A Day in the Life of a Senior Project Verifier: Casey Miles

View of a road with building materials and machinery on the side
Headshot of Casey Miles

In our ‘day in the life’ blog series, we aim to showcase the work of our talented team and help you get to know the faces behind our projects a little better. This month, we sat down with Casey Miles, a Senior Project Verifier in our Sydney office, to chat a bit more about the dynamics of his role and his best advice for anyone considering a career in the field.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what interested you in TfNSW Verification. 

I enjoy the variety of working on so many different projects at once, and experiencing and traveling to various parts of NSW which I would not normally go to otherwise.

What does a typical workday look like for you and what brings you the most enjoyment in your role? 

A typical workday can involve undertaking design drawings and quality assurance documentation review in the morning, then in the afternoon traveling to site for a site inspection. Some days I might fit in 2, 3 or even 4 site inspections. During busy periods nightshift inspections may also be required. These inspections could be located around the Sydney metropolitan area, Central Coast, or rural NSW such as Central West.

What’s it like being part of Barker Ryan Stewart’s TfNSW Verification team? Are there any standout projects you’re currently working on?

I enjoy being part of the BRS team, very relaxed, people are easy to get along with, and positive attitude!

What’s been the most memorable aspect of working at Barker Ryan Stewart so far? 

Working on the Kanangra Drive Intersection upgrade project at Crangan Bay, with Swansea just down the road I was able to have lunch on the waterfront during summer quite a number of times which was fantastic.

Looking back at your career, is there anything that has surprised you about working in TfNSW Verification?

For such an enjoyable role there less people doing the role than I expected.

Finally, what advice do you have for anyone considering a career in TfNSW Verification?

It’s important to have 10 years’ experience working on large TfNSW road and bridge construction projects for both TfNSW and Contractors, also experience undertaking a number of different positions such as Project and Quality Manager roles.

Catch of the Day: The long-awaited new Sydney Fish Market opens

Exterior view of a modern building

Since 1966, the Sydney Fish Market in Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont has been an icon in the Sydney cultural landscape, providing a beating heart to the industry of fresh seafood for retailers, restauranteurs, tourists, and foodies alike. As the old site became increasingly worse-for-wear, demand for an expanded, modernised market also rose; now, after a decade of development, the new Sydney Fish Market has opened, bringing with it a new era of tourism with an expected 6 million annual visitors.

The new market boasts an expanded site of about 20%, with a modern, open design. Its roof spans an approximate 20,000 square metres, incorporating solar-paneling and geometrics reminiscent of fish scales. Designed by Danish architects 3XN in collaboration with BVN Architecture and Aspect Studios, the space is set to become one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks, attracting foodies, restauranteurs, families and tourists from far and wide.

The space will become home to around 40 retailers providing a range of products and experiences, from fine-dining, bars, and exotic cuisines to a casual fish and chips. With its 6,000sqm of public open space and vast opening hours, from early morning vendor transactions, to late night dining, the new space will host a hub of nightlife activity on the famous Sydney Harbour.

Throughout construction the new Sydney Fish Market created over 700 jobs and is expected to create another 700 long-term jobs after Monday’s opening. The construction process also included numerous sustainability initiatives, including the use of five Seabin™ units to filter 4.4 billion litres of water and the installation of 298 seawall tiles, coral panels and 40 hanging fish habitats to support marine life.

The site of the old Sydney Fish Market premises is marked to become the site of thousands of homes in towers up to 35 storeys, including student housing, woven into the numerous veins of transport in the area.

Our Involvement

BRS was selected by Infrastructure NSW to provide private certification services to complete the significant redevelopment works associated with the Sydney Fish Market subdivision, specifically the subdivision of the subject land into two Torrens Title lots, and then to further subdivide one of those lots into 7 stratum lots.

Our private certification services included a subdivision certificate where we undertook a review of all required documentation, issuing a compliance checklist, assessing revised materials, and the preparation of the final certificate. Once satisfied, we issued the Subdivision Certificate and lodged the determination on the NSW Planning Portal.

“BRS were involved in the provision of a subdivision certificate for the stratum subdivision of the site for the new Sydney Fish Market. The architecture of the building and its surrounds made for a challenging stratum subdivision, but it was a privilege to be involved in such an iconic and unique project”, said Certifier Garry Ryan.

“The new Sydney Fish Market will deliver a much-needed upgrade to both retail and trading spaces for the general public and seafood retailers, with the new premises being larger and more functional than the previous outdated and deteriorating site on the eastern side of Blackwattle Bay.”

Images courtesy of Infrastructure NSW

Our Services

As a trusted partner to property developers, publicly listed companies, and government agencies, BRS continues to raise the bar for civil infrastructure and development projects across NSW. BRS brings award-winning solutions, mult

A Day in the Life of a Director at BRS: Glenn Barker

View of a road sign with a road in the background
Headshot of Glenn Barker

In this spin-off of our ‘day in the life’ blog series, we sat down with the Directors behind BRS to chat about their careers to date, from the milestones that have brought them the most pride, to the valuable lessons they’ve learned along the way. This month, we were joined by Glenn Barker to discuss his role as a Director.

What is your profession, and what do you love about what you do?

I studied Civil Engineering.

It was a great way of getting my foot in the door for my career, providing civil engineering, project management, development engineering, traffic engineering, transport planning and subdivision certification services to the property development and government infrastructure industries.

What are you most proud of / what stands out for you as a major milestone of the company?

I am most proud of being involved with building a great team of professionals that are the heart of BRS.

We are very fortunate to have a great bunch of hard working, resilient, very capable and fun-to-be-with people on our team that work in a collaborative way to successfully and continually deliver projects for our clients.

Where do you feel the industry is headed? What are some of the challenges you’re preparing BRS to face?

With the recent acquisition of Digitise Consulting, BRS now have the capabilities to go deep and wide in the provision of Digital Engineering and Asset Management services and make our internal workflows more efficient.

The next step for us is to fully optimise the use of AI to further streamline our systems, to continue to improve the delivery of our services to our clients and to make BRS even more sustainable.

If you could offer yourself a piece of advice as you were just starting your career, what would it be and why?

Focus on your long-term goal rather than just get bounced around by short term tasks. This provides a North Star to guide you through career decisions.

Concentrate on your own growth (knowledge, skills and how you relate with people) and on building your resilience; most successful people I know are not necessarily the smartest and the most knowledgeable, they are the ones that relate well with others and are very very resilient.

Be brutally honest with yourself and your abilities, including taking ownership of your actions and embrace and learn from your mistakes. Be very open to feedback from others as this is your greatest opportunity to learn and grow.

Celebrate your wins! You need to pat yourself on the back from time to time. I’m definitely guilty of not doing this enough through my career.

Work life balance – don’t define yourself by just your work. There is nothing more important than spending time with family, friends and doing activities that boost your own wellbeing.

Sustainability, Climate Resilience and Renewables in Action

Aerial view of solar farm

At BRS, we believe in better. We believe in delivering better outcomes for our clients, better service to our communities, and a better future for the environment. We understand the environmental responsibility that is attributed to our roles as Planners, Project Managers, Surveyors, Designers and Certifiers across our approximately 1,000 active projects. We seek to make a positive impact through every project we work on by upholding the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we seek to make a positive impact through every project we undertake.

Goal 9 – Sustainable Industrialisation

This goal encourages the building of resilient infrastructure and promotes sustainable industrialisation and innovation. It identifies industrial developments as a key area to promote sustainable practices as our infrastructure becomes more expansive and modernised.

This idea was key with Moorebank Logistics Park, setting new standard for sustainable outcomes in Australian industrial developments. The precinct is targeting a 5 Star Green Star Design and Build Certification, alongside the installation of Australia’s largest rooftop solar and micro-grid which will provide 60 MW of rooftop solar across the park. Once operational, the precinct is expected to remove more than 3,000 heavy truck movements from Sydney’s roads daily, helping to reduce 111,000 tonnes of carbon transport emissions annually.

BRS has proudly acted as the Principal Certifier for this State Significant Development and has been involved in conducting the compliance inspections and issuing Subdivision Certificates across the development, and Compliance Certificates for the construction of the ring road in the Western Precinct.

Goal 11 – Climate Resilience

Goal 11 focuses on developing and upgrading cities and communities to remain resilient in the face of a changing climate, including improving disaster preparedness and designing with the protection of people and infrastructure in mind. The goal also aims to reduce the environmental impact of cities by improving air quality, ensuring access to green spaces and renewable energy, and managing waste sustainably.

During the massive flooding events that heavily impacted the Northern Rivers region in 2022, a 900m section of Gungas Road was damaged by flood waters. Lismore City Council engaged BRS to undertake a flood study to assess the proposed upgrade of Gungas Road including change of alignment and two proposed crossings.

In the same region, we were also engaged by NSW Public Works Department of Regional NSW to provide surveying services associated with several flood levees across the Northern Rivers region. The project forms part of NSW Public Work’s Flood Levee Repair and Maintenance Program. BRS completed detail surveys of several levees within the Byron Shire Council, Tweed Shire Council, and Kyogle Council LGAs.

Other projects relating to climate resilience include:

  • Project Management of the redevelopment of the former Penrith City Council (PCC), incorporating environmentally sustainable design in accordance with the Council’s Cooling the City Strategy.
  • Survey services involved in the repair and reconstruction of the flood affected internal access road and car park of the Bilambil Sport Complex.
  • Increasing the safety and resilience of Mungo Brush Road as vital road infrastructure in a flood prone area.

Through these projects, we are proud to play a role in strengthening communities against the growing impacts of extreme weather.

Goal 13 – Renewable Energy

Goal 13 encourages governments to decrease emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C as set out in the Paris Agreement. BRS has been engaged across numerous renewable energy projects, providing various services associated with their construction and road access.

The Uungula Wind Farm, located 14km east of Wellington, NSW, encompasses 69 x GE 6MW wind turbines. The project aims to power more than 220,000 homes and prevent more than 560,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. It marks one of the largest renewable energy developments in New South Wales, producing an approximate 260 jobs for the regional community. BRS provided private verification services associated with the upgrade of the public road accessing Uungula Wind Farm.

Other renewable energy projects we have worked on include:

  • Traffic Impact Assessment at the Moree Solar Farm, a site set to produce 56MW of renewable energy and avoid the production of 95,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
  • Private verification services in association with the widening of the New England Highway and the creation of a dedicated right turn lane for traffic accessing the Thunderbolt Wind Farm, which is set to supply 230MW to the grid while creating 190 jobs.

Goal 15 – Wildlife Protection

Goal 15 focuses on the importance of conserving, protecting and rehabilitating our wildlife by minimising the effect human development and infrastructure has on the natural environment. The goal encourages protective measures to be implemented to support the long-term health of ecosystems and native animals.

In 2024, BRS was engaged by NSW Public Works and National Parks and Wildlife Services to provide a civil engineering design of a predator fence water crossing in Ngambaa Nature Reserve, Allgomera. Feral predator-free areas provide native wildlife, such as the long-nosed potoroo and the eastern chestnut mouse, with essential protection from the devastating consequences of invasive species. Native protection is achieved by erecting conservation fencing surrounding perimeters of the determined ecological restoration area which prevents feral fauna from entering, and native wildlife from moving into dangerous areas.

How we can assist on your project

No matter the scope of your project, we are dedicated in helping you develop innovative and sustainable solutions to provide a better outcome for your project.

Our experienced team has the capability to provide civil engineering design, town planning, project management, traffic engineering and surveying services for climate resilience and renewable energy developments, including waste to energy, wind, and solar farms.

We are a corporate member and proud supporter of the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s (UDIA) EnviroDevelopment Professional program. Our team of experts is well-resourced and positioned to assist and would love to hear about your next project.

Have any questions or are looking for support on your next project?

Contact Us