200807 – Russell – Is Alliance Contracting “Doing More with Less”

Our industry is experiencing unprecedented investment and expansion driven by years of under investment in certain sectors of the Australian Rail industry and more recently the seemingly insatiable appetite for commodities particularly iron ore and coal of China and other expanding economies. The IRSE conference has a theme of Delivering Efficiencies – “Doing more with Less”. To examine the contract model of Alliance contracting in the rail environment is entirely appropriate under this theme.

This paper examines the movement toward Alliance contracting within the Australian construction industry and provides the observations of the author of the successes and challenges for the rail industry to date and moving forward in an Alliance contracting context.