Meet the Team

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Ben Harte

Managing Director
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Pat Moore

Head of Operations
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Nicole Gough

Head of Business Services
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Suzie Stitt

Head of People & Culture
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Jacob Weir

General Manager, Infrastructure Planning & Advisory
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Aaron Donges

Principal Planner
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Brett Nicholls

Senior Project Manager
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Ben van Zyl

Senior Civil Designer
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Vivian Rusly

Associate Civil Engineer
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David Freer

Technical Principal
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Doug Bergman

Principal Project Manager
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Maw Hein

Senior Engineer & Project Manager
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Samantha Wilson

Senior Designer
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Melissa Amede

Talent Acquisition Coordinator
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Barry Kearney

Principal Engineer
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Allister Whatmough

Contracts Administration & Verification Lead
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Leigh Smith

Senior Civil Engineer
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Roger Uridge

Quality Manager / Civil Inspector
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Jacob Moore

Project Administrator
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Chase Kempe

Principal Civil Designer / Governance & Assurance Lead
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Alex Thompson

Senior Transport Planner
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Charlie Maitland

Senior Civil Engineer
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Matthew McLean

Associate Site Engineer

admin@hartecs.com.au
1300 220 195

Rockhampton

Tobruk House
Suite 8, Level 1
8 Archer Street
Rockhampton QLD 4700

Brisbane

Cathedral Village
Office 26, Level 1
115 Wickham Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

Sunshine Coast

Level 1
8 First Avenue
Maroochydore QLD 4558

web design by kmo | Copyright © 2024 Hartecs Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Ben Harte

Managing Director

Ben’s genuine passion revolves around nurturing growth and development for everyone involved with Hartecs. The core of our business development is rooted in forging a legacy and upholding a steadfast commitment to the long-term vision of an infrastructure-focused company that cultivates and empowers outstanding individuals.

With over 25 years deeply entrenched in the infrastructure development sector, Ben’s journey began in construction delivery. Here, he honed a sharp focus on aspects like scope, time, cost, and quality of infrastructure projects. This expertise naturally evolved into resource and stakeholder management, laying the foundation for his passion in fostering effective and efficient teams and individuals.

As a business owner, Ben embodies authenticity and places immense worth on trust, commitment, and resilience. He recognises that true success encompasses not only profitability but also the contentment of both our team members and clients. The business, therefore, prioritizes decisions aligned with its values to maintain a consistent approach and yield predictable outcomes.

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Pat Moore

Head of Operations

Patrick is a dynamic motivator known for his unwavering commitment to team success. With a keen ability to inspire and unite diverse groups, he excels in fostering collaboration and driving results. his leadership style centers on harnessing the collective potential of his teams, instilling a shared sense of purpose, and nurturing a winning mentality. His track record speaks volumes, as he consistently elevates team performance to achieve remarkable success in a wide range of project engagements.

Patrick’s experience covers a broad range of civil engineering design, construction and planning activities within Local and State Government authorities and the private sector over the past 23 years. Most recently, Patrick has been engaged as a Principal Project Manager and prior within the Public Sector, employed by Isaac Regional Council as Director Engineering and Infrastructure.

Patrick’s strong work ethics, effective time management, and strong family values are his guiding pillars. They keep Patrick grounded and drive his success in both work and personal aspects.

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Nicole Gough

Head of Business Services

Nicole is motivated by the chance to steer teams towards success and drive operational excellence. She is passionate about nurturing a culture of growth, fostering strong communication, and implementing effective strategies that lead to tangible outcomes. Nicole is energised by the dynamic challenges of business management and is dedicated to maximising efficiency and innovation while fostering a collaborative and thriving work environment.

With over 20 years’ of expertise in accounting, office management and administration, Nicole possess a comprehensive understanding of accounting practices and efficient administrative procedures. Her extensive experience encompasses financial reporting, team leadership, and process optimisation, reflecting a proven track record of successful contributions to diverse organisations.

Nicole has a strong sense of responsibility and a level of maturity that excels in any situation that comes to hand. She shows a high level of initiative and follows all tasks to their completion with a pragmatic attitude to problem solving.

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Suzie Stitt

Head of People & Culture

Suzie is a seasoned and passionate People and Culture specialist with extensive expertise in managing end-to-end HR functions across diverse industries, including Engineering, Mining, Government, Aged Care, and Road Construction. Combining deep knowledge, strategic acumen and empathetic leadership, Suzie’s approach is grounded in best practice and compliance, enabling Hartecs Group to establish robust foundations that drive sustainable growth and success.

 

A dynamic force in fast-paced environments, Suzie works closely with leaders and teams to elevate workplace satisfaction and foster engagement. Her people-centric, energised methodology empowers the organisation to embrace transformative change while prioritising a psychologically safe environment. Suzie’s innovative strategies and tailored HR frameworks are designed to align with the unique needs of Hartecs Group, driving impactful results at every level.

 

With extensive experience managing HR operations on both state and national scales, Suzie brings a comprehensive understanding of the People and Culture continuum. Her expertise spans generalist and complex challenges, strengthened by her qualifications as an accredited psychometric facilitator and her commitment to leadership development. Suzie provides thoughtful guidance and support throughout every stage of the employee lifecycle, ensuring both employees and the organisation thrive.

 

Renowned for her unwavering dedication, authenticity and pursuit of excellence, Suzie has established herself as a trusted and inspiring HR professional. Her passion lies in building confident leaders and fostering high-performing workplace cultures through innovative HR solutions that unlock the full potential of our people.

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Jacob Weir

General Manager, Infrastructure Planning & Advisory

Jacob’s passion resides in cultivating strong client partnerships, driven by a genuine understanding of their needs. His mission is to empower them with well-informed investment decisions through transparent and robust advice. Jacob places high value on an integrated approach, fostering collaboration between clients and industry stakeholders to effectively lead, manage, develop, and assess outcomes.

Jacob brings nearly 15 years of invaluable engineering and consulting experience leading the Infrastructure Planning & Advisory team. His expertise lies in guiding clients towards achieving their objectives, encompassing strategic planning, proficient management, and the seamless execution of infrastructure and urban renewal endeavors. Our team excels in comprehensive strategic planning, policy formulation, and advice, ensuring the alignment of services and investments with the pulse of local communities.

Jacob stands as a true Central Queensland local ingrained in the region’s coastal allure. His ability to seamlessly intertwine family life, professional commitments, and community engagement reflects the harmonious blend of living amidst the captivating regional backdrop.

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Aaron Donges

Principal Planner

Aaron is passionate about building accessible, connected, safe and sustainable communities for people. He is deeply wedded to the concept of legacy and driven to ensure that future generations inherit a better world. For Aaron, professional satisfaction means working collaboratively and creatively to provide pragmatic and enduringly positive solutions to problems.

With almost 15 years’ experience, Aaron, a seasoned Registered Planner is adept at delivering integrated land use and transport planning engagements in both public and private sectors. His specialisation lies in active and public transport planning, integrated transport planning, strategy formulation, policy development, stakeholder engagement, and community consultation. Aaron has a keen interest in the intricate interplay between land use and transport policy alongside financial sustainability.

Aaron enjoys spending time with his family, playing competitive soccer, learning, and watching all kinds of sport, particularly Formula 1, cricket and soccer.

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Brett Nicholls

Senior Project Manager

Brett is passionate about delivering pragmatic land outcomes through a holistic project delivery approach, from master planning then staged delivery working from the whole to the part. Brett is outcomes focused to deliver projects with community and stakeholder engagement on time, to scope and on budget, then reviews results for continuous improvement. Brett enthusiastically facilitates the planning, designing and delivery of projects from ‘cradle to grave’ while considering ‘whole of life’ costs. He has well-developed people skills to achieve outcomes through empowerment and the provision of clear vision and direction in a safety conscious environment.

 

With over 40 years of practical experience, Brett is a highly qualified land management professional with a demonstrated history of delivering results in various levels of government and the private sector. He plans, acquires, manages and disposes of lands including native title and cultural heritage considerations along with landholder and community engagement. Brett investigates, prepares and presents well-articulated reports to State Ministers, Boards and Councils.

 

Brett enjoys keeping fit, community service and spending quality time with his family. He has a keen automotive interest and enjoys performing home improvements when not traveling.

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Ben van Zyl

Senior Civil Designer

Ben Pieter van Zyl is a seasoned Senior Civil Designer whose passion for building began with Lego bricks in his childhood. Today, he translates that early fascination into designing complex solutions for large land and commercial developments. With over 15 years of experience in construction and design, Ben specialises in infrastructure and civil design, excelling in analytical approaches and processes using 12d software. His expertise spans civil, structural, water, and hydraulic engineering, making him a versatile and valuable asset in multidisciplinary projects. 

Leading design projects on the Sunshine Coast, Ben brings innovative solutions to complex civil engineering challenges. Ben has contributed to significant projects in Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast, focusing on commercial sector and townhouse subdivisions.  He has worked on diverse projects including shopping centers, schools, and large-scale town developments across South East Queensland.  Ben is specialised in traffic design and flow for urban projects, including residential roadways, large shopping centers and even wind turbine truck manoeuvres.

 

Ben originally from South Africa moved to South East Queensland in 2017 and enjoys spending time with family whether camping, hiking, fishing, or BBQing(Braai) at home, Hobbies includes programming, problem solving, learning and hunting. Ben is passionate about dreaming up new and innovative ways to achieve great projects. His motto is “work smarter, not harder,” and he believes in having fun while delivering exceptional results.

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Vivian Rusly

Associate Civil Engineer

Vivian is an Associate Civil Engineer with 4 years of experience in the field of civil engineering predominantly working on civil infrastructure, subdivisional works, and commercial site works for the government and private sector.  Her primary skills are in design, drafting/documenting, QC & reporting, quantifying and estimating, PM & CA support. She is highly passionate about civil and structural design components in urban development and infrastructure planning.

 

Viv has assisted senior civil engineers and designers in producing detailed engineering report, proposals and high-quality drawing sets for submission. Highly skilled in using AutoCAD / Civil 3D and proficient in using design software such as 12d design, Trimble, Spacegass, and SIDRA. In addition to her existing work Viv has also recently assisted  our Contracts Administration and Verification (CAVS) team for the Bruce Highway Wide Centreline Project in Gentle Annie and the Walkerston Bypass for engineering and CA support.

 

Her objective is to gain technical experience as a civil engineer and working towards becoming an RPEQ. Viv enjoys working collaboratively in a team and is always eager and keen to learn from senior designers and engineers.

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David Freer

Technical Principal

David focuses on making a positive difference in the way we live, work and play, through good planning and delivery of the transport and land use system that benefits us, society and the planet that we share; and above all else to have fun.

David brings over 30+ years of work, study and life experience in the management and delivery of integrated transport, land use infrastructure and operational delivery projects.

David’s goal is to leave a legacy where the outcomes of his work make a difference for the good and where he can proudly say – “I helped deliver that”!

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Doug Bergman

Principal Project Manager

Doug is a seasoned Principal Project Manager with over 20 years of experience leading complex projects across many diverse industries including education, civil and roads infrastructure, mining and more. Known for a results-driven approach, he excels in managing cross-functional teams, driving process improvements, and delivering projects on time and within budget. With expertise in all aspects of project management, Doug combines technical proficiency with strong leadership to deliver high-impact solutions that support organisational growth.

 

Throughout his career, Doug has successfully managed university refurbishments, mining infrastructure, bulk raw water and treated water supply projects, road construction, electrical substation construction, municipal sewer and water projects, landfill resource recovery projects, landfill expansion and capping projects – working with clients to align objectives, mitigate risks, and achieve sustainable results. His passion for problem-solving, combined with a deep understanding of project management allows Doug to consistently drive value and exceed client expectations.

 

When not managing projects, Doug enjoys motorcycling and is committed to raising money for worthy causes.

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Maw Hein

Senior Engineer & Project Manager, RPEQ, CPEng

Maw is a passionate and highly skilled Civil Engineer, holding both Chartered Professional Engineering Status and RPEQ, which underscores his commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards in his work. With extensive experience in civil infrastructure, rail, subdivision, renewable energy, and project management, he has developed a well-rounded expertise that spans the full project lifecycle—from planning and preconstruction to design management and construction execution.

Maw’s career has provided him with valuable exposure to government, contractor, and consultant-side roles, which has enriched his ability to view challenges and opportunities from multiple perspectives. This diverse experience has allowed him to navigate complex projects with confidence, ensuring efficient problem-solving and innovative solutions. Throughout his career, he has successfully managed a range of projects for local, state, and federal governments, always with an emphasis on excellence and delivering value to stakeholders.

He is not only a proficient engineer but also a passionate advocate for the civil engineering profession. His enthusiasm for creating lasting infrastructure that benefits communities and his drive for excellence in every aspect of his work have shaped his successful career. With a deep commitment to sustainable development, Maw continues to strive towards delivering innovative solutions that leave a positive impact on the environment and society.

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Samantha Wilson

Senior Designer

Sam has over 10 years of experience in civil design within local & state government as well as the private sector, specialising in creating practical, efficient, and cost-effective designs for a variety of infrastructure projects, including roadways, subdivisions, public infrastructure, and site developments. She have a solid background in using design software and a strong understanding of civil engineering principles and construction practices.

She enjoys collaborating with engineering teams to turn complex ideas into detailed, workable designs that meet both client needs and industry standards. She is passionate about making a positive impact through thoughtful design and always strives to balance innovation with practicality in every project she takes on.

Outside of the office, Sam enjoys spending time with her young family, travelling, outdoor adventures & renovating.

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Melissa Amede

Talent Acquisition Coordinator

With over 20 years of experience in recruitment and talent acquisition, Melissa has built a proven track record of successfully helping organisations identify, attract and retain top talent across diverse industries. As a seasoned recruitment professional, Melissa combines a deep understanding of both the candidate and client side of hiring, with a keen ability to drive innovative talent strategies that align with business goals.

 

Having worked with companies of all sizes, from startups to global enterprises Melissa joined Hartecs Group in 2024 to assist with growing and maintaining a pool of talented candidates in the Engineering space.  Melissa has developed expertise in full-cycle recruitment, executive search, employer branding, and workforce planning. Known for her ability to liaise at all levels she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to building long-term relationships with clients and candidates alike. 

Melissa is dedicated to delivering results that help the organization thrive by attracting the best talent available.

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Barry Kearney

Principal Engineer, RPEQ, CPEng, MIEAust, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus)

Barry is an RPEQ Engineer / Project Manager with extensive local and international experience. During his 18 year career Barry has acted both as client and consultant having the ability to understand project needs from multiple perspectives. 

Whilst Barry believes in quality design and the delivery of innovative solutions, he acknowledges that this is achieved by open, honest and constant communication with all parties. Barry’s ‘no surprises’ mantra ensures that projects are delivered on time and on budget. He has extensive experience with all facets of project management, QA, site inspection and authority liaison.

Overview and relevant experience:

  • Affinity, 900 lot residential sub-division Morayfield.
    • Including a 2.5km, 450mm trunk sewer
  • Sunrise Beach Village retirement living resort with Keyton
  • Thrive, Narimba Land Lease Project for Stockland.
  • Solana, Bribie Island Land Lease Development
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Allister Whatmough

Contracts Administration and Verification Lead

Allister is a registered professional civil engineer renowned for his dedication to delivering optimal value and superior quality in project execution while minimizing unnecessary complexities. With over 30 years of experience in the civil construction industry, he brings a profound understanding of effective construction methodologies, ensuring projects are completed correctly on the first attempt.

Allister’s passion extends beyond project execution; he is deeply committed to coaching and mentoring his teams. He fosters an environment where individuals are encouraged to grow and excel in their careers, promoting continuous professional development. His approach ensures that seasoned expertise within the industry is preserved and cultivated, contributing to sustainable industry growth.

Allister emphasizes collaboration and innovation, working closely with his teams to achieve outstanding results. His leadership not only enhances team performance but also ensures that all stakeholders benefit from the projects undertaken. By prioritising quality, efficiency, and professional development, Allister consistently delivers successful outcomes for everyone involved.

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Leigh Smith

Senior Civil Engineer

Leigh’s passion is fueled by building better roads for local communities that leave a legacy. Leigh is dedicated to and implementing innovative construction techniques that improve project outcomes and is motivated by communicating and collaborating with different teams to deliver transport infrastructure projects.

 

Leigh is an experienced engineer and project manager with 15 years’ experience in civil and structural, specialising in Transport Infrastructure Contracts managing projects from concept through to finalisation. Leigh has fulfilled critical roles to deliver some of the region’s most significant projects such as the Rockhampton Ring Road (Bruce Highway), Gracemere Industrial Access Project (GIAP), Yeppen North Project and the NDRRA Project (Bruce Highway). Leigh brings substantial experience in construction of roads over subgrades of poor nature and as such has developed proven methods of dealing with constructability issues in challenging ground conditions. Having a versatile approach allows Leigh to apply his knowledge to ensure best of project solutions are adopted. 

 

Leigh enjoys spending time with his family, loving the outdoors and watching NRL and Cricket. Up the Bulldogs!

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Roger Uridge

Quality Manager / Civil Inspector

With an impressive 46-year career in the civil construction industry, Roger brings a wealth of expertise and a commitment to excellence in infrastructure development.

Rogers diverse experience includes:

  • 23 years in soil testing, ensuring foundational integrity for major projects.
  • 2 years as a Roadworks Supervisor, overseeing critical operational aspects.
  • 14 years in Quality Assurance, driving compliance and high standards.
  • 7 years as a Civil Roadworks Inspector, providing detailed assessments and insights.

Throughout his career, Roger has contributed to a range of road, bridge, and infrastructure projects across Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. For the past six years, he has been a vital part of Hartecs, delivering surveillance and verification services to ensure technical and quality compliance for projects in the Rockhampton and Mackay districts.

Roger is a valued member of the Contract Administration and Verification (CAVS) team, working as an Inspector on the Walkerston Bypass project in Mackay. His dedication to upholding quality and precision continues to make him an essential contributor to the success of significant infrastructure projects.

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Jacob Moore

Project Administrator

Jacob is a Project Administrator for Infrastructure Delivery portfolio at Hartecs Group and is already making a significant impact at just 19 years old. While studying law, he combines his academic ambitions with a fresh, energetic perspective in his role. Jacob is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and creating a strong sense of community within Hartecs, ensuring that every team member feels valued and supported. His dedication to building positive relationships contributes significantly to the company’s people-centric culture.

Jacob’s enthusiasm and forward-thinking approach align perfectly with Hartecs’ core values. He is passionate about initiatives that encourage collaboration, boost morale, and strengthen team connections. His ability to connect with colleagues and inspire inclusivity makes him a key contributor to creating a thriving and cohesive workplace environment.

Outside of work and studies, Jacob enjoys socialising with friends, going to the pub, surfing, spending time at the beach and playing or watching cricket. His friendly nature and love for connecting with others reflect his commitment to building a strong and vibrant community both inside and outside of Hartecs.

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Chase Kempe

Principal Civil Designer / Governance & Assurance Lead

Chase has a passion for innovation and collaboration and is motivated to provide quality, value and transparent development of digital design solutions for all project stakeholders and team members.

With twenty years’ experience in the industry, Chase has been involved and lead design teams for public and private projects including Defence, small to master planned subdivision, commercial/industrial developments., roadworks/bridges and municipal infrastructure and sporting facilities. Responsible for design delivery and managerial tasks, working group leads, implementation and change management and assistant PM and CA roles.

Chase is a Sunny Coast local that appreciates time and adventures with his family. In his role Chase enjoys the broad range of projects, collaboration and the challenges they bring in the civil engineering design field. Continual learning and finding creativity and innovation in a rigid environment using digital tools are also parts of the roles Chase enjoys.

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Alex Thompson

Senior – Transport Planner

Alex is passionate about improving the way we live our lives through effective transport planning. He strives to deliver solutions that are people focused, providing a platform for equity, a better quality of life and reduced environmental impact.

 

A Senior and Registered Transport Planner with 7 years’ experience for both private and public sector organisations in the transport industry, Alex specialises in active and public transport planning, of which he is an avid advocate for. He has a broad range of experience having worked on several strategies, programs, workplace travel plans and has provided transport planning services for major development and infrastructure projects during feasibility, concept and detailed design stages in Queensland and across Australia.

 

Alex has strong competencies in delivering high-quality reports, is adept in conveying complex information in a concise and clear format for a range of stakeholders and is proficient in the use of a range of Geographic Information Systems

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Charlie Maitland

Senior Civil Engineer

Charlie’s expertise ranges from small structural projects, though to detailed design and delivery of large residential subdivisions. Charlie has been involved and lead engineering teams for both private and public sector projects, including the delivery of the Aura City Centre project in Caloundra.

Charlie specialises in detailed civil design, stormwater drainage quality and quantity modelling, and construction delivery.

With over 8 years’ experience in the industry, Charlie enjoys mentoring junior staff and providing practical guidance to engineering problems and designs.

In his spare time, Charlie enjoys spending time with his family, gardening, and making music.

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Matthew McLean

Associate – Site Engineer

Matthew is a well-rounded and experienced Civil Engineer, with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours Class I) from the University of Queensland, and is a qualified Open TMD for Temporary Traffic Management Design

 

With over 9 years in Civil Construction, he has a wide range of knowledge in areas of road and bridge construction, as well as marine engineering and rail construction. He has experience working with many regional council and TMR districts, in both Construction Contracting and Contract Administration Services. Matthew is a key team member at Hartecs, who thrives on the challenge of complex projects, such as the $200 million Walkerston Bypass where he currently works for the Department of Transport and Main Roads. His current role is performing senior engineering responsibilities, such as managing claims, quality assurance and contract administration duties.

 

He is driven to deliver the highest quality of work for all his clients, and build good relationships with all of the project team members, from workers and labourers through to Senior Administrators and Client Representatives. His collaborative approach to problem solving allows him to provide unique and innovative solutions.

 

Outside of work, Matthew enjoys Cricket and AFL, and gardening around the house.

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Jarred White

Senior Civil Engineer and Contract Administration Specialist

 

Jarred White is a seasoned civil engineer with over nine years of experience in the civil construction and infrastructure sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Queensland and is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ). Currently, Jarred is a key team member at Hartecs, where he excels in complex projects such as the $200 million Walkerston Bypass for the Department of Transport and Main Roads. His role has encompassed senior engineering responsibilities, including acting as the Administrator’s Representative, where he oversees contract administration, manages claims and disputes, and ensures compliance with quality and safety standards.

Throughout his career, Jarred has built a reputation for his meticulous approach to contract administration and project management and has experience in project managing projects from inception, preliminary and detailed design, construction and finalisation phases. His expertise spans various facets of infrastructure delivery, from risk assessment and stakeholder engagement to managing construction of major structures and large-scale earthworks. Having successfully navigated roles in both the public and private sectors, Jarred has honed his skills in balancing technical requirements with the strategic objectives of his clients.

Jarred’s dedication to excellence is complemented by a collaborative leadership style that fosters positive relationships among clients, contractors, and communities. His ability to deliver high-quality outcomes under challenging conditions reflects his commitment to driving innovation and efficiency in civil infrastructure projects. Whether managing multi-site operations or overseeing pivotal phases of construction, Jarred remains focused on achieving the best outcomes for every project he undertakes.

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