Lulu Zeng

Executive summary

Lulu is a Director in BDO’s Project & Infrastructure Advisory team in Sydney and leads the firm’s Infrastructure Economics practice. She brings 18 years of experience as a consulting economist, with expertise in infrastructure business cases, economic appraisal, and advanced forecasting and modelling.

Lulu supports clients to assess the viability and long-term value of major projects. She works across a wide range of sectors including transport, housing, mining, and social infrastructure, with a particular focus on large, complex public and private sector infrastructure programs.

Lulu is known for her analytical depth and innovative approach to economic appraisal - helping clients make informed, evidence-based investment decisions. She is recognised for advancing national methodologies, including developing approaches to quantify non-traditional economic benefits using econometric techniques to support robust, forward-looking appraisal frameworks.

Expertise

• Infrastructure business case development and economic appraisal for major transport and social infrastructure projects
• Cost benefit analysis and due diligence to support investment decisions across government and private sector clients
• Econometric analysis and economic forecasting to inform long-term infrastructure planning
• Quantifying non-traditional economic benefits, including valuation approaches for regional roads, urban loading zones, and heavy vehicle rest areas
• Advisory services for government and public sector clients on infrastructure investment prioritisation and policy outcomes
• Economic modelling and appraisal across natural resources projects, including mining and related infrastructure

Experience

Transport and major infrastructure:

• State and federal government agencies – Economic appraisal and cost benefit analysis for large-scale transport programs including rail, bus, and road infrastructure initiatives
• Government infrastructure program – Led the economic appraisal of major city-shaping projects including metropolitan rail and rapid bus programs
• Aviation and precinct development – Economic assessment and modelling to support major airport and aerotropolis development projects

Infrastructure economics and appraisal innovation:

• Government clients – Development of methodologies to quantify non-traditional economic benefits using econometric techniques
• Infrastructure investment proposals – Designed and applied forward-looking appraisal frameworks to strengthen evidence-based decision making

Cross-sector infrastructure advisory:

• Public and private sector clients – Business cases, forecasting, and economic modelling across transport, housing, mining, and social infrastructure projects

Qualifications and affiliations

• Master of Economics (Econometrics)
• Bachelor of Quantitative Economics
• Bachelor of Social Policy
• Bachelor of Philosophy
• Member, Australian Transport Professionals Association
• Member, Australasian Transport Research Forum
• Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Member, CA ANZ