Elena Stojcevski and Veno Panicker are Partners in Construction and Infrastructure at Hamilton Locke.

In this episode, they discuss why the construction industry has been slow to adopt AI despite its transformative potential. The conversation covers productivity challenges, procurement models, and barriers such as cost, risk aversion, and data silos.

Elena and Veno also examine how AI could improve planning, design, and contract management for mega projects like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics - while addressing legal risks, governance issues, and the future of work in construction.


Resources and links:

Elena Stojcevski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-stojcevski-05a98233/

Veno Panicker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veno-panicker-76738650/

Hamilton Locke website:  https://hamiltonlocke.com.au/


Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/

The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/


Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.


This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

Elena Stojcevski and Veno Panicker are Partners in Construction and Infrastructure at Hamilton Locke.
In this episode, they discuss why the construction industry has been slow to adopt AI despite its transformative potential. The conversation covers productivity challenges, procurement models, and barriers such as cost, risk aversion, and data silos.
Elena and Veno also examine how AI could improve planning, design, and contract management for mega projects like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics - while addressing legal risks, governance issues, and the future of work in construction.
 Resources and links:
Elena Stojcevski on LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-stojcevski-05a98233/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-stojcevski-05a98233/</a>
Veno Panicker on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/veno-panicker-76738650/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/veno-panicker-76738650/</a>
Hamilton Locke website:&nbsp; <a href="https://hamiltonlocke.com.au/">https://hamiltonlocke.com.au/</a>
 Connect:
The Society of Construction Law Australia website: <a href="https://www.scl.org.au/">https://www.scl.org.au/</a>
The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/</a>
 Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.
 This show is produced in collaboration with <a href="https://soundcartel.com.au/">SoundCartel</a>. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

Building Tomorrow is a show exploring the biggest issues in the Australian construction landscape by having real conversations with the people behind the scenes shaping the industry.

A show exploring the biggest issues in the Australian construction industry.

Building Tomorrow

Why construction is still slow to adopt AI, with Elena Stojcevski and Veno Panicker 

Dr Carly Shrever is a lawyer, psychologist and empirical researcher. Sally Ryan is a psychologist and family therapist. Both are Directors at Human Ethos, which helps lawyers experience greater satisfaction and wellbeing in their work. 

In this episode, Carly and Sally unpack stress and burnout in high-pressure industries like construction and law. Speaking with host Maona Matanda, the duo explores why stress isn’t always harmful, how burnout develops, and why “busyness” culture can mask early warning signs. The conversation also offers practical strategies – from managing self-talk and setting boundaries to recognising physical and emotional red flags – and highlights leaders’ roles in fostering psychologically safe workplaces. 

If this episode raises issues for you, or if you need to speak to somebody, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support or Beyond Blue at 1300 22 4636. 

Resources and links:

Sally Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-ryan-b320b995/  

Carly Schrever on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-schrever-phd-b0034642/  

Human Ethos: https://www.humanethos.com.au/  


Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/

The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/


Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.


This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

Dr Carly&nbsp;Shrever&nbsp;is&nbsp;a lawyer,&nbsp;psychologist&nbsp;and&nbsp;empirical researcher.&nbsp;Sally Ryan&nbsp;is a psychologist&nbsp;and&nbsp;family therapist. Both are Directors&nbsp;at&nbsp;Human Ethos, which&nbsp;helps&nbsp;lawyers experience greater satisfaction and wellbeing in their work.&nbsp;
In this episode,&nbsp;Carly and Sally&nbsp;unpack stress and burnout in high-pressure industries like construction and law.&nbsp;Speaking with host&nbsp;Maona Matanda, the duo&nbsp;explores&nbsp;why stress&nbsp;isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;always harmful, how burnout develops, and why &ldquo;busyness&rdquo; culture can mask early warning signs. The conversation&nbsp;also&nbsp;offers practical strategies&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;from managing self-talk and setting boundaries to recognising physical and emotional red flags&nbsp;&ndash; and highlights leaders&rsquo; roles in&nbsp;fostering psychologically safe workplaces.&nbsp;
If this episode raises issues for you, or if you need to speak to somebody, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support or Beyond Blue at 1300 22 4636.&nbsp;
Resources and links:
Sally Ryan&nbsp;on&nbsp;LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-ryan-b320b995/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-ryan-b320b995/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
Carly&nbsp;Schrever&nbsp;on LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-schrever-phd-b0034642/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-schrever-phd-b0034642/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
Human Ethos:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.humanethos.com.au/">https://www.humanethos.com.au/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
 Connect:
The Society of Construction Law Australia website: <a href="https://www.scl.org.au/">https://www.scl.org.au/</a>
The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/</a>
 Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.
 This show is produced in collaboration with <a href="https://soundcartel.com.au/">SoundCartel</a>. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

Burnout: The hidden risk in high-performance work, with Dr Carly Shrever and Sally Ryan 

In this special episode ahead of the 2026 SoCLA National Conference in Sydney, this episode features four speakers from our most recent conference in Brisbane. In the first interview Cara North and Eleanor Clifford unpack their Brooking Prize winning paperexploring multi-party and multi-contract arbitrations and how the High Court’s decision in Tesseract changes risk allocation.

Next, keynote speaker Sean Brady, reflects on the Challenger space shuttle disaster and highlights the lessons it can teach modern organisations about risk, safety systems and speaking up.

Finally, academic Wayne Jocic explores how a principal’s unilateral power to extend time may affect contractors’ delay claims, and reflects on the relationship between academia and practice in construction law.

Eleanor Clifford is an Associate at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Cara North is a Special Counsel at Ashurst. At the time of recording Cara was a Special Counsel at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. As the winners of the 2024 Brooking Prize, Cara and Eleanor were invited to present paper at the 2025 SoCLA National Conference. The Society offers the Brooking Prize annually for the best essay submitted in the field of construction law. It is named after The Hon Robert Brooking AO KC in recognition of his Honour’s pioneering contribution to the study and practice of construction law in Australia.  

Sean Brady is a forensic engineer and the Managing Director of Brady Heywood. Sean is also a director of the Society of Construction Law Australia.

Wayne Jocic is Associate Professor and Co-Director of Studies at Melbourne Law School.


Resources and links:

All conference papers are available free to SoCLA members at scl.org.au.

Cara North on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-north-76601332/

Eleanor Clifford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-clifford-4b33b4145/

Sean Brady on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-brady-11a95427/

Corrs Chambers Westgarth website: https://www.corrs.com.au/

Brady Heywood Pty Ltd website: https://www.bradyheywood.com.au/

Melbourne Law School website: https://law.unimelb.edu.au/


Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/

The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/


Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.


This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

In this special episode ahead of the 2026 SoCLA National Conference in Sydney, this episode features four speakers from our most recent conference in Brisbane. In the first interview Cara North and Eleanor Clifford unpack their Brooking Prize winning paper exploring multi-party and multi-contract arbitrations and how the High Court&rsquo;s decision in Tesseract changes risk allocation.
Next, keynote speaker Sean Brady, reflects on the Challenger space shuttle disaster and highlights the lessons it can teach modern organisations about risk, safety systems and speaking up.
Finally, academic Wayne Jocic explores how a principal&rsquo;s unilateral power to extend time may affect contractors&rsquo; delay claims, and reflects on the relationship between academia and practice in construction law.
Eleanor Clifford is an Associate at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Cara North is a Special Counsel at Ashurst. At the time of recording Cara was a Special Counsel at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. As the winners of the 2024 Brooking Prize, Cara and Eleanor were invited to present paper at the 2025 SoCLA National Conference. The Society offers the Brooking Prize annually for the best essay submitted in the field of construction law.&nbsp;It is named after The Hon Robert Brooking AO KC in recognition of his Honour&rsquo;s pioneering contribution to the study and practice of construction law in Australia. &nbsp;
Sean Brady is a forensic engineer and the Managing Director of Brady Heywood. Sean is also a director of the Society of Construction Law Australia.
Wayne Jocic is Associate Professor and Co-Director of Studies at Melbourne Law School.
 Resources and links:
All conference papers are available free to SoCLA members at <a href="https://www.scl.org.au/">scl.org.au</a>.
Cara North on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-north-76601332/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-north-76601332/</a>
Eleanor Clifford on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-clifford-4b33b4145/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-clifford-4b33b4145/</a>
Sean Brady on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-brady-11a95427/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-brady-11a95427/</a>
Corrs Chambers Westgarth website: <a href="https://www.corrs.com.au/">https://www.corrs.com.au/</a>
Brady Heywood Pty Ltd website: <a href="https://www.bradyheywood.com.au/">https://www.bradyheywood.com.au/</a>
Melbourne Law School website: <a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/">https://law.unimelb.edu.au/</a>
 Connect:
The Society of Construction Law Australia website: <a href="https://www.scl.org.au/">https://www.scl.org.au/</a>
The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/</a>
 Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.
 This show is produced in collaboration with <a href="https://soundcartel.com.au/">SoundCartel</a>. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

The Challenger disaster, the Tesseract decision and the role of academia in project success, with Cara North, Eleanor Clifford, Sean Brady and Wayne Jocic

Kiri Parr is a construction lawyer and industry commentator focused on how procurement, contracting and risk allocation shape behaviour in the construction sector.

In this episode, Kiri unpacks why “culture” in construction can’t be fixed in isolation - because structures drive culture. She explains how risk-shifting D&C contracts reward time-and-cost decision-making over quality and safety, suppress technical innovation, and reduce owners’ technical capability.

Kiri also challenges the role lawyers have normalised as “risk goons”, arguing we’re trained in failure rather than success. Finally, she shares practical lenses for better outcomes, from behavioural science to complex systems thinking, and why collaborative contracting offers a path to a better industry.


Resources and links:

Kiri Parr on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/kiriparr

Kiri Parr Advisory website: https://kiriparr.com/


Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/

The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/


Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.


This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

Kiri Parr is a construction lawyer and industry commentator focused on how procurement, contracting and risk allocation shape behaviour in the construction sector.
In this episode, Kiri unpacks why &ldquo;culture&rdquo; in construction can&rsquo;t be fixed in isolation - because structures drive culture. She explains how risk-shifting D&amp;C contracts reward time-and-cost decision-making over quality and safety, suppress technical innovation, and reduce owners&rsquo; technical capability.
Kiri also challenges the role lawyers have normalised as &ldquo;risk goons&rdquo;, arguing we&rsquo;re trained in failure rather than success. Finally, she shares practical lenses for better outcomes, from behavioural science to complex systems thinking, and why collaborative contracting offers a path to a better industry.
 Resources and links:
Kiri Parr on LinkedIn: <a href="https://au.linkedin.com/in/kiriparr">https://au.linkedin.com/in/kiriparr</a>
Kiri Parr Advisory website: <a href="https://kiriparr.com/">https://kiriparr.com/</a>
 Connect:
The Society of Construction Law Australia website: <a href="https://www.scl.org.au/">https://www.scl.org.au/</a>
The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/</a>
 Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.
 This show is produced in collaboration with <a href="https://soundcartel.com.au/">SoundCartel</a>. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

Why construction is still slow to adopt AI, with Elena Stojcevski and Veno Panicker

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