Partnering with clients to provide on-demand contract lawyers, giving in-house legal teams the confidence to be agile.
Well structured and efficiently implemented public private partnerships (PPPs) enable governments to reap the financial and efficiency benefits of partnering with the private sector to deliver public infrastructure and services. They can be the blueprint for the public and private sector working together to deliver better value-for-money services to the community.
Our PPP team has an unrivalled reputation for providing quality strategic, legal and commercial advice to assist in the delivery of major public sector infrastructure and services.
We have been instrumental in the development of the Private Financing model in Australia: We drafted and advised the Victorian government on its Partnerships Victoria policy and guidance documentation, which is the first private financing methodology of this type in Australia. The Commonwealth Private Financing guidelines, NSW 'Working with Government' Guidelines and other State government private financing methodologies explicitly state that they have procedural consistency with Partnerships Victoria. We are also retained by the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance and NSW Treasury (and indirectly other State and Commonwealth Treasuries) to advise on the development of whole of government Standardised Commercial Principles for risk allocation and contract management in PPPs. This task is being carried out as an initiative of the National PPP Forum.
We have been at the forefront of the development of Australia's PPP sector and are now exporting those skills into Asia. Our on-the-ground lawyers in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai work on infrastructure projects in many Asian jurisdictions, giving us an acute understanding of the local challenges and opportunities.
Having acted for both private sector participants and the government on numerous PPP deals, we have extensive specialised knowledge of the current market risk positions being achieved and risk mitigation strategies being employed in this sector. Our track record acting for buyers, sellers, developers, contractors and financiers means that we understand the various aspects of these transactions, what works and what doesn't, and are able to identify and pre-empt issues before they arise, leading to time and cost efficiencies. Our respected PPP team is engaged on a recurring basis and we have participated in almost all social infrastructure PPP deals across Australia.
Acted for the Carewest consortium (Westpac/Abigroup/Honeywell/Medirest) on its bid for the Orange Hospital PPP project. We advised on all aspects of the consortium's bid to NSW Health on this project to finance, design, construct and facilities manage a new hospital in Orange, NSW.
Acting for the NSW Department of Housing and the Department of Finance & Services on the new NSW Social Housing PPP at Airds-Bradbury. This (approx) A$500 million project involves the renewal and revitalisation of a social housing estate with 1470 dwellings located in the Campbelltown local government area. As principal legal advisors to the NSW government on only the second project of its kind in Australia, this is one of the most complex infrastructure projects to be delivered under the PPP framework to date.
Advised Aspire Schools Consortium on its successful bid for the SEQLD schools PPP project to build and maintain seven schools over a number of years. This was the first PPP to utilise the Supported Debt Model where Queensland Treasury Corporation provided term debt which resulted in complex inter-creditor arrangements with construction and term debt providers. The transaction received the Euromoney Project Finance Asia Pacific PPP Deal of the Year.
Acted for Brookfield Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd and Brookfield Multiplex Services Pty Ltd as Construction Contractor and Facilities Manager on the VeNuSW bid in relation to the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Centre PPP (SICEEP). The SICEEP project included the design, construction, operation and maintenance of new exhibition, convention and entertainment facilities at Darling Harbour as well as the design and construction of a new hotel, residential development and student accommodation. Work involved negotiating and documenting project documents, including the Project Deed, Project Delivery Agreement, Construction Contract Terms Sheet, Hotel Construction Contract Terms Sheet, Early Works Contract Terms Sheet, Facilities Management Contract Terms Sheet, Interface Agreement Terms Sheet and various other multipartite agreements.
Acted for the NSW Department of Transport & Infrastructure in the Sydney Ferries Market Review project. This was a high profile and politically sensitive project to implement the recommendations of the Walker report into the operation of Sydney Ferries.
Advised New South Wales Health Infrastructure on the design, construction and build of the Northern Beaches Hospital PPP Project using a clinical services outsourcing model, including procurement and financing structures, managing diverse stakeholder interests and NSW Government and NSW Health policy issues. The finalised RFT structure and documentation was endorsed by the NSW Government as a preferred core procurement methodology for hospitals in the State going forward.
Acting for the syndicate of banks to the RBS/Leighton/Transfield consortium in the revised bid for the design, construction, financing and maintenance of the 17 site Department of Defence Single Living Environment Accommodation Precinct Phase 2 PPP.
Acted for the Multiplex/Westpac consortium (Synersec) bidding for the design, construction, financing and maintenance of the multi-site Department of Defence Single Living Environment Accommodation Precinct Phase 1 PPP. This included the provision of 1,295 rooms at the Defence bases at Holsworthy in New South Wales and Enoggera and Amerbley in Queensland.
Acting for Edith Cowan University, Perth on its Student Accommodation PPP project to provide additional student accommodation on campus as well as transferring the management and operation of existing accommodation across to the successful private sector consortium.
Acted for Brookfield Multiplex Constructions as D&C Contractor on the Westadium bid in relation to the new Perth Stadium PPP. Work involved negotiating and documenting the project documents including the Project Agreement, D&C Subcontract terms Sheet, Interface Terms Sheet and other ancillary documents including the agreement to be entered into with the proposed operator of the stadium.
Acted for the winning consortium on the successfully closed Melbourne Convention Centre project, the largest proposed facility of this type in Australia with associated retail and commercial developments and public works. The A$1.2bn project includes a 5,000 seat convention centre, a five star Hilton hotel, office and residential tower, riverfront retail promenade and revitalised Maritime Museum.
Advising the Victorian Department of Human Services on the delivery of the A$1billion Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Project. This world-class cancer centre will be built in Parkville to drive the next generation of progress in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. It will be one of the only hospitals in the world where the primary cancer research entities will be collocated with patients to facilitate the shortest time for treatment to move from research to bedside.