NSW Bushfire Recovery Programme

Project Overview

The NSW Bushfire Recovery Program was a high-profile government initiative established to provide urgent financial assistance and recovery support to primary industries and regional communities significantly impacted by the 2019–20 bushfires across New South Wales. 

What Acuity Did

Acuity acted as Senior Commercial Manager on the NSW Bushfire Recovery Program, supporting delivery across regional New South Wales. The role carried responsibility for approximately 80% of the works across the state, including procurement and commercial oversight of around 70 subcontractors, together with cost recovery processes managed directly with Public Works Advisory.

In addition to commercial management, this work involved rapidly scaling delivery capability in a high-pressure environment. Acuity was heavily involved in recruiting, training and integrating new personnel from a wide range of technical and cultural backgrounds, helping expand the team from 2 to 36 people in just three months to support programme mobilisation, commercial controls and efficient recovery delivery.

Acuity’s Value Add

This experience reflects Acuity’s ability to bring commercial structure, procurement discipline and rapid team mobilisation to complex, time-critical public sector programmes. By establishing strong subcontractor oversight and cost recovery processes at scale, we helped support efficient delivery across a geographically dispersed and operationally challenging recovery programme.

It also demonstrates Acuity’s capacity to operate effectively in high-pressure environments where speed, governance and stakeholder coordination are all critical. Through practical commercial leadership and fast capability build-out, we helped create the conditions for responsive delivery and stronger financial control across a major state-wide recovery initiative