Chris Saxby
February 26, 2024
The Hunter’s energy transition propels Ramboll into larger Newcastle office
As Australia moves towards a renewables led future, Newcastle and the Hunter region, which have been at the centre of the country’s energy industry for the past more than 50 years, are seeing international businesses expand their services in the region.
Global architecture, engineering, and consultancy company, Ramboll delivers sustainable solutions to clients and partners and is considered a world leader in renewable energy consulting services. Ramboll has recently moved into a larger and more centrally located office at The Arc in Watt Street.
At the office’s launch event on Thursday 22 February 2024, Belinda Sinclair, Ramboll’s Newcastle Office Manager, who has spent almost all her 17 year career as an environmental consultant working in the region, said the new 500m2 office offered increased staff and client space compared to the previous location, and would promote greater collaboration with open workspaces designed for new more flexible ways of working.
“Ramboll has had a presence in Newcastle for nearly 20 years and has been involved in impact assessment and contaminated land remediation services supporting the decontamination of heavy industry with vital roles in projects such as Newcastle Foreshore, Pasminco, Hydro and BHP lands. In the past few years we’ve seen a real shift in the region’s transition to supporting Australia’s renewable energy industry with the development of the onshore Renewable Energy Zones and more recently the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone and likewise a significant increase in the demand for our services,” Ms Sinclair said.
“Opportunities like the Hunter Offshore Wind Area are contributing to what is an exciting time to be working in our region and in the environmental sector. It was therefore important for us to have an office where we could attract the best environmental and engineering talent and provide clients with space where they could access our local experience and international expertise.”
Ramboll has been involved in more than 70 percent of all operating offshore wind farms globally. The Danish company has helped design some of the world's largest offshore wind farms with multidisciplinary services that span both the detailed technical expertise and the necessary environmental impact assessments, licences and approvals.
The company has recently been advising on the development of onshore renewable energy projects in the region.
Creating opportunities for women and girls in STEM
As a foundation owned company where revenue is reinvested into the continued development of the business, the Ramboll Foundation also supports philanthropic endeavours, including awarding donations to research, studies and educational initiatives.
During the new office opening, Ramboll’s Country Director, Australia Fiona Robinson, who is based in Newcastle, announced that the Foundation would be supporting the HunterWiSE Schools Outreach Program as an Outreach Partner.
HunterWiSE Outreach is an intensive program for female students in Year 8 from participating high schools across the region.
“The Schools Outreach Program plays a pivotal role in influencing the girls’ perception of STEM education and careers. Ramboll is delighted to be supporting the Program. Members of our team have been working as mentors in the Program for several years and we are now taking a greater and more supportive role as an official partner,” Ms Robinson said.
The program links young female students and their teachers with women from a diverse range of STEM careers. It aims to increase the number of girls taking HSC STEM courses and increase female participation in STEM-related university degrees, thereby playing a crucial role in improving gender diversity within Australia's future STEM workforce.
“The proportion of qualified professional engineers who are female in Australia is about 13%. Through programs like HunterWiSE we want to change this,” Ms Robinson said.
“Ramboll’s Australian business is 51% female, but we want to see this type of parity throughout the profession.
“It’s really exciting to be in our new office and to be announcing this new partnership to support the future of our industry at the same time.”
Ramboll has four Australian offices in Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Want to know more?
Fiona Robinson
Country Market Director
+61 2 4962 5444
Belinda Sinclair
Manager - Hunter Office
+61 403 592 467
Christina Zhuang
Director of Communications & Marketing, APAC
Image Gallery
Nick Fellows, Regional Director, Asia Pacific giving his speech at the reception
Ramboll
Ramboll’s Newcastle Office Manager, Belinda Sinclair welcomes guests attending the office opening reception.
Ramboll
Ramboll’s new Newcastle office at The Arc in Watt Street.
Ramboll
The open plan layout promotes a collaborative way of working.
Ramboll
The office has several client and collaboration spaces.
Ramboll