding achievements across environmental, social, governance and economic outcomes.
Explore the full list of finalists below and join us in celebrating their achievements. We look forward to announcing the winners at the Gala Awards this June in Brisbane.

Individual contribution to a sustainable future: Celebrating individuals from ISC Members

Emerging Leader

  • Ramija Tasnim, Sustainability Lead – Ghella Limited
  • Thomas Rainger, Project Sustainability Manager – Seymour Whyte
  • Georgia Voura, Project Sustainability Manager – Seymour Whyte
  • Michael O’Grady, Project Environmental Manager – BMD Group
  • Devduni Chandraratne, Sustainability Engineer – Webuild
  • Julia Rogerson, Senior Sustainability Advisor – Spark North East Link

Enduring Impact 

  • Walentina Gonzalez, Sustainability Lead, ACCIONA
  • Adam Davis, Industry Director – Sustainability & Resilience, AECOM
  • Joanne Haggerty, Director of Sustainability, Sydney Metro
  • Jessamine Welsh, Sustainability Manager, Spark North East Link
  • Meg Wrixon, Director, Wrixon Consulting
  • Ken Lunty, Technical Director – Sustainability, Arcadis

Industry Impact: Celebrating Organisations

Delivery Partners

  • Puma Energy (Bitumen)
  • United Civil Construction & Meridian Energy
  • Webuild
  • Spark NEL – Jefa Greenaway

Knowledge & Networks

  • Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc), Australia
  • Spark NEL – University of Melbourne

Proponents, Policy & Investors

  • Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority – Metro Tunnel
  • Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (ecologiQ)
  • Office of Major Transport Infrastructure Delivery

Supply Solutions

  • BRANZ & CIL Masterspec
  • Downe
  • Holcim
  • InfraBuild
  • Viva Energy

Sustainability Leadership: Celebrating IS Rated Projects

Excellence in Economic Outcomes

  • Bruce Highway Upgrade: Caboolture-Bribie Island Road to Steve Irwin Way Project – Contract 2 (C2SIW-C2)
  • Brisbane Metro – Inner City Infrastructure Works
  • Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline
  • Spark North East Link

Excellence in Environmental Outcomes

  • Te Ara Tupua
  • City Rail Link: Stations and Tunnels
  • Prosthetic Habitats: A World‑First Research–Infrastructure Platform for Regenerative Biodiversity Design
  • Watercare’s Central Interceptor
  • Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant
  • M80 Ring Road Completion
  • Pacific Motorway M1 Varsity Lakes to Tugun upgrade

Excellence in Governance Outcomes

  • Cross River Rail – RIS (Rail Integration Systems)
  • Suburban Rail Loop East – Tunnels South
  • Western Sydney International Airport – Landside Civil and Buildings Package
  • Te Ara Tupua
  • Metro Trains Melbourne – Leveraging Governance for Innovation and Continuous Environmental Improvement in Rail Operations

Excellence in Social Outcomes

  • City Rail Link: Stations and Tunnels
  • Canterbury Hospital Child and Family Waiting Room Upgrade / BAC & SWM3 – Sydney Metro City and Southwest
  • Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance (SSTOM) Project
  • Watercare’s Central Interceptor
  • M80 Ring Road Completion
  • Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline

Outstanding Achievement

IS Rating Scheme: Celebrating IS Rated Projects

  • METRONET Morley–Ellenbrook Line Project
  • M80 Ring Road Completion
  • Kangaroo Point Bridge
  • Spark North East Link
  • City Rail Link: Stations and Tunnels
  • Western Harbour Tunnel Stage 2
  • Metro Tunnel Project – Tunnels and Stations PPP package

Winners of each award will be announced at the Gala Dinner and Awards Night, to be held on the evening of Wednesday, 3 June at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

S4E3 – Sustainability isn’t a department anymore w/ Alexandra Monson

Posted on by Sarina Aguinaldo

Description:

How do you move sustainability from a standalone function to something embedded across an entire business?
In this episode of Infrastructure Connections, we explore how sustainability is being integrated into infrastructure delivery at every level—from strategy and governance to operations, technology and culture.
The conversation examines the growing shift from compliance-driven sustainability to long-term value creation, and what that looks like in practice across large-scale infrastructure and asset management.
Joining the discussion is Alexandra Monson, Group Manager – Sustainability at Ventia as she shares how Ventia is embedding sustainability into decision-making through climate transition planning, integrated reporting and science-based emissions targets.
The episode also explores the role of innovation and emerging technologies—including AI-enabled asset management, fleet transition and data-driven planning—in improving resilience, reducing risk and delivering more proactive infrastructure outcomes.
This episode unpacks:
  • Embedding sustainability into business strategy and operations
  • Decarbonisation and climate transition planning in practice
  • How AI and data are reshaping asset management
  • Building capability and resilience across supply chains
  • Why sustainability is everyone’s responsibility—not just one team’s
As infrastructure owners and operators face increasing environmental and operational pressures, this conversation explores what it takes to create systems that are more resilient, efficient, and future-focused.

Unlocking Sustainable Outcomes Through Procurement

Posted on by Reshma vallabhaneni

Thank you for joining us for this webinar — one of the most practical and insight-rich sessions we have hosted this year. Whether you attended live or are catching up now, we are pleased to share the recording along with a summary of the key discussions, highlights from our recently launched Sustainable Procurement Thought Leadership paper, and details of an upcoming masterclass you won’t want to miss.

Watch the recording here

Access presentation slides here

What We Covered

Procurement is one of the most powerful levers the government has to drive sustainability outcomes — spanning carbon reduction, circularity, nature, social value and supply chain capability. This webinar brought our Sustainable Procurement Thought Leadership paper to life through real-world case studies and candid practitioner insights.

Session highlights included:

  • Scene setting by Bec Timmings (ConnellGriffin) on procurement as a strategic enabler, exploring how sustainability can be embedded into business cases, delivery strategies and early market conversations — well before a tender is released.
  • Lessons from the transaction front line from Richard Martin (ConnellGriffin), drawing on major infrastructure programs across Australia. Richard unpacked outcome-based tendering, sustainability-weighted criteria, and how to connect policy intent to commercial structures that actually encourage innovation and better performance.
  • The supplier perspective from David Bell (InfraBuild), illustrating how procurement signals from clients drive real investment decisions in areas like low-carbon steel, environmental product declarations (EPDs), material circularity indicators, and collaborative continuous improvement.
  • A live panel discussion and Q&A moderated by Dr Shailja Chandra (ISC), exploring market readiness, consistency across agencies, and the practical steps the ecosystem can take to strengthen sustainable procurement practices.

Key Takeaways

The session reinforced several core principles from our Sustainable Procurement Thought Leadership paper:

  • Early planning and market signalling matter. Sustainability expectations set at the outset — in business cases and delivery strategies — shape market behaviour long before a tender is released.
  • Commercial frameworks need to encourage creativity. Outcome-based approaches and well-weighted criteria give suppliers the confidence to innovate rather than simply comply.
  • Clarity and consistency build supplier capability. When clients are clear and consistent in their expectations, suppliers — especially small and medium enterprises — can invest with confidence and deliver better outcomes.
  • Transparency tools are available and ready to use. Mechanisms such as EPDs, the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), and the Responsible Steel Association Scheme (SSA) provide credible, verifiable data that procurement teams can integrate today.

Sustainable Procurement Thought Leadership Paper

This webinar was developed in partnership with ConnellGriffin to bring our recently launched Sustainable Procurement Thought Leadership paper to life. The paper offers a comprehensive framework for embedding sustainability across the full procurement lifecycle — from early planning through to contract performance and supplier engagement.

Download the thought leadership paper here

Upcoming Masterclass: Take It Further

If today’s webinar sparked ideas you want to put into practice, our upcoming Sustainable Procurement Masterclass is the natural next step. Designed for procurement and project professionals, this hands-on program will give you the tools, frameworks and confidence to embed sustainability into your procurement processes.
By the end of the masterclass, participants will be able to:
  • Explain the strategic role of procurement in sustainable infrastructure delivery
  • Identify the key drivers and barriers
  • Distinguish between transactional and strategic procurement approaches
  • Recognise where procurement decisions have the greatest influence on sustainability outcomes
  • Identify practical opportunities to embed sustainability into the procurement lifecycle
  • Understand the role of frameworks and tools
  • Apply sustainable procurement principles to real infrastructure scenarios
  • Recognise emerging trends shaping the future of sustainable procurement.

Register for the masterclass here

Infrastructure Sustainability Council and ConnellGriffin Release Landmark Thought Leadership Paper Calling for Sustainable Procurement Reform to Transform Infrastructure Delivery

Posted on by loren.blundell@iscouncil.org

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) and ConnellGriffin have today released a major new thought leadership paper calling for system level reform of infrastructure procurement to unlock long term environmental, social and economic value across Australia and New Zealand.

Titled Transforming Infrastructure Delivery Through Sustainable Procurement Reform, the paper positions procurement as a critical mechanism through which sustainability ambitions are translated into commercial reality shaping what infrastructure is delivered, how it is delivered, and the outcomes it creates for markets and communities.

Developed through extensive collaboration with government agencies, industry practitioners and supply chain participants the paper finds that while intent to deliver sustainable infrastructure is strong, current procurement systems frequently address sustainability too late in the project lifecycle, limiting efficacy, consistency, and impact.

The report draws on global best practice, benchmarking Australia and New Zealand against other leading jurisdictions, and sets out a practical ‘Plan Source Manage’ framework to embed sustainability across planning, sourcing, and contract management.

“Procurement sits at the heart of the infrastructure system and is one of the most powerful levers of change available to government and industry. It is where policy ambition becomes delivery reality,” said Toby Kent, Chief Executive Officer of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council. “When sustainability objectives are embedded early and carried consistently through procurement strategies, commercial settings and performance frameworks, they move beyond aspiration to become measurable and enforceable outcomes. This report demonstrates that sustainable procurement is essential to decarbonising infrastructure, strengthening industry capability and delivering lasting value for communities, and critically shows how procurement can be leveraged to achieve those outcomes.”

The research highlights that jurisdictions achieving the strongest results are those that move beyond transactional procurement and adopt strategic outcomes focused approaches aligning sustainability objectives with evaluation criteria contract incentives and assurance systems.

It also identifies significant opportunities to strengthen capability consistency and confidence across the sector through clearer standards better data and digital systems and stronger alignment between sustainability priorities and procurement decision making.

Richard Martin, Executive Director from ConnellGriffin said,

“Procurement is the mechanism through which ambition becomes action. It determines how sustainability objectives move from policy statements and business cases into commercial settings, contract requirements and on‑the‑ground delivery…This report and the work done by our organisations is essential to delivering the infrastructure outcomes our communities expect”

The paper is intended as a practical guide for infrastructure owners government agencies procurement professionals project teams and suppliers seeking to modernise procurement settings and embed sustainability as a core commercial and economic consideration rather than an add on.

The full report is available to download here

Media enquiries

Loren Goddard
Strategic Project Lead
Infrastructure Sustainability Council
+61 432 567 090
Loren.goddard@iscouncil.org

Lauren Jesberg
Director, Strategy and Business Development
ConnellGriffin
+61 400 118 323
ljesberg@connellgriffin.com

Transforming Infrastructure Delivery Through Sustainable Procurement Reform

Posted on by loren.blundell@iscouncil.org

Thought Leadership paper by ConnellGriffin and the Infrastructure Sustainability Council

Public procurement is one of the most powerful levers available to government to shape the long term environmental social and economic outcomes of infrastructure investment.
As the point where policy intent becomes commercial reality procurement determines what is built how it is delivered who benefits and the impact infrastructure has over decades. Yet in Australia and New Zealand despite strong ambition and policy direction sustainable procurement is still applied inconsistently and often too late in the project lifecycle after most outcomes are already locked in.

This joint thought leadership report from ConnellGriffin and the Infrastructure Sustainability Council ISC makes the case for system level procurement reform. It shows how sustainable procurement when embedded early and applied consistently across planning sourcing and delivery can transform infrastructure outcomes at scale accelerating decarbonisation strengthening market capability improving productivity and delivering genuine social value.

Why this paper matters

The infrastructure sector is entering a defining moment. Investment pipelines are at historic highs while pressures from climate change supply chain fragility productivity constraints and community expectations continue to intensify. At the same time markets are signalling readiness to deliver low carbon circular and socially responsible infrastructure but need clearer more consistent procurement settings to do so.

This paper demonstrates that sustainable procurement is no longer an optional add on. It is a strategic necessity.
Drawing on global best practice regional insights survey evidence and real world case studies the paper

  • Explains why procurement is the most effective near term lever for delivering sustainable resilient and inclusive infrastructure
  • Benchmarks Australia and New Zealand against global leaders including Europe the United Kingdom and Canada
  • Highlights where current systems fall short including capability gaps fragmented tools and late integration of sustainability
  • Sets out a practical lifecycle based roadmap aligned to the Plan Source Manage approach
  • Provides clear actions tools and commercial levers to help agencies and project teams turn intent into measurable outcomes

Key insights at a glance

  • 70 to 80 percent of whole of life environmental and social impacts are locked in before tender making early strategic procurement decisions critical
  • Sustainable procurement shifts decision making from lowest cost to whole of life value
  • Consistent standards digital systems and performance based evaluation can transform market behaviour
  • Procurement can actively drive decarbonisation circularity supply chain resilience and social inclusion
  • With the right tools and capability sustainable procurement can deliver better outcomes without compromising value for money

Read the full paper