The infrastructure sector must face up to the transformation required to meet rocketing demand according to newly-launched consultancy Avista Strategy, which is out to challenge the status quo.
A new consultancy has launched in Australia to capitalise on the country’s ongoing infrastructure boom, and help address what its founders consider industry shortcomings.
With locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne and a further outlet in the United Kingdom, Avista Strategy aims to support public and private sector clients in solving complex infrastructure, public policy, and project delivery challenges.
Founded by local executives Lee Callaghan, Peter Colacino and Hayley Davis, along with partners Dale Evans and Andrew Quincey in the United Kingdom, the bulk of Avista Strategy’s experienced 15-plus consulting team have been assembled from federal agency Infrastructure Australia or risk and dispute consultancy HKA. Many also have links to construction firm Mace, with which Avista has struck a strategic partnership.
“When you look across the breadth of experience and knowledge in our team, I think it’s fair to say we bring an unrivalled track record in setting the industry agenda,” said Colacino, a former policy & research chief at Infrastructure Australia. “Our team has supported infrastructure owners and clients across multiple sectors, and we are excited to come together to bring this expertise to a sector facing a huge amount of change.”
According to Avista Strategy, the “fundamental transformational change” required – which is being largely overlooked at present – will be driven by two primary conflicting factors; an unprecedented federal infrastructure pipeline which had at one point ticked over to around $120 billion over ten years, together with already existing industry constraints such as labour and skills shortages and ongoing supply chain disruptions.
“Australia is about to enter a period of its highest-ever infrastructure spend, we’re building more than we ever have before, but the industry is capacity constrained, so we need to do more with less,” Colacino told the Australian Financial Review. “So more collaboration, digital transformation, then thinking about embedded carbon to do more with less with materials.”
With a focus on the Australian, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canadian markets, Avista will offer a range of advisory services, including business and investment strategy, delivery model review, design and development, productivity optimisation, and ecosystem integration such as to supply chains. “We know infrastructure can deliver more for people and places. Avista Strategy is here to challenge the status quo,” concludes Colacino.
Sourced from Consultancy.com.au