AquaSure brings together three companies, all leaders in their fields:

• SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT through its affiliate Degrémont, world leader in desalination technology;

• THIESS, one of Australia’s largest and most trusted construction and services companies; and

• MACQUARIE CAPITAL, the world’s strongest and most experienced infrastructure advisor.

Degrémont

Degrémont is the water treatment plant specialist within SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT. Over 30 years, Degrémont has designed and built 250 reverse osmosis desalination plants and operates a significant portion of this installed capacity.

With business in over 70 countries and 4,600 employees, Degrémont generated sales of 1,014 million Euros (1,766 million AUD) in 2008. Each day, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT and its subsidiaries deal with the challenge to protect resources by providing innovative solutions to industries and to millions of people.

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT employs 65,400 people and, with its presence on a global scale, is a world leader exclusively dedicated to environmental services. In 2008, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT achieved sales turnover of 12.4 billion Euros (21.6 billion AUD).

Degrémont has been active in Australia for more than 30 years. Among its many projects, the company has operated the Sydney Prospect plant since 1996, which supplies around 80 per cent of Sydney’s drinking water. In 2006, a Degrémont joint venture completed the first Australian seawater desalination plant in Perth, still the third largest of its kind in the world and the largest single water source for Perth’s integrated water supply scheme.

Degrémont brings to the AquaSure consortium unrivalled international experience in seawater desalination designs and operations for very large plants, which is complemented by its operation and management experience in Australia. This project, its largest ever PPP project, confirms the company’s world leadership in reverse-osmosis technology.

Thiess

With 75 years experience, Thiess is one of Australia’s largest construction, mining and services contractors with operations throughout Australia and in New Zealand, Indonesia, UAE and India.

Thiess’s impressive portfolio includes iconic projects like the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Lane Cove Tunnel, EastLink and Airport Link. Thiess is also one of the country’s leading water infrastructure builders, having built the Thomson Dam and other large dams, water treatment facilities as well as ancillary equipment for the delivery of water services.

Thiess Services is Australia’s market leader in operations and maintenance for water utilities

With an annual turnover of A$5.5 billion and A$15.6 billion of work in hand, Thiess’s strong financial position enables the company to undertake very large and complex projects.

Thiess is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings Limited, the largest publicly listed construction and development company in Australia.

Macquarie Group

Macquarie Group is a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services.

Founded in 1969, Macquarie operates in more than 70 office locations in 26 countries. Macquarie employed approximately 12,700 people and had assets under management of A$243 billion at 31 March 2009.

Macquarie Capital comprises Macquarie Group's corporate advisory, equity underwriting and specialised funds management businesses. Macquarie Capital’s public private partnership (PPP) group provides specialist infrastructure financing advice on PPPs and private finance initiatives in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Europe, Canada, South Korea and the Middle East.

Macquarie Capital is active across all major sectors, including water and wastewater, healthcare, schools, police, prisons, defence, transport and street lighting. Macquarie has advised on a number of significant transactions in the water utilities sector.

Macquarie Capital brings to the AquaSure consortium the proven ability to ensure successful financing of the project through its unique network.