Personnel Profile

Name: Chris Carman

Position: Managing Director

Specialist skills:

With over 30 years experience in land development and major civil engineering projects, Chris is responsible for the integrity of the firm’s projects and their successful delivery to the client. He has developed a detailed understanding of the project management role and the need to maintain a balance between technical and “soft” project functions.

Strong leadership qualities have seen Chris charged with guiding complex consultancy teams through all phases of both government and private land development projects.  He has also been involved in tendering, procurement and contract administration, again working in close liaison with consultant teams, contractors, and builders.

Chris has extensive experience in the production and implementation of marketing and sales plans, and fully understands the importance of strategic marketing and public relations plans.

As the Project Manager for the multi-award winning Mandurah Ocean Marina, Chris has developed a national reputation in marina projects and is a sought after speaker at key conferences such as the 2007 & 2008 Maritime Structures Conferences organised by Lloyds List.

Industry experience:

In 1988, Chris was engaged by Joondalup Development Corporation (now LandCorp) to project manage the development of the 1000 hectare Joondalup City Centre Project, a satellite city to Perth and one of the most complicated civil engineering subdivisional and infrastructure projects ever undertaken in WA. The total value of works managed by Chris was in the vicinity of $200 million.  The project included the creation of infrastructure for a city centre from a greenfield site, as well as many significant structures, such as Collier Pass Railway Bridge, the largest bridge of its type in the world at the time of construction and Joondalup Arena, a $20 million multi-purpose sport and recreation facility.

Following the successful implementation of the Joondalup project, Chris was appointed as the project manager for the $60 million Mandurah Ocean Marina project, entailing the development of a strategic 500-boat harbour, together with surrounding land development. Chris led a project team through detailed feasibility, planning, design, construction and marketing of the project. Construction was completed in February 2006. The multi-award winning marina is now considered a national tourist icon development and land sales have achieved record prices for WA.  Chris was awarded the 2005 WA AIPM Project Management Achievement Award for his successful delivery of the project.

In recognition of his achievements at Mandurah, Chris was recently appointed as Project Manager for the $40 million Albany Waterfront Project. This project entails the redevelopment of a degraded area on the Albany townsite waterfront adjacent to the Albany Port and includes the provision of sites for the Albany Entertainment Centre, Hotel & Convention Centre, as well as a marina for 160 boats.

Chris is also the Project Manager for North Port Quay, easily the most visionary and ambitious concept development ever to be promoted in Western Australia. Comprising the creation of six islands off the coast of Fremantle port and protected by a massive 3.5km long breakwater, the project will be self sustainable in power through renewable sources, as well as water supply and waste water recycling, making it the world’s first carbon free development. The project will contain significant community, economic and tourism benefit to the State whilst being totally privately funded to the tune of some $10 billion.

"At Benchmark we take ownership of a project.  The client’s money is ours and we manage the project as such.  In a world where the challenges facing developers are becoming more and more complex, we strive for innovative, community focussed and sustainable outcomes in all our projects.