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Experience
We have advised on numerous major water-sector projects throughout Australia and overseas, and regularly advise clients on projects relating to:

Privatisation, corporatisation, industry reform and restructure

Our thorough knowledge of the industry goes beyond an awareness of water policy initiatives, regulatory arrangements  and legislation. Through a long history of working with key water industry participants, we fully understand the commercial, economic and social environment in which they operate and the issues that affect the industry.

Following are examples of our recent projects.
  • Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, New South Wales—adviser to the Victorian Government on the corporatisation of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority.
  • Southern Hydro privatisation, Victoria—adviser to the Victorian Government on restructuring Southern Hydro, the
    operator of five Victorian hydro schemes, prior to its privatisation.
  • Prospect Water Treatment privatisation, New South Wales—adviser to Australian Water Services in relation to the Prospect Water Treatment privatisation.
  • Western Australian irrigation privatisation—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia on the privatisation of the South West Irrigation Scheme and subsequently on the privatisation of the Preston Valley, Carnarvon and Ord Stage 1 irrigation schemes.
  • Report: An effective system of defining water property titles—created a report in conjunction with ACIL Tasman, commissioned by Land and Water Australia and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to develop a system of water property titles in Australia.
  • Western Australian water industry restructure—adviser to the Western Australian Government’s Water Industry Implementation Group on the restructure of the water industry in Western Australia.
  • Privatisation of EcoScience, Victoria—adviser to the Water Reform Unit of the Department of Treasury and
    Finance, Victoria, in respect of the sale (privatisation) of EcoScience on behalf of Melbourne Water and Rural Water Corporation.
  • Restructuring and privatisation of water testing facilities, Victoria—adviser to the Rural Water Corporation in Victoria in relation to commercial and contractual matters arising from its restructuring, including privatisation of its water testing facilities.
  • Adelaide Water privatisation—Adviser to a shortlisted consortium tendering to privatise Adelaide’s water systems.
  • Privatisation of Melbourne Water’s water testing facilities, Victoria—Adviser to Melbourne Water on the privatisation of their water testing and laboratory enterprise.

Water treatment plants

Our experience in advising on water treatment plant projects, whether it be for the construction or upgrade of facilities, is second to none. We have advised private and public participants on water treatment plant projects throughout Australia, including the Grampians Water Project and the Prospect Water Filtration Plant, the largest treatment plant in the southern hemisphere.

Below are further examples of our water treatment plant project experience.

  • Prospect Water Filtration Plant, New South Wales—adviser to the operator of the largest water filtration plant in the southern hemisphere.
  • Grampians Water Project (Halls Gap, Ararat, Great Western and Promenal), Victoria—adviser to the successful bidder, AquaTower consortium, on its BOOT bid to build four dissolved air flotation and microfiltration water treatment plants in Victoria. We also advised the project’s financiers.
  • Bendigo, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Taradale and Elphinstone water treatment plants, Victoria—adviser to Australian Water Services on their BOOT bid for water treatment plants and related infrastructure.
  • Illawarra and Woronora treatment plants, New South Wales—adviser to the controlling owner of Wyuna Water Investments.
  • Water treatment plants and related infrastructure for Ballarat, Creswick and Ballan region in Victoria—adviser to Australian Water Services on its BOOT bid. Also adviser to Bechtel on their BOOT bid.
  • Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant amplification project, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia in relation to $140 million alliance based Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract.
  • Echuca and Rochester waste water treatment plants, Victoria—adviser to Earth Tech Engineering Pty Ltd on their successful bid to build, own and operate waste water treatment plants and to manage a reuse water system.
  • Upgrade of Beenyup Wastewater Treatment Plant, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia in relation to the development of an alliance agreement.
  • Wanneroo water treatment plant upgrade, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia on the EPC contract, supply agreement, licence agreement and various heads of agreement.
  • Supernatant and Prospect filtration plants, New South Wales—adviser to the Prospect Water Partnership on the construction, financing and operation of the supernatant filtration plant constructed at the Prospect Water Filtration Plant.
  • Upgrade and odour control of Subiaco Wastewater Treatment Plant, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia in relation to the development of an alliance agreement.

Water supply, irrigation and other infrastructure

We have advised on a broad range of water infrastructure from irrigation schemes and dams to seawater, desalination
hydro-power projects.

Below are some examples of our experience.

  • Seawater and desalination facilities on Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia in relation to the development of a multi-user seawater facility and project-specific desalination facilities on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia’s north-west.
  • Harvey Dam project, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia in relation to land acquisition and construction issues.
  • Warragamba Dam auxiliary spillway project, New South Wales—adviser to Sydney Water, including advice to the board on various issues such as risk exposure, planning and environmental issues.
  • Perth North and South Region water supply network, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia on the outsourcing of operation and maintenance services.
  • Perth metropolitan desalination project, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia on the development of the first metropolitan desalinated water facility in Perth.
  • Ord Stage 2 project, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia in relation to
    aboriginal heritage and native title matters, land acquisition issues and general contractual issues.
  • Bulk water and waste water assets, Western Australia—adviser to the Water Corporation of Western Australia on the outsourcing of mechanical and electrical maintenance services for bulk water and waste water assets.
  • Water savings project, Victoria and New South Wales—adviser to the Commonwealth Government and state governments of Victoria and New South Wales on the establishment of a joint government enterprise to fund water savings projects.
  • Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal expansion stages 6 and 7, Queensland—adviser to Prime Infrastructure on the legality of water supply condition in development approval.
  • Callide C Power Station, Queensland—adviser to InterGen on the acquisition of a 50 per cent interest in the
    Callide C Power Station, including the water pipeline route. We also advised on negotiations with a state government owned corporation in respect to the water supply contract for the Callide C Power Station.
  • Millmerran Power Project, Queensland—adviser to InterGen on the agreement for the long-term water supply (treated effluent) from Toowoomba City Council for the Millmerran Power Project.

International experience

Freehills’ international success is founded on a strong local reputation, successfully exporting Australian experience in the water industry to
equivalent projects offshore, as well as the flexibility to work when and where our clients require.

Outlined below are examples of our recent international experience.

  • Ulu Pandan NEWater project, Singapore—adviser to the Public Utilities Board of Singapore in relation to the design, build, own and operate public private partnership for the Ulu Pandan NEWater plant in Singapore.
  • Development of regulations and guidelines to regulate water sector in Sri Lanka—international legal adviser to the Asian Development Bank.
  • Desalination plant, Singapore—adviser to Fichtner Consulting/Public Utilities Board, Singapore in regard to the first ever seawater desalination plant in Singapore.
  • Privatisation of the water sector in the Kingdom of Thailand—adviser to the Royal Thai Government (in conjunction with Tasman Economics) on privatisation of the water sector in the Kingdom of Thailand. We advised on the structural reform and on the legal implications of various water privatisation options.
  • Jabotabek and National water projects, Jakarta—adviser to the consortium awarded these two World Bank water supply mandates in Indonesia.
  • Water project in Ampara district of Sri Lanka—adviser to the financiers in relation to all aspects of an export credit supported financing.
  • Grand Imperial Saigon Water Project, Ho Chi Minh City—adviser to Bovis Lend Lease with respect to its interest in the Grand Imperial Saigon Water Project in Ho Chi Minh City. We advised on asset bid stage (aborted) and in relation to Bovis Lend Lease’s withdrawal from the project.
  • +70MW Hydro-electric power station, Philippines—adviser to the Luzon Hydro Corporation on turnkey construction contracts and other project documents.