Building Value Beyond the Project
Laura Henderson’s Role in Long-Term Sustainability at Holcim Australia
Laura Henderson has always been driven by a strong sense of teamwork and achievement. Over nearly two decades, she has built a career spanning project management, contracts administration, bid writing, and business analysis—delivering successful outcomes across a wide range of infrastructure projects.
In 2023, Laura joined Holcim Australia and is now Pre-Contracts Coordinator, where she supports major projects across concrete, aggregates, and precast. Her role bridges teams and disciplines—bringing people, materials, and insights together to drive more strategic, more sustainable project delivery.
Click on the link to watch a 2-minute interview with Laura Henderson.
“It’s about making sure every element contributes to a bigger goal—whether it’s reducing carbon, improving resource efficiency, or building more trust with our clients.”
The Kidston Pumped Hydro Energy Project is a world-first because it reuses two decommissioned gold mining pits to store the water used to generate the hydroelectric power.
Her portfolio includes projects such as the ingenious Kidston Pumped Hydro Energy Project on Ewamian Country, 280 km north-west of Townsville. The renewable energy development is transforming two pits from the decommissioned Kidston Gold Mine into a pumped hydro power facility.
The project not only helps replace coal-fired generation at peak demand times, but also contributes to the stability of Queensland’s electricity grid by combining renewable energy generation with large-scale storage, supporting both energy security and more affordable power. Since 2018, Holcim has been working with McConnell Dowell and John Holland JV to deliver this ambitious project.
Laura is energised by Holcim’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, especially its focus on circular construction. She plays a key role in embedding environmental thinking early in the planning process, identifying opportunities to design out waste, use recycled materials, and keep resources in use for as long as possible. It’s an approach that, she says, delivers long-term value not just for clients, but for communities.
Holcim’s circular economy strategy focuses on reducing the use of virgin materials, regenerating resources through closed-loop systems, and turning construction and demolition waste into valuable inputs. That kind of thinking, Laura explains, “changes the conversation—it opens up new solutions and gives us a chance to lead.”
At the heart of her work is a belief in collaboration with purpose. When people are connected around a shared goal, she says, “that’s when things really start to shift. It’s not just about delivering a project—it’s about delivering progress.”
Holcim Australia played a pivotal role in delivering Sydney Metro City—the 15.5 km underground rail extension beneath the harbour and CBD with six new stations—supporting faster, turn-up-and-go metro services that carry up to 34,000 passengers per hour during peak times, reshaping the city’s infrastructure and commuter experience.
