About Ben van Weel
Ben advises sponsors, developers, investors and contractors on the procurement, delivery, financing and operation of major assets and infrastructure projects. His practice spans energy infrastructure, data centres, social infrastructure and large-scale developments, with a particular focus on the commercial relationships that underpin complex assets throughout their lifecycle.
Recent experience
Social infrastructure
- Hospitals: advising the senior lenders to the successful Capella-led consortium for the Melton Hospital PPP; Multiplex as builder in the successful Plenary-led consortium for the New Footscray Hospital PPP and on VHBA's Parkville Precinct Redevelopment; Australian Unity on the development and operation of health assets around Australia, including the Sunshine Private Hospital; ISPT on its bid for the Victoria University's Health Innovation Centre; and South Australian Health Partnership (now Celsus) on delivery matters arising from the construction of the New Royal Adelaide Hospital PPP.
- Housing, build-to-rent and student accommodation: advising Mirvac on construction matters relating to its $1.8 billion build-to-rent fund; Scape on its CBD North over-station development; Multiplex on student accommodation developments including Grattan Street, Market Way and Scape QVM; and Plenary on operational matters arising from Project Single LEAP 2.
- Prisons and courts: advising the GEO Group on operational matters (including augmentations, equity sales and refinancings) at prison assets around Australia, including Ravenhall Prison PPP, Fulham Correctional Centre, Junee Correctional Centre, Grafton Correctional Centre and Parklea Correctional Centre; and the sponsor on end-of-term arrangements at the County Court PPP.
- Stadiums: advising on refurbishments and upgrades at Marvel Stadium; and Multiplex on its bid to redevelop Punt Road Oval.
Commercial and industrial
- Industrial and logistics: advising ESR, LOGOS and IFM on industrial and logistics developments across Australia, including an ESR-managed AustralianSuper fund on the development of Amazon's facility in Craigieburn.
- Commercial and mixed-use developments: advising Multiplex on developments including 435 Bourke Street, BLVD Tower, Melbourne Square and Parkline; CBRE Global Investors on 118 Mount Street; and Golden Age on its Sky Square mixed-use precinct in Box Hill.
- Major precinct developments: advising ISPT on the redevelopment and expansion of Karingal Hub Shopping Centre and other retail asset upgrades; Multiplex on the Adelaide Central Market expansion; an international streaming company on the development of an Australian film studio; and a bidder for the Docklands Media Precinct.
Data centres
- Data centre developments: advising developers, contractors and lenders on the development and operation of data centres around Australia, including developments for Airtrunk, NextDC, Keppel, Vantage, GreenSquare DC and Amazon.
Energy infrastructure
- Renewable energy projects: advising on the procurement, operation, financing and secondary market processes for standalone and co-located renewable energy assets, including utility-scale batteries, wind and solar farms and waste-to-energy projects for clients including ICG/Foresight, EnergyCo, Macquarie Capital, Eku, ENGIE, Neoen, Pacific Hydro, Pacific Green and Lochard Energy.
- Connections: advising Iberdrola on construction matters arising from the establishment of a contestable connection business in Australia.
Transport
- Roads: advising the successful Plenary-led Netflow consortium on the delivery and operation of the Western Roads Upgrade PPP; and the Department of Transport and Planning on road assets around Victoria, including recontracting and contract resets.
- Rail: advising the successful Plenary-led NRT Consortium on the augmentation of Sydney Metro City and Southwest; and Salini Impregilo (now Webuild) on delivery matters arising from the Sydney Metro Northwest.
Water
- Water infrastructure: advising Melbourne Water on matters arising from the Western Treatment Plant; and AquaSure on the delivery of the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant PPP.
Technology
- Technology projects: advising QIC as financier of PsiQuantum's construction of the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computer; Mainstream on the procurement and delivery of LiDAR technology; Zenobe on the refinancing of its electrified bus fleet and depot; Google on the procurement and delivery of its drone facility in Canberra; and Victoria's Department of Transport and Planning on the Myki recontracting project.