Shaping places with purpose: Justine Kinch on strategy, equity and delivery

Justine Kinch brings a combination of strategic clarity, delivery experience and deep regional insight to her new role as TSA Riley’s Regional General Manager for New South Wales.

She has spent 30 years delivering projects across New South Wales, with a focus on Western Sydney – shaping precincts, leading major infrastructure programmes, and influencing government strategy at the highest level. But she’s also seen where things have gone wrong and learnt from those mistakes.

That perspective - honest, accountable, and formed through experience, defines Justine's leadership style. At TSA Riley, she’s focused on building capability, aligning strategy, and delivering impact that lasts well beyond project completion.

Justine started by working for free, and it paid off

When Justine graduated with a degree in landscape architecture in the early 1990s, Australia was in recession. “My parents told me, ‘You have to work – even if it’s for free,’ so I did. I walked into a planning firm on the Central Coast and asked if they’d consider offering landscape architecture as a service. They said yes, as long as I could win the work.”

It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave Justine a crash course in delivery. “I cut my teeth doing fast-food restaurant car parks,” she says. “It was demoralising, but I learnt how to run a contract, manage administration, and see things built.”

Within a few years, Justine became a director and part-owner, helping grow the business into a multidisciplinary practice delivering architecture, planning, landscape architecture, ecology and graphic design.

The boldest job of Justine's career

Before joining TSA Riley, Justine spent 4 years at Transport for New South Wales, including the role of Director Western Sydney Aerotropolis – a project she describes as “the boldest” of her career.

Development in the precinct was accelerating, the airport opening was planned for 2026, and a significant number of Transport projects were already in delivery and planning phases. Developers, the community, and stakeholders were also eager to engage, and it was clear to Transport that a strategic vision and a clear set of priorities were needed to provide clarity.

Justine joined a pilot team created to bring focus and direction to the Aerotropolis. They built a whole-of-precinct vision and transport strategy – covering all modes – and established a proactive approach for developers, community and stakeholders to engage with Transport. “We tested the plan with partners and really created a front door to the precinct, resulting in consistent and coordinated information".

But for Justine, the goal wasn’t just a streamlined process – it was lasting impact. “We had a clear focus to support the successful opening of the airport, maintain safety on the existing road network and enable new development in the precinct which would ultimately unlock new and better jobs closer to home for Western Sydney residents”.

If it’s not helpful, it might be harmful

By the time she stepped into the Aerotropolis role, Justine had spent over 25 years delivering projects across Western Sydney. She knew how much was at stake because she’d seen what happens when the balance isn’t right.

“I really care about equity and there’s plenty of evidence to show that Western Sydney has been delivered some poor outcomes,” she says.

Justine uses this insight to guide how she works. “Penrith isn’t Liverpool. Campbelltown isn’t Parramatta. Every community is different, and so are the risks, expectations and priorities. If you want your project to succeed, you have to understand who it affects, and whether your decisions are helpful or harmful.”

That lens – helpful or harmful – defines how Justine leads. From planning to engagement, it’s about designing for place, not just delivering a project. “What consultants need is nuance,” she says. “You can’t just roll in with a templated delivery plan. You have to stop, listen and tailor it to the community you’re working with.”

Why TSA Riley – and what she’s focused on now

After years in government and large multinationals, Justine was looking for something different – not smaller, but sharper. She wanted to stretch into new territory, apply what she’d learnt, and work with people who shared her values.

“I didn’t want to do something I’d already done,” she says. “TSA Riley works across the whole project lifecycle. It brings together everything I did in design, and everything I did in government – plus areas I want to grow in, like carbon, transactions, advisory.”

It wasn’t just the breadth of the service offering that appealed; it was also the people. “Everyone I met at TSA Riley was warm, down-to-earth, switched on. I just got a really good vibe.”

Now, as Regional General Manager for New South Wales, she’s focused on 3 things: aligning strategy, lifting capability, and creating connection across the business.

First, alignment. “It’s about bringing New South Wales into the broader operating model – making sure we’re clear on how we pursue work, where we focus our efforts, and how that connects with the strategy nationally.”

Second, collaboration. “If we’re aligned, we can share resources, share intel, and work across borders without friction. That’s when we operate as one team.”

And third, the team itself. “You can’t lead a team you don’t know. So, I’m making time to meet people, understand what they care about, and where we can support each other. This is our biggest region. We need a shared purpose, and the clarity to know how each of us contributes to it.”

Grit, goals and the long run

When she’s not leading strategy or working across borders, Justine is usually somewhere in the bush, running. A lot.

She’s a trail runner and ultramarathoner whose idea of a short jog is 2 hours. “If I’m training for a race, it might be 30, 60, even 160 kilometres,” she shrugs. “I don’t like sitting still. I actually find it more relaxing to go for a run.”

Running isn’t the only thing that keeps her moving. At home, she juggles life with a 15-year-old son, a very understanding husband, and 2 demanding rescue bunnies – Tom and Josephine – who are doted on daily. “They wake me up in the morning for their breakfast, run around the house, and demand fuss,” she laughs. “I could easily spend an hour a day fussing over them.”

She’s also trying to improve her downhill mountain biking – “I can’t keep up with my family” – and wishes she’d jumped on the AI bandwagon earlier. There’s talk of learning an instrument one day, but no promises just yet.

What keeps her grounded are tangible goals. Whether it’s a trail checkpoint or a team strategy milestone, Justine’s approach is the same: break it down, stay focused, and keep moving forward.

“I always have a race lined up,” she says. “You need something to aim for.”