From the CEO’s Desk
Roads Australia is committed to sharing examples of international best practice in the delivery, management and operation of integrated transport solutions. We provide this in a number of ways, including through keynote presentations at our in-person events, our policy and industry webinars and by facilitating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing with industry peers overseas.
As COVID restrictions hopefully begin to ease as vaccination rates increase, RA is now working to again provide opportunities for in-person international industry engagement.
Expressions of Interest are now being sought for the Roads Australia Study Visit to New Zealand in April 2022.
Our last delegation in 2019, Future Transport: Smart Cities, visited the US and Canada, gaining invaluable insights into collaborative approaches, strategies, innovative thinking and solutions that could be adopted to meet Australia’s future transport and city planning challenges.
Planning has now commenced for the 2022 Study Visit to New Zealand in the week of 4 April, which will again be focussed on the latest trends, technologies and infrastructure projects. We’ll meet with the leaders of key transport agencies and other mobility stakeholders, as well as host an RA lunch with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
To maximise the value of our meetings and engagements, our Study Visits are strictly limited to high-level government and industry representatives. We would also welcome expressions of interest from RA members to brief, host and sponsor the delegation on their NZ infrastructure and technology projects.
The agenda for this year’s visit is still being finalised – but in the meantime, you can lodge your Expression of Interest with me via email to michael@roads.org.au.
Stay well and safe
MichaelKilgariff
Chief Executive Officer
Queensland moves on cameras to protect road workers
In a world-first trial, Queensland’s Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey has announced the state will use new speed camera technology to target speeding drivers in school zones and around roadworks.
The pilot program will deploy high-tech cameras small enough to be mounted on solar-powered flashing road and street signs.
Protecting our industry’s workforce is a high priority for RA, as evidenced by the activities of our Road Worker Safety Working Group and policy events such as today’s Policy Webinar on road worker safety.
We are proud to also be collaborating with other organisations including the Australian Flexible Pavement Association, AustStab, the Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) and the SARAH Group to encourage other states and territories to also take up this approach – and ensure the those working to construct and maintain our roads get home safe each day.
Business & Investment Case for Suburban Rail Loop
The Business and Investment Case for Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL)has been released, setting out how the project will deliver more than $58 billion in economic, social and environmental benefits.
The SRL is a new 90-kilometre orbital rail line, to be delivered in three sections. The first to be delivered will be SRL East – connecting Cheltenham and Box Hill – and is expected to be completed by 2035. The project is intended to transform Melbourne from a city centred around a single CBD to a ‘city of centres’, through strategic land planning and development initiatives around SRL Precincts – 1600m zones around SRL stations.
SRL will deliver a long pipeline of construction activity and local jobs, helping to build industry capacity in key specialist areas including digital skills and tunnelling. Up to 24,000 jobs will be supported throughout the delivery of SRL East and North from Cheltenham to Melbourne Airport.
RA will be holding industry events featuring Frankie Carroll, Chief
Executive Officer, Suburban Rail Loop Authority and Nicole Stoddart, Executive General Manager, Rail and Infrastructure
Delivery, Suburban Rail Loop Authority. Stay tuned to RA Insider and our Events Calendar for further details in the coming weeks.
Parkes Bypass Construction Tender Awarded
A major contract has been awarded to deliver the Parkes Bypass project in NSW.
RA member Georgiou has been selected to deliver the $187.2 million, 10.5 kilometre bypass for the Federal and NSW Governments.
Parkes holds a key strategic location in the national freight network, as the place where the East-West freight rail line intersects with the Inland Rail now being constructed, as well as for road freight using the Newell Highway. The new bypass will help to improve safety and alleviate traffic congestion within Parkes itself by removing 1200 heavy vehicles from roads in the centre of town each day.
Construction is expected to commence in 2022, with completion scheduled for 2024.
People
BG&E has added to its Brisbane-based team, appointing Ho-Lee Yam as Senior Civil Engineer. She comes to the role with a significant background in managing the planning, and design and construction of infrastructure projects in South East Queensland (SEQ), through her previous role with the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
The Transport Asset Holding Entity of NSW has announced that Bénédicte Colin has been appointed its new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, commencing on 1 September. Ms Colin is currently Senior Investment Director, Infrastructure at CDPQ, and was previously Chief Executive Officer of Keolis Downer. She has more than 20 years’ experience in project finance, M&A, infrastructure investments (including PPP and franchises) and operations.
Diversity & Inclusion
There’s less than a week remaining before applications close for the 2022 RA Fellowship Program, on 31 August.
This unique industry mentoring initiative supports the next generation of leaders within our industry by matching them with Mentors drawn from senior leaders within Roads Australia’s member organisations.
Over a 12 month period, Fellows take part in one-on-one career counselling and leadership training sessions with their Mentor, and also have the opportunity to take part in a number of exclusive workshops, webinars and networking events that enable them to develop their own leadership skills and strengthen their own network of industry peers.
Click here to learn more and apply.
In partnership with Ashurst, RA is providing a scholarship for the 2022 RA Fellowship Program. The scholarship forms part of Ashurst’s social values initiatives with Rail Projects Victoria for the Victorian Rail Infrastructure Program, and is designed to support and increase participation in rail and construction industry leadership positions among those from under-represented demographic groups.
Please note scholarship applicants do not need to be Roads Australia members. Preference will be given to candidates best satisfying one or more of the following criteria:
– Active in the Victorian rail sector (required);
– Female;
– First Nations background;
– Employed by (or subcontracted to) a non-Tier 1 contractor.
For further details on how to apply for the scholarship, click here. Scholarship applications close on 17 September 2021.
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RA Insider sponsor Cardno has announced the launch of a Community Mentors Program in Victoria, in partnership with Whitelion.
The initiative will see Cardno Mentors provide career guidance to disadvantaged young people, sharing real-life experience tips on how they overcame challenges along their career journey.
The mentoring program is designed to help the mentees stay focussed on improving their skills and self-confidence – and to help them build their own positive social and business networks.
See more here.
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Remember, if you have news or achievements in the D&I space to share with our readers, please send details through to Prue Northey at RA.
Industry
Transport for NSW will hold an online engagement session with industry participants at 11:00am on Monday 30 August. Hosted by Camilla Drover, RA Board member and Deputy Secretary Infrastructure and Place, Transport for NSW, the 45-minute session will include an executive industry update, a commercial update, a panel discussion on managing the impacts of continuing COVID-19 restrictions and facilitated Q&A. The event will be broadcast via Microsoft Livestream, and can be viewed livehereat 11:00am on 30 August.
The NSW Government has confirmed that its incentives package to encourage the uptake of ZEVs will still go-live from 1 September. With the NSW Parliament currently not sitting due to COVID-19 restrictions, the enabling legislation is yet to pass. However, the NSW Government says customers who purchase a ZEV from 1 September will still be able to claim rebates worth $3,000 and refunds on stamp duty retrospectively, provided the legislation is passed once parliamentary sittings can resume.
The 2021 Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) Industry Briefing was held on Monday, proving an update from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) on current and future departmental initiatives, as well as an update on the Transport System Planning Program and strategic procurement methods. You can now view the live stream of the event, hosted by Amanda Yeates, Deputy Director-General (Infrastructure Management and Delivery), TMR. You can also access Regional QTRIP Industry Briefing presentations, which highlight significant projects and packages to be released to industry during 2021–22, the likely budgets available and timings.
Main Roads Western Australia is now seeking industry and community input as the design phase commences for the Swan River Crossings Project, jointly funded by the Federal and WA Governments. The project will involve the constructions of new road and rail bridges at Fremantle, along with dedicated new active transport infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. There will be an Online Community Design Forum held on Monday 30 August seeking input on project matters including bridge aesthetics, walking and cycling connections, heritage interpretation and urban landscaping.
Also in WA, RA member GHD has been appointed Owner’s Engineer for the state’s Clean Energy Innovation Park (CEIP) project, which is expected to become Australia’s first (and possibly largest) commercial scale green hydrogen supply chain project. GHD’s WA Market Leader – Energy, Joep Vaessen said: “This project is an excellent example of how GHD works with its clients to lead the transition towards a future of affordable, reliable, secure and low-carbon energy. Our Future Energy growth initiative aims to propel GHD’s position in the decarbonisation space, with existing and new clients all over the world.”
In Tasmania, the New Bridgewater Bridge project is progressing, with bids now having been submitted for design and construction of the $576 million project. RA members CPB Contractors and McConnell Dowell Constructors have both put forward proposals, with a preferred tenderer expected to be engaged by the end of the year. The New Bridgewater Bridge will enhance passenger and freight traffic flows along a critical state route, replacing a slow-speed, two lane bridge with a bridge incorporating a minimum design speed of 80km/h, connecting the Brooker Highway and Midland Highway with four lanes, including new interchanges in Bridgewater and Granton.
As industry and community focus on decarbonisation in the transport sector increases, RA member Aurecon has published an article highlighting the wisdom of flexible decision making, which allows individuals and organisations to think first and commit later. Written by Rich Mitchell, Lead Engineer, Integrated Transport & Mobility, Aurecon, the piece explains why rapidly evolving technologies and continuing uncertainty engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic make it important to pursue decision making processes that incorporates reversibility.
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Remember, if your organisation has news to share with the readers of RA Insider, please send details through to Simon Morgan
Policy
Roads Australia has this week provided its submission to Federal Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Road Safety.
The submission encourages the Committee to place a specific emphasis on doing more to protect the safety of workers. These workers often find themselves placed in a vulnerable situation working in and around live traffic. Given the significant scale of transport infrastructure projects currently being delivered to stimulate national economic activity, it is appropriate that a nationally consistent approach is adopted to ensure our industry’s workforce is better protected on-site.
RA’s submission recommends action be taken to improve the data collection around incidents involving road workers. RA has been engaging with the Office of Road Safety regarding this issue, and it is hoped that the new National Road Safety Data Hub recently funded by the Federal Government will be able to deliver this data in a comprehensive and transparent manner.
RA’s submission also notes it would be beneficial if bids for transport projects were required to transparently separate the costs of their intended specific efforts to create a safe work site for their workers and the general public from their overall bid costs. This would mean that safer bids would not necessarily be disadvantaged due to their seemingly higher upfront costs.
RA’s submission will be made available on the RA website shortly, once approved for publication by the Committee.
Upcoming RA Events
September 1 2021 – Industry Webinar with Minister Paul Fletcher. Bookings now open Sponsored by WSP.
September 2 2021 -Industry Webinar with Carol-Anne Nelson. Bookings now open.Sponsored by Arcadis
September 9 2021 – Policy Webinar – Sustainability and Recycling. Bookings now open.
September 15 2021 – Industry Webinar with Romilly Madew. Bookings open soon. Sponsorship available.
September 22 2021 – Policy Webinar – Shifting Gear: Modernising the way we use, manage & pay for roads. Bookings open soon. Sponsored by Q-Free
New RA events are continuing to roll out all the time. Check out our Events Calendar and keep an eye on our website www.roads.org.au to make sure you don’t miss out on networking opportunities.
Event Enquiries – Contact RA Director EventsRachael Rooney
Booking Enquiries – Contact RA Event Administrator Daniel Mellow
Sponsorship Enquiries – Contact RA Manager Membership & Programs Prue Northey
Upcoming Industry Events/Training
Ongoing (self-paced) – Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR) Online Course – Safe System for Road Engineers and Managers
September 7-8 2021 – CPEE Online – Stabilisation Fundamentals
October 20 2021 (postponed from July 28) – 2021 Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference
November 17-19 2021 -ARRB Symposium – Integrated Mobility Impacts 2021
March 2022 TBC (Postponed from September 1-2) – TMAA Annual Conference – Redefining Traffic Management
March/April 2022 TBC (Postponed from September 15-16) – TrackSAFE Level Crossing Safety Forum
