AI Governance Expertise · Australian Heavy Industry

AI governance is now a legal obligation.
Is your business ready?

Largely already in force, the National AI Plan encompasses the Privacy Act, DTA Policy, National Assurance Framework, and SOCI — with the grace period ending 10 December 2026. It applies to boards, prime and sub-contractors, and their supply chains. I help heavy industry businesses build a defensible position before the auditors arrive.

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30+ Years Heavy Industry
$2B+ Bids Directed
FTSE 100 VP-Level Experience
James Clements, Heavy Industry AI Consultant
AI Governance Specialist

Trusted by leaders from

The challenge

The obligations are already in force. Most businesses don't know it.

CI Asset Owners

Critical infrastructure owners carry the highest obligation

Under the SOCI Act and DTA's Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program, AI must be formally added to your existing CIRMP — and that coverage must extend to the critical supply elements of your supply chain. Non-compliance is a regulatory breach, not a future risk.

Board liability: director duties apply personally — up to $600K per officer under Corporations Act & WHS Act
Prime Contractors

Primes are caught at the intersection — from both directions

Prime contractors carry their own National AI Plan obligations, plus any AI governance and compliance requirements flowed down contractually from CI Asset Owners, Federal and State Governments. That same burden must then be equitably structured and passed through to subcontractors and the broader supply chain.

  • AI governance clauses now standard in Defence, Energy & Infrastructure prequalification
  • Extracting principal AI requirements, mapping fulfilment obligations, and flowing compliant — but proportionate — conditions down to the supply chain is now core procurement management
Board liability: Prime boards face the same director exposure as Asset Owners under AI governance failures
Tier 2/3 Subcontractors

Subcontractors face a moving compliance target on every project

Beyond their own National AI Plan obligations, subcontractors must adapt to AI governance requirements that shift from tender to tender and project to project as flow-down conditions evolve. New pressures are compounding this: Sovereign AI mandates requiring Australian-hosted data, and live performance feeds into Prime contractors' Digital Twins mean your AI stack is now part of your client's governance framework — whether you know it or not.

How I work

Assess. Govern. Demonstrate. — in that order, for a reason.

Assess

Map your actual AI exposure — shadow AI, embedded tools, and data flows — against your existing and new governance requirements, any major planned procurement activity, and upcoming tender obligations.

Govern

Build a defensible governance framework your board can stand behind and your supply chain can stand behind you on. Deploy the systems your bid team can articulate in any prequalification or tender response — and ensure compliance obligations are accurately flowed down and the right records are produced and maintained.

Demonstrate

Monitor, improve, and evidence. Governance that cannot be demonstrated under audit, contract review, or tender scrutiny is no governance at all. Ongoing system improvement ensures your compliance position stays current as regulations evolve and project obligations change.

Services

Wherever you sit in the supply chain, there's an obligation that applies to you

Fixed scope. Clear outcomes. No open-ended retainers. No transformation projects. No 6-month engagements.

For CI Asset Owners
New obligation — SOCI Act

CIRMP AI Uplift

Your Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program must now include AI. This engagement formally adds AI to your existing CIRMP — covering your AI use cases, tool register, data flows, and the critical supply elements of your supply chain — to satisfy DTA CIRMP obligations under the SOCI Act.

  • AI use case and tool register mapped to your CIRMP structure
  • Data residency and sovereignty position documented
  • Supply chain critical element coverage assessed and recorded
  • Delivered as a CIRMP amendment ready for submission

Also applies to Prime Contractors holding Operator status under a CI Asset Owner.

Discuss Your CIRMP
Director liability — act now

Board AI Governance Review

A structured review of your board’s AI governance obligations across 13 legal domains — Corporations Act, WHS, Privacy Act, SOCI, ASX principles, and more. Delivered as a cross-referenced compliance register your board can act on.

  • Director personal liability mapped against current AI use
  • Three-horizon view: enforceable now, near-term, emerging
  • Board-ready report with clear action priorities
  • Covers all 13 obligation domains relevant to heavy industry

ASIC has already pursued directors for technology governance failures. This is not a future risk.

Also available to Prime Contractor boards and any ASX-listed or incorporated entity with AI in their operations.

Request a Board Briefing
For Prime Contractors

AI Governance & Tender Compliance Prime Track

Your clients are already scoring AI governance in tenders. Principals are already flowing obligations down to you. Build the framework that wins work today — and the supply chain architecture to pass those obligations equitably to your subcontractors.

  • AI use case register and accountable owner structure
  • GfAA (AI6) essential practices compliance documented
  • AIIA-aligned documentation and DTA Policy v2.0 alignment
  • Sovereign AI position across data, model behaviour, inference, and auditability documented
  • Supply chain AI compliance flow-down conditions drafted
  • Tender response package for AI governance prequalification clauses

From 1 July 2026, NSW PBD-2025-05 makes modern slavery due diligence mandatory in construction tenders. A Prime’s AI governance framework must account for how AI is used in workforce and labour management — because that is exactly what modern slavery tender clauses will now ask about.

Discuss Your Governance Framework
For Tier 2/3 Subcontractors

AI Governance & Tender Compliance Sub-Contractor Track

The National AI Plan applies to your business directly — not just via your head contractor. Build a compliant AI governance position that satisfies your own obligations and holds up to scrutiny in every tender you respond to.

  • AI tool and use case register aligned to National AI Plan
  • Governance documentation structured for prequalification
  • GfAA (AI6) essential practices and DTA Model AI Clauses v2.0 alignment
  • Sovereign AI position across data, model behaviour, inference, and auditability documented
  • Adapts to each Prime’s flow-down requirements tender-by-tender

32% of subcontractors are currently failing prequalification on AI requirements. Getting through pre-qual is not enough — shortlisted tenderers are being audited. You can fake the pre-qual. You can’t fake the audit.

Get Compliant

AI Readiness Assessment

$3,500 + GST

A structured assessment that builds your compliant AI governance system in accordance with the National AI Plan — before your prime asks for it. Pre-qualification is not the finish line. Shortlisted tenderers are being audited, and a governance position that cannot hold up under direct scrutiny counts for nothing.

  • Shadow AI and tool audit across your business
  • Compliance gap analysis against four regulatory streams
  • Governance system documented and ready for prequalification and post-shortlist audit
  • Positions you for rapid tender response when the work comes

Get ahead of it. The firms being marked down at audit stage are not unprepared — they just prepared for the wrong gate.

Book a Readiness Assessment

Tender AI Response

When a major tender drops with AI governance requirements, you need a response — fast. If you’ve completed an AI Readiness Assessment, we build on that foundation. If not, we run a rapid assessment and construct your response in parallel, including any pre-award AI preparation your head contractor requires.

  • Builds on existing AI Readiness Assessment where available
  • Rapid-track assessment and response for live tenders
  • AI governance section drafted for your tender submission
  • Pre-award AI preparation and compliance documentation
  • Structured to match the specific Prime’s flow-down requirements
Discuss Your Tender
About James

I speak your language. I've sat in your chair.

I've spent three decades directing major projects and leading business development across Oil & Gas, Defence, Energy, and Infrastructure for FTSE 100 and ASX-listed contractors. From architecting $2B+ defence bids to pioneering energy transition strategies across Asia Pacific — I bring the strategic discipline of a corporate VP directly to your leadership team.

I combine that operational experience with targeted AI implementation. No innovation theatre. No tech for tech's sake. Only AI that protects margin, wins work, and survives a site audit.

Bid Director — Australia's largest naval shipbuilding programme ($2B+ Defence EPC)
VP Strategy & Development, Asia Pacific — Wood PLC (FTSE 100), 7 business units, 4 countries
Energy Transition architect — pivoting O&G portfolios to low-carbon markets
Alliance model pioneer — reduced Defence ship upgrade cycles from 4 years to 18 months
MBA · University of New England Certified Master Project Director · AIPM AI Fluency Professional · USyd Certified AI Lead Partner · Mindhive

Delivered through

AI That Works

The delivery vehicle. Fixed-price AI pilots and readiness programs for heavy industry.

Kipanga

Engineering partner for AI transformation at scale. ISO 27001 certified, secure Australian hosting.

Mindhive

Collective intelligence platform. Certified Lead Partner for strategic collaborative engagements.

What clients say

Trusted by industry leaders

★★★★★

"James provides fractional support as both the Lead Account Partner and GTM Focal Point. We have a global mandate and James brings the strategic clarity and industry depth to operate at that level."

CEO
Accenture engagement
★★★★★

"He led our AsiaPac Strategy process, focused on growth and diversification. Thanks to his unique knowledge across the region and industry, he was invaluable — delivering exactly what we needed."

Paul McCarthy
Regional Director, EnerMech
★★★★★

"Working alongside James, I was always impressed by his tenacity in getting after opportunities and his rigorous approach to ensuring outcomes were achieved."

Chief Operating Officer
Heavy industry contractor
★★★★★

"We knew little about AI previously, except we were falling behind. The pilot process was easy, we learned a lot, and the AI agent has everyone excited. We are now developing our AI Scaling Strategy with James."

Free tools & resources

Find out where you stand — before someone else does

Built specifically for Australian heavy industry. No login. No cost.

Interactive map

Australia's AI Regulatory Map

Click through every active AI regulation that applies to heavy industry contractors — Privacy Act, DTA Policy, National Assurance Framework, SOCI Act. See status, deadlines, and what it means for your business in plain English.

Open the Regulatory Map →
Free guide

What Your Next Tender Will Ask About AI — and How to Answer

A practical guide for heavy industry contractors. Covers the AI governance questions now appearing in prequalification documents — and exactly how to answer them. Download before your next submission.

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Insights

Straight talk on AI governance for heavy industry

Practical, no-hype guidance for boards, prime contractors, and supply chain businesses navigating Australia's AI regulatory landscape.

Essential reading

What Your Next Tender Will Ask About AI Governance

AI governance clauses are now appearing in prequalification documents across major infrastructure projects. Here's exactly what they're asking — and how to answer.

AI Governance · 8 min read
Get in touch

A straight conversation — no sales pitch

Book a call directly, or send a message below and I'll come back to you within one business day.

Book a 30-min Discovery Call

Or reach me directly:

james@jamesclements.com.au LinkedIn ↗

What to expect

  • Straight talk about your actual situation
  • No obligation to proceed
  • Specific guidance for your tender context
  • 30 minutes, no more