Kiri Parr is a construction lawyer and industry commentator focused on how procurement, contracting and risk allocation shape behaviour in the construction sector.

In this episode, Kiri unpacks why “culture” in construction can’t be fixed in isolation - because structures drive culture. She explains how risk-shifting D&C contracts reward time-and-cost decision-making over quality and safety, suppress technical innovation, and reduce owners’ technical capability.

Kiri also challenges the role lawyers have normalised as “risk goons”, arguing we’re trained in failure rather than success. Finally, she shares practical lenses for better outcomes, from behavioural science to complex systems thinking, and why collaborative contracting offers a path to a better industry.

Resources and links:

Kiri Parr on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/kiriparr

Kiri Parr Advisory website: https://kiriparr.com/

Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/

The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Perl is a construction partner at Pinsent Masons and a leading voice in construction law reform.

In this episode, Adam unpacks the structural drivers behind Australia’s high infrastructure and construction costs. The conversation explores the industry’s productivity challenges, the consequences of lowest-price tendering, and why Australia’s unit costs are among the highest globally.

Adam also examines how extensive amendments to standard contracts contribute to complexity, inefficiency, and disputes. He discusses whether greater contract standardisation could improve productivity and enable better outcomes for public infrastructure investment, alongside the governance and institutional barriers that have slowed reform.

Resources and links:

Adam Perl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-p-8a922a14/
Pinsent Masons website: https://www.pinsentmasons.com/

Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/
The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blake Frost is a Partner at HopgoodGanim, where he leads the firm’s Construction practice.

In this episode, Blake explores why late payment remains at the heart of many construction disputes. He also unpacks the Queensland security of payment regime, explains how extended timeframes and jurisdictional error challenges have shifted adjudication away from its original purpose, and examines the growing intersection between construction law and insolvency. Blake also shares practical reform ideas - from faster adjudication to rethinking payment in arrears - and reflects on how smarter payment practices could improve project outcomes across the industry.

Resources and links:

• Blake Frost on LinkedIn

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelly-Ann Ee is the Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Star of the South, bringing more than a decade of experience working across offshore wind projects in global markets.

In this episode, Kelly-Ann unpacks why safety culture is such a critical part of delivering complex energy infrastructure. The conversation explores the challenges of applying consistent safety standards across different markets and the role of data and innovation in improving outcomes. Kelly-Ann also discusses workforce diversity, including the importance of gender representation, and how blending local culture with global best practice can strengthen safety in the offshore wind sector.

Resources and links:

• Kelly-Ann Ee on LinkedIn

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucas Shipway is a Barrister at Greenway Chambers, with a practice focused on construction and infrastructure disputes.

In this episode, Lucas breaks down his presentation "Limiting Liability for Faulty Tender Information: Is there a better way?". He covers the Sydney Light Rail's $500 million dispute over undisclosed utilities, how government disclaimers fail to protect against misleading conduct claims, and recommendations for more transparent and collaborative tender processes to reduce disputes.

Resources and links:

• Greenway Chambers on LinkedIn
• Lucas Shipway on LinkedIn

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily Ng is Special Counsel in the Construction, Infrastructure, and Projects team at Holding Redlich, where she advises on the full project lifecycle for major energy, resources, and infrastructure developments.

In this episode, Emily discusses the struggle of achieving work-life balance, particularly as a new mother in the industry. She unpacks Queensland’s proportionate liability regime and why she believes its current prohibition on contracting out is worth rethinking. Finally, Emily also breaks down the High Court’s Tesseract decision, exploring how it affects proportionate liability in arbitration and the strategies parties should consider moving forward. 

Resources and links:

• Emily Ng on Linkedin

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Kelly is a Partner at Clayton Utz. Sean focuses on major projects and construction, and he has extensive experience in project delivery and dispute resolution.

In this episode, Sean takes us through significant changes in construction law. He discusses the rationale for the changes, the nationwide discrepancies in adjudication, and how the excluded amounts regime seeks to address them. Sean also leaves us with important clarifications on how the laws will be applied, who they will apply to, and to what extent.

Resources and links:

• Clayton Utz on LinkedIn
• Sean Kelly on LinkedIn

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Paul Tracey is a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School. Paul teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in construction law, as well as leading the Construction Law and Practice programme at the University of Salford.

In this episode, Dr Tracey explores Cross-cultural collaboration. He breaks down how a power station project in Gaza became the catalyst for his research, compares Australian culture with other cultures, and gives advice on how to better prepare students for collaborating with people from different cultures.

Resources and links:

• University of Melbourne website 

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year at the annual Society of Construction Law Australia conference in Brisbane, we caught up with panellists and moderators from around Australia to discuss the biggest issues in the industry today.

Matthew Bell is an Associate Professor and Co-director for Studies for Construction Law at Melbourne Law School, and Trevor Thomas is a Partner at Corr Chambers Westgarth. 

In this episode, Matthew and Trevor debrief their entertaining presentation on liquidated damages, where they used AI to create their own episode of The Rest is History. They also talk about the intricacies of low-value liquidated damage and its implications for drafting relevant clauses. 

Resources and links:

• Matthew Bell on LinkedIn
• Trevor Thomas on LinkedIn

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Macdonald is a Senior Associate for Dispute Resolution at Ashurst. Ashurst is a global law firm built and run on the primary motivation of staying ahead and driving innovation.

In this episode, James talks about his paper, From Blueprints to Bytes: The Legal Implications of AI in Construction. You’ll hear him discuss the current state of AI within the Australian construction industry, the struggle of shifting traditional legal clauses to keep pace with AI, and the risks that misuse of AI tools will pose to the industry.

Resources and links:

• Ashurst Website
• James Macdonald on LinkedIn

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jane Hider is a Partner at King & Wood Mallesons, specialising in construction law and infrastructure project delivery.

Nicole Whitby is a construction and engineering lawyer and a Partner at Pinsent Masons. She specialises in minimising risk within public-private partnership projects.

Colin Fraser is a lawyer and a Partner at Pinsent Masons, with over 30 years of experience in infrastructure projects.

In this episode, Jane unpacks the underlying legal nuances in procurement and delivery for the 2032 Olympics. In addition, Nicole and Colin draw their comparisons from similar infrastructure projects. They discuss why this one is so different and explain the risks they may face along the way.

Resources and links:

• Jane Hider on Linkedin
• Nicole Whitby on Linkedin
• Colin Fraser on Linkedin

Connect:

• The Society of Construction Law Australia website
• The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.