From the CEO’s Desk
As we approach the end of 2021, it is an appropriate time to reflect on what has proven to be another challenging year for many across our industry.
Yet despite the difficulties again presented by COVID-related disruption, our industry has again demonstrated its agility and resilience throughout. RA members continue to embody a dedication to excellence as they deliver the integrated transport infrastructure and services essential to the daily lives of our communities.
I’m proud that throughout the year, RA has continued to make substantive contributions to policy discussions, provided our members with access to the industry’s thought leaders and decision makers through our events program, and further enhanced our commitment to champion a diverse, inclusive, sustainable and values-led organisation and industry.
Next year will see even more activity on these fronts, as we further refine RA’s policy focus to address economic, social and technological trends emerging globally.
This will include opportunities to explore the convergence of transport, energy and technology as the drive towards decarbonisation picks up speed, as well as the uptake of digital engineering and the use of data in asset management.
As this will be the final edition of RA Insider for 2021, I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for a relaxed Christmas break and a healthy and prosperous 2022.
Please take care on our roads during the break and remember to drive so that others survive.
Michael Kilgariff
Chief Executive Officer
Save the date – 2022 Transport Summit
Save the date for next year’s premier industry-run networking and knowledge-sharing event, Roads Australia’s 2022 Transport Summit.
Once again we’ll have a plethora of international and local expert speakers dissecting the issues that are ‘front and centre’ in both the national transport debate and the industry workplace – everything from new transport technologies to the latest thinking around procurement and risk, road funding to network performance, road and roadworker safety to industry diversity.
We’ll also share the broad policy priorities discussed at our 2022 CEO’s workshop, which brings together the top echelon of transport industry leaders from around the country. As well as participating in policy discussions, you’ll have the chance to be part of our flagship networking event – the 2022 John Shaw Dinner.
A preliminary agenda is now available. A more detailed agenda and registration details will be available soon.
Policy
In just the last few months, we have seen the deaths of roadworkers in Queensland and Victoria – and injuries and serious near misses across Australia.
Our road workers, like everyone, deserve to get home safe.
RA has joined with the Australian Flexible Pavement Association, SARAH Group, Traffic Management Association of Australia, Roadmarking Industry Association of Australia and AustStab to propose we reframe major procurement so that investments in safety are separated from other bid costs – and instead evaluated separately on a below the line basis.
We need to encourage companies to put forward their best thinking when it comes to protecting the lives of workers and the public, without being concerned that extra expenditure to protect the safety of their employees will make their bid uncompetitive.
This week, we’ve written to transport and road safety ministers around Australia to seek their support for the proposal.
View the letter here.
People
Scott Smith has taken on the Managing Director, Transportation – Australia role at Aurecon, responsible for the day to day leadership of Aurecon’s transport market teams. Scott began working with Aurecon in 1999 as tunnel engineer and has worked across the organisation in a variety of technical and management roles. His technical background is in the design and design management of major tunnel, rail, road and other infrastructure projects, playing key roles in the delivery of EastLink, Cross City Tunnel, South Island Line and Express Rail Link in Hong Kong, as well as the Doha Metro Red Line project in the Middle East.
James Paddock has been appointed Northern Territory Manager for TSA Management, having worked with the organisation in project management roles for the past three years. James has working across various infrastructure sectors, including road, rail, maritime, water, resource and defence in both Australia and the United Kingdom.
At GHD, Steve Lennon has become the organisation’s Australian Digital Leader. He is a senior strategy and technology advisor to Boards and C-Level executives, as well as being an experienced audit and risk committee member and company director. Over his career, Steve has worked as the Australian managing director of global creative agency Imagination; principal, management consulting with Arup, and in consulting leadership roles at several global IT services firms.
Arthur Stamatoudis has been appointed Executive Director – Advisory for international consulting firm RPS’ Australia Asia Pacific business. Arthur takes over from Meegan Sullivan who was appointed RPS Chief Executive Officer – Australia Asia Pacific in October. With 25 years’ experience shaping major investments, Arthur has contributed to many of Queensland’s most significant transport infrastructure programs, most recently Brisbane’s Cross River Rail and the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail initiative.
Alex Yee is the new Managing Director of Egis in Australia and New Zealand. He has an extensive professional background in advisory and asset management roles, including experience across highways, rail, aviation and utilities consulting.
The Infrastructure and Project Financing Authority (IPFA) has a new Chief Executive Officer. David Webster has wide experience in the planning and deliver of infrastructure projects in both the public and private sectors, including senior roles in the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance, RBS, ABN AMRO, and Bank of America.
Diversity & Inclusion
There are approximately 4.4 million people living with a disability in Australia. People with disability face barriers to finding full time work, with 48 percent of working aged adults with a disability being employed compared to 80 percent of working aged adults without a disability according to government data.
This provides both an economic and design challenge and an opportunity for our industry.
Aurecon is partnering with Ability Works Australia & Apricot Consulting to assist Ability Works achieve its social mission of providing “Purpose, pride and belonging through inclusive employment”. Through this partnership Aurecon has collaborated with Ability Works to establish an Inclusive Design business unit, utilising the methodology for several projects including the design of Melbourne tram stops and the Suburban Rail Loop
The lived experience of Ability Works staff helped Aurecon uncover the need for shelter and safe places for wheelchair users to wait at tram stops. These insights also benefit the elderly, parents with prams and others with mobility concerns. The program provides Ability Works staff with the opportunity to utilise their lived experience of disability and contribute to the design of major infrastructure projects in Melbourne. Finally, according to the Centre for Inclusive Design, designing with the end-user in mind has the potential benefit of reaching up to four times the number of intended customers.
Collaboration through the design and manufacturing process with social enterprise therefore provides a multitude of benefits to all stakeholders. This collaboration will also meet the State Government’s objectives of creating jobs and building the capacity of social enterprise through social procurement. Learn 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
A big moment for regional rail in Victoria this week, with the new Goornong Station officially opened to passengers. This is the first of three new stations being built as part of Bendigo Metro 3, and was delivered by Rail Projects Victoria, who appointed RA member Symal to design and construct stations at Goornong, Huntly and Raywood. This is the first time in almost 43 years that regular rail services have stopped at Goornong, and the new station will accommodate 18 services weekly.
ARTC Inland Rail has engaged McConnell Dowell to complete the first phase of designs and early delivery activities for Inland Rail in Victoria. The package includes design and preparatory works at four sites on the existing North East Rail Line, which will allow Inland Rail double-stacked freight trains to run between Beveridge and Albury. McConnell Dowell will now work with main design contractor Aurecon on the development of detailed designs for new bridges, train station modifications and track lowering.
As we head into the Christmas season, it’s important that we all remember to behave responsibly on the roads and drive so that others survive. A new report from NRMA shows that there is room for improvement, with the percentage of NSW motorists returning random breath tests showing them over the limit is at its highest in a decade. Boost the Bus: RBT Every Driver shows that of the almost three million random breath tests conducted in NSW in 2020, nearly 0.5 per cent of drivers returned a positive result.
Still on road safety, EastLink is supporting Road Trauma Support Services Victoria (RTSSV) with a $10,000 donation that will help the organisation reconnect with its volunteers. The donation will help bring the RTSSV team, facilitators and volunteers together for the first time since the pandemic started to reconnect and support one another in sharing their personal experiences and spreading the road safety message.
In Western Australia, a new program is assisting with the engagement, development and retention of long-term unemployed people on current infrastructure projects. A partnership between Georgiou Group and Main Roads Western Australia worked to design and deliver a pilot Infrastructure Ready Program on the Leach Welshpool Alliance (LWA) project (which also involves BG&E and Golder Associates). During the six week program, participants learnt basic measurement and calculation skills relevant to construction, industry standard safety practices and the ability to operate small plant and equipment. As well as supporting the long-term unemployed, the program is also helping to increase the number of skilled workers available to support project delivery.
As our industry seeks to accelerate moves towards decarbonisation, John Holland has signed an Australian-first sustainability linked bonding facility that will support the company’s strategy to pursue sustainable growth in energy efficiency, use of renewable fuels, safety culture and social procurement. This new facility embeds four sustainability linked KPIs that are unique to John Holland and aligned to its Sustainability Framework, focused on integrating economic growth, environmental resilience and social progress as priorities in decision-making, with the ambition to create long-term value.
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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
Upcoming RA Events
Keep an eye on our website www.roads.org.au to make sure you don’t miss out on our coming networking opportunities in 2022.
Please contact events@roads.org.au with all event enquires.
Upcoming Industry Events/Training
24-25 March – TMAA Annual Conference – Redefining Traffic Management
March/April 2022 TBC (Postponed from 15-16 September) – TrackSAFE Level Crossing Safety Forum
2022 date TBC (Postponed from 20 October) – Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference
