Kilgariff Advisory was launched in June 2023 focusing on government/industry engagement, strategic positioning, board and organisation governance, corporate affairs and policy advice.
Since then, Kilgariff Advisory has been involved in a diverse range of projects including:
- Signing an Agreement with the Canadian Government to connect Canadian companies with Australian governments and industry in the transport infrastructure sector.
- Joining the Stable Group on an independent study on the future transport solutions in central NSW.
- Reports for clients on the impact of government policy on business strategy.
- Preparations to establish and Chair an Advisory Board for an innovative infrastructure related company.
- Engagement with governments and industry on an infrastructure project.
- Setting the scene for a strategic planning workshop.
- Facilitating the AusRAIL Great Debate on High Speed Rail.
- A podcast with Australian Industry Group about the broader picture of transport and supply chain infrastructure.
- Speeches to the Victorian Major Projects Conference and Inside Construction.
Of course, I also took the opportunity to make comment on relevant issues such as the:
- Dec 23 Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting.
- High Court Ruling that Australian states/territories are unable to implement an electric vehicle levy, declaring it unconstitutional.
Two important reports were released at end 2023 that point the way to how 2024 may roll out:
- Infrastructure Australia released the 2023 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report confirming that Australia’s transport infrastructure, housing and energy agenda is being challenged by shortages in local building materials and a shortfall of 229,000 public infrastructure workers. This followed the release by the Commonwealth of its response to the Independent Strategic Review of the Infrastructure Investment Program, in which it maintained a strong commitment to a 10-year $120 billion infrastructure pipeline.
- The 2023-24 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) pointed to high but moderating inflation. The inflation rate was 4.1% in the final three months of 2023 and given the RBA inflation target of 2–3 per cent, interest rates are not expected to come down over 2024.
- The economy is expected to grow by 1.75 per cent in 2023–24 and increase in 2024‑25. Debt continues to be a federal and state concern in the context of the infrastructure spend, with gross debt as a share of GDP expected to peak at 35.4 per cent of GDP in 2027–28.
From a social perspective, I am very proud to lend my support to a great cause through membership of the Yalari Victorian Regional Council. Yalari is a not-for-profit organisation that offers quality, secondary education scholarships at leading Australian boarding schools for Indigenous children from regional and remote communities. Yalari recently had a Feature in Company Director Magazine. Please contact me if you are interested in finding out more about this worthy endeavour.
If you have a project in which I can lend some assistance in areas such as government/industry engagement, strategic positioning, board and organisation governance, corporate affairs and policy advice, please give me a call.
I wish you every success in 2024.