NewsSA Water’s ‘Our Plan 2020-24’ kicks off with shovel ready projects in first month

As the engineering partner and client organisation partner, international engineering, design and advisory company Aurecon, in a joint venture with provider of differentiated professional services and technologies, KBR, has been providing program and project management, procurement support, engineering and construction management services to SA Water during a start-up period for the past 12 months.

‘Our Plan 2020-24’ will deliver a diverse portfolio of projects that includes dam upgrades, water tank refurbishments, bulk water transfer infrastructure, water main replacements, sewerage network upgrades and water and wastewater treatment upgrades, with work spread across both metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.

Aurecon’s Managing Director, Victoria & South Australia Angus Leitch said SA Water’s investment in water networks provides asset and infrastructure outcomes that represent value for South Australians, which are delivered in line with community expectations and provide economic stimulus.

“This partnership and this extensive program of works is being delivered through a collaborative model that brings together SA Water, it’s major construction partners and Aurecon and KBR as joint engineering and client organisation partner,” Mr. Leitch said.

“The program creates a smoothed pipeline of works with greater forward-looking visibility. It prioritises works that will deliver the largest benefits to customers and it ensures that these are tracked and incentivised throughout the program.”

A customer first approach

To get some of Our Plan 2020-24 projects shovel ready, the team applied SA Water’s asset planning to capital delivery lifecycle framework, which has been developed and refined over the past decade and focuses on continuous improvement activities to optimise portfolio and program delivery, improve safety, enhance stakeholder relations and create great outcomes for the community. This approach has ensured a smooth transition between the regulatory cycles and established a sustainable investment profile across the period, which provides great outcomes for customers as well as securing South Australian jobs.

In a truly joint effort, the team has helped ensure SA Water’s full program of capital investment and construction works has continued despite the added challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping fuel the local economy by pushing more work into the market, and allowing delivery partners and the extended supply chains across the state to keep working.

Aurecon’s Water Capability Leader Kevin Werksman described how Aurecon and KBR as client organisation partner is embracing SA Water’s customer-focused performance goals.

“This includes safety performance by focusing on further cultural change and high potential events, better connecting with the local supply chain and with local and Indigenous communities and ensuring investment in digital innovation and innovative thinking to drive better outcomes for SA Water customers,” Mr. Werksman said.

This is all while ensuring the needs of customers, residents and the wider community are core business requirements underpinning programs of work and that short-term inconveniences that building and construction sometimes create are minimised by planning and scheduling activity in line with the needs of the community.

Collaboration delivers value to customers

For KBR, Our Plan 2020-24 represents the third consecutive capital program it has supported SA Water in to continually deliver improved water and wastewater services for its customers.

KBR’s Alan MacKintosh who is the Program Director for the capital delivery outcomes of Our Plan 2020-24 said it has been a privilege to have worked alongside SA Water for almost a decade.

“It’s great to see our collaborative team and high performing culture evolve as we continue to adopt best practice program and project management principles across Our Plan 2020-24 to deliver infrastructure and service improvements to the community,” he said.

This is Aurecon and KBR’s second collaborative partnership, supporting water utilities across the nation in their journeys to realising savings in capital expenditure and community centric outcomes. The team is the Portfolio Delivery Management Partner, supporting Water Infrastructure NSW in managing drought response and water security projects.