More than 1,500 industry representatives came together this week for the country’s largest onshore and offshore wind energy event, Australia Wind Energy 2025.
Proud sponsors of the two-day summit, our experienced teams met with leaders from the renewables sector to discuss how we are driving innovative and sustainable solutions to support the delivery of the infrastructure needed for Australia’s energy transition.
For almost 100 years, CPB Contractors has been constructing our nation’s most complex and major infrastructure projects across all sectors, including Australia’s first wind farm more than 20 years ago.
Whether energy, rail, roads, building or water, and no matter the location, the greater the collaboration, the better the outcome. General Manager of Renewables, Systems and Technology, Jason Pearson shared insights on this topic, highlighting the many benefits of early contractor collaboration and particularly in the renewables sector, where we are working with stakeholders to increase the pace of project approvals and delivery.
“In order to deliver the unprecedented number of projects required for Australia’s energy transition, we need to rethink our approach, particularly in how we can unlock greater certainty for projects during the planning, funding and approval stages. We all share the same goal – to achieve certainty, and ultimately to secure investment for these projects,” says Jason.
Collaboration between developers, contractors and other key stakeholders during the early planning and even in the feasibility stages creates long-term benefits, minimising risk and the potential for cost overruns during the construction phase. And timing is everything.
Bringing the right stakeholders in at the right time, particularly the supply chain and local community members, establishes a clearer pathway for success. For example, early onsite engagement between developer, contractor and landowners addresses common challenges like access tracks, agriculture vs grazing needs, clearances and buffer zones, all elements which are key to seeking planning and environmental approvals. More importantly, the concerns and needs of the local communities can be heard and understood at this time, providing the best opportunity for a more successful delivery program down the track.
The need for competition often hinders the opportunities for collaboration, however, as the urgency for project approval and delivery increases, the need for whole of industry collaboration and a different approach becomes even more vital.
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