Ashurst advised Sydney Metro on A 196 billion tunnelling contract for Sydney Metro West
19 July 2021
The contract also includes excavation and civil works for five new stations at The Bays, Five Dock, Burwood North, North Strathfield and Sydney Olympic Park, a TBM launch site at The Bays Station and a TBM retrieval site at Sydney Olympic Park Station. Completion of the tunnelling contract is expected in 2025.
This is the first major contract signing for the Sydney Metro West Project. It follows on from the procurement of the tunnelling contract for Sydney Metro City & Southwest Project awarded in 2017 on which Ashurst also advised.
The Central Tunnelling Contract forms the first of three tunnelling contracts that are being procured by Sydney Metro for the Sydney Metro West project and on which Ashurst is advising. The Western Tunnelling Contract is currently in procurement, to be followed by the Eastern Tunnelling Contract.
The procurement for the Central Tunnelling Contract is one large scale procurement involving an innovative 3-2-1 procurement route which means that the successful tenderer on the Central Tunnelling Contract does not proceed to bid for the Western Tunnelling Contact, leaving the two unsuccessful bidders remaining.
Ashurst also advised Sydney Metro on the Independent Certifier Framework Agreement entered into with Systra & Kellogg Brown & Root for the procurement of independent certifier services across each Sydney Metro West contract package.
Partner Harvey Weaver commented:
"We are delighted to have acted for Sydney Metro on this first major tunnelling contract for the Sydney Metro West Project. This A$1.96 billion contract represents a key milestone in advancing construction of this important new metro line, part of Australia's biggest public transport project. We look forward to continuing our relationship on the current Western Tunnelling Contract procurement."
The Ashurst team was led by partner Harvey Weaver, who was assisted by partners Julie Ma, Olivia Lau, counsel Ben Kipic, senior associates Mathieu Nolin, Joshua Lee, Tom Nemec, Rhiannon Evans, and lawyers Lachlan Mack, Edwina Wang and Daniel Oey. Lawyers from the firm's finance, dispute resolution and environment and planning teams also advised. Ashurst's Madrid office provided Spanish law advice.
