Australia is delivering new major infrastructure at a lightning pace, and with net-zero deadlines on the horizon and a workforce shortage there’s no time for unexpected incidents.
Underground utility assets deliver the vital services that our communities depend on, but damaging these complex networks doesn’t just cut us off from these services – it can cause significant project delays and even have dangerous consequences for personnel.
Colliers Engineering Subject Matter Expert-International, Nick Zembillas, said that recent studies by Infrastructure Australia indicate that more than 40 per cent of major projects encounter delays or cost overruns due to inadequate subsurface utility investigations.
“Imagine a major infrastructure project underway – a vital new rail line cutting through a busy urban corridor. Beneath the surface, a complex network of utilities awaits. A miscalculation or an undetected pipe can not only delay the project by months but also inflate costs by millions,” he said.
Mr Zembillas said that the Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) initiative has been critical in raising awareness about underground risks.
At BYDA’s 2026 Utility Safety Conference, Mr Zembillas will discuss the essential role of integrating both traditional “Before you Dig” queries, comprehensive Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) strategies in navigating these challenges.
In his session, Beyond the Surface: The Future of Subsurface Utility Engineering & AS 5488, Mr Zembillas will explore how AS 5488 and advanced SUE methodologies can mitigate risks, improve project outcomes, and set Australia apart as a leader in underground utility management.
Locating and mapping subsurface assets is not only vital for utilities in conducting upgrade works, visibility of these assets is also essential for all civil construction projects.
For civil contractors, this underground risk is part of the job. Whether they’re digging for drainage, trenching for comms or building new infrastructure, every bucket in the ground carries the potential to impact underground utility assets.
That’s why BYDA is bringing the industry together on 4–5 March 2026 for its first national Utility Safety Conference 2026 – an event built around damage prevention, collaboration, and improving safety.
A deep dive
The inaugural event will kick off with a keynote from Melbourne Business School Institute for Digital Innovation & AI (IDIA) Director, Professor Ujwal Kayande, on how AI could rewrite the underground and deliver a smart response to these buried risks.
Next, international award-winning author and qualified lawyer Greg Smith will who’ll take attendees on a deep dive into WHS governance and assurance.
According to Mr Smith, many organisations invest significantly in collecting data about, and reporting on, WHS, however, there are no WHS metrics that demonstrate an organisations compliance with its legal obligations or assist officers to demonstrate due diligence.
At best, Mr Smtih said WHS metrics may help organisations ask better questions. At worst they waste valuable resources obscuring the true state of safety in an organisation and creating an “illusion of safety”.
In his session, Mr Smith will share recent cases to illustrate the challenge of understanding and demonstrating the efficacy of WHS management and provide a framework for better WHS assurance.
Following Mr Smith’s keynote, BYDA has lined up a plethora of national and international speakers who are experts in utility safety, regulation, and infrastructure risk.
This two-day event will be a national forum focused on the practical changes needed to drive down utility strikes and lift safety standards across the civil construction sector.
This is BYDA’s first-ever national utility safety conference, and it marks a pivotal moment in the industry’s approach to damage prevention. It’s a chance to set new benchmarks, have honest conversations, and shape how we move forward together.
Starting the conversation
This year’s theme ‘Connected. Protected. Respected’ highlights the role everyone plays in reducing underground risk. Contractors are key to turning plans into safe, effective action on the ground. The conference acknowledges the roles we all play and explores how better connection across the industry can protect people and infrastructure.
Contractors are often first on site, and the link between planning and delivery and the people operating near or around critical infrastructure. This conference puts contractors in the same room as asset owners, locators, engineers, planners and regulators, all working toward the same goal: zero damage, zero harm, and zero disruption.
The program is built to spark discussion and break down silos between organisations and roles – it’s a chance to gain practical insights into what’s working, and what’s not, in the field.
The event will cover key industry challenges, such as:
- Preventing utility strikes through better planning and communication
- Building stronger safety systems that work on project sites
- Addressing skills and training gaps across the workforce
- Strengthening collaboration across organisations and roles
If you want to stay ahead of safety and compliance requirements, build stronger partnerships and be part of a safer, more efficient future for civil construction, then this is your event.
This inaugural event will take place at the RACV City Club in Melbourne from 4–5 March 2026, but industry early bird registration is only open until 30 November 2025, so don’t wait to secure your place and register now to dig into safety at the BYDA Utility Safety Conference 2026.
To register, head to byda.com.au/byda-utility-safety-conference
