Client: Gold Coast Water

Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Project Date: Late 2002 - Mid 2003.

Approx Value of Project: $50,000

Description of Project
After the amalgamation of Albert Shire and Gold Coast City, Gold Coast Water was formed.

Gold Coast Water invested significant time and energy in rationalising and optimising the water and wastewater networks.  The reviews that were conducted into the networks delayed some of the growth capital works, while they identified some capital works that would make the networks more effective and efficient to operate.

In late 2002 the consequential capital works program for the next five to 10 years was reviewed and the quantity of work required, particularly in the next five to seven years, was considerably larger than was currently being delivered.  The increase was a factor of between five and eight times the current delivery rate of capital works.

Gold Coast Water sort AQUA projects assistance to develop a strategy to achieve its capital works program over the next five to 10 years.

AQUA SOLUTION

The immediate response from the Gold Coast Water Team was to increase their resources and continue to use their current processes, methodologies and systems.

AQUA suggested a strategic approach, involving all the key players in the Infrastructure Services Branch.  This was achieved with a series of workshops, where we explored the corporate objectives of Gold Coast Water and Gold Coast City Council, and how these related to the measures of success for the Infrastructure Services Branch.  We also explored the constraints under which Infrastructure Services Branch would be operating and discovered these included a ceiling on staff numbers, a market shortage of contract project managers, construction managers, as well as design managers. In addition, the internal project and construction management systems could not cope with the increase.  Gold Coast Water being an owner and operator of a large water and wastewater network (400,000 residents) had considerable experience which it wished to bring to the provision of all assets that would be delivered.

The workshops indicated that a ‘package’ approach, where the provider of each package brought their systems and management capability to deliver for Infrastructure Services Branch was the most effective strategy to achieve Infrastructure Services Branches goals.  However, any of these packages would need to allow for integration of Gold Coast Water staff into the delivery mechanism.  Gold Coast Water wanted to be part of the solution and not simply a ‘spectator’.

Further workshops worked on the synergies between activities and projects shown in the Capital Works Program and agreed the makeup of each package to be put to the market.

Each of these packages was then subjected to an assessment of the particular delivery strategy that would have the best chance of meeting the Gold Coast Water and Gold Coast City Council's corporate objectives.  The particular tool used was the 3DM Infrastructure Delivery Model.  These workshops will lead by a leading procurement specialist with intimate knowledge of the water industry.  Further, specialist advisers were used as required.

The first four packages that progressed through this process were:

• Coombabah Water Futures program
  • Engineering Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) alliance.

• Merrimac Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Program
  • a 'Contracted' Alliance with Competitive TOC Phase

• Water Supply Pumps and Pipes Program
  • a Managing Contractor Agreement.

• Beenleigh Merrimac Pimpama, Wastewater Network Upgrade Program
  • a 'Contracted' Alliance with Competitive TOC Phase

AQUA Consultants involved:

• Coombabah Water Futures program
  • John Davis, Brad Cowan
• Merrimac Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Program
  • John Davis, Brad Cowan
• Water Supply Pumps and Pipes Program
  • Harry Holland, Brad Cowan
• Beenleigh Merrimac Pimpama, Wastewater Network Upgrade Program
  • Robin Hagen, Brad Cowan

Client said…

“the Capital Works Program is now on target.  We could not have achieved that without the packaging solutions, and the robust delivery method assessment that AQUA and the 3DM model gave us.”