Conference Agenda

Ministerial Address

The Hon. Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Minister for Public and Active Transport, Department of Transport and Planning

Speed Networking

Introduce yourself, swap business cards, and form new and lasting business connections during a series of one-on-one exchanges with fellow conference delegates. 

The North East Link

• Hear about progress on the North East Link, the largest ever investment in a road project in Victoria's history.
• As part of Victoria’s Big Build, North East Link includes three major road projects. 
• The 6.5km North East Link tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen will fix the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network, take 15,000 trucks off local roads a day and reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes. Once complete it will be the longest road tunnel in Victoria.
• Valued at $11.1 billion, the North East Link Tunnels primary package is the largest private-public partnership for a road infrastructure project in Australia.
• Upgrades to the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road will include new lanes, smart technology and a seamless connection to the North East Link tunnels.
• This massive program of works is being carefully planned so the projects can open in 2028 – bringing all the pieces of North East Link together.

Paul Roth, Interim Chief Executive Officer, VIDA Roads

Overview of Port of Melbourne projects

• Port of Melbourne is the number one container port in Australia.
• Learn about the Port of Melbourne’s 2050 Ports Development Strategy and the major transformations underway to ensure the port can move large volumes of freight as efficiently as possible.
• The Port of Melbourne’s $125 million Port Rail Transformation project will be discussed.
• Hear about the $58 million Port Rail Shuttle that will transform the way freight moves around Melbourne, reduce trucks in the city, remove congestion at the port and improve costs for exporters.

Sarah Browne, Executive General Manager, Port of Melbourne

Melbourne Airport plans

• The number of passengers travelling through Melbourne Airport is forecast to grow from 36 million (FY25) to around 76 million by 2042.
• Hear about the latest developments and plans for Melbourne Airport, including the construction of a third runway to meet forecast demand.

Matt Stirling, Executive General Manager of Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, Melbourne Airport

Delivering Victoria’s future transport infrastructure

• Due to rapid population growth, Victoria is forecast to become the largest state in Australia by the 2050s.
• Careful planning is required to meet the growing demand for transport, infrastructure and housing. 
• Over the next few years, the Department of Transport and Planning will be implementing once-in-a-generation reforms to Victoria’s transport, planning, and land use systems. 
• Hear about the future of Victoria's transport infrastructure and planning systems, and the opportunities for industry - with a focus on major infrastructure and the network changes following the opening of the West Gate and Metro Tunnels.

Melissa Dobric, Executive Director, Major Projects – Development & Integration, Department of Transport and Planning

Presentation by conference gold sponsor ARKANCE

Suburban Rail Loop: a city shaping project in delivery

• A project of national significance, Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a 90km underground orbital rail line connecting every major metro rail line from the Frankston line to the Werribee line, via Melbourne Airport.
• Victoria’s largest transport infrastructure project, SRL will feature new underground stations and cater for Melbourne’s growth, boosting housing choices and job opportunities, and improving the city’s liveability and productivity.
• This session will provide an overview of this city-shaping mega infrastructure project, including an update on construction and procurement progress.

Jamie Burn, Package Director for Linewide and Operations, Suburban Rail Loop Authority

PANEL DISCUSSION
Get on board: making the most of Melbourne’s buses

• Buses are the only public transport option available to 70% of Melbourne.
• The state government has set an ambitious target for bus patronage. It aims to lift patronage by 70% over 10 years by providing better services.
• A panel of experts will discuss ways to improve Melbourne’s bus service provisioning.

Carol-Anne Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, Ventura Bus Lines
Dr Tony Morton, President, Public Transport Users Association, Victoria

Passenger rail & better transport options needed for Mildura

• For many years, residents of Mildura have advocated for the return of passenger rail services to the regional city.
• Despite having a larger population than Warrnambool and Bairnsdale, which both have numerous weekly passenger trains, Mildura has been without a passenger rail service since 1993.
• Additionally, Mildura has not had a direct bus service to Adelaide, the closest capital city, since 2020.
• Hear about the need for improved connectivity for Mildura’s residents and visitors.

Cr Ali Cupper, Mayor, Mildura Rural City Council

Sunshine Superhub development

• Hear about work underway to upgrade the rail network around Sunshine Station, enabling a future rail line to the airport and paving the way for electrification to Melton.
• The program of works encompasses more than six kilometres from West Footscray to Albion and will result in the development of a Sunshine superhub.

Presentation by conference gold sponsor ARKANCE

Operating the new Metro Tunnel

• Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel features twin nine-kilometre rail tunnels and five new underground stations, increasing capacity, easing congestion in the City Loop, and better connecting key destinations across the network.
• Hear about the journey to operationalise the Metro Tunnel and insights from its first few months of operation.

Aline Frantzen, Chief Operating Officer, Metro Trains Melbourne

Active transport boost for Victoria

• The Australian government has created a new Active Transport Fund (ATF) to upgrade and deliver new bicycle and walking paths across the country. 
• The ATF ($100 million over five years 2025 – 2029) will support zero emissions travel, provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians, and promote active and liveable communities. 
• $21 million of the ATF funding has been allocated to Victoria.
• Hear about how the funding is being utilised in Victoria.

Alison McCormack, Chief Executive Officer, Bicycle Network

Connecting Melbourne’s booming west: Melton line upgrade

• The population growth in Melbourne’s west is the fastest in Australia. 
• Hear about progress on the $650 million Melton line upgrade, which has been fast tracked to deliver improved connectivity in Melbourne’s west sooner.
• Progress on the Melton Line Upgrade, including platform extensions, new stations, and a new stabling yard at Cobblebank will be outlined.

The world’s first all-women tunnel boring machine team 

• Overview of the six new planned underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill.
• Hear about what is involved in piloting a tunnel boring machine (TBM) and why an all women TBM team has been assembled.

Speed Networking

Introduce yourself, swap business cards, and form new and lasting business connections during a series of one-on-one exchanges with fellow conference delegates. 

Victoria’s Infrastructure Strategy

• Overview of Infrastructure Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy (2025-2055).
• Key findings and recommendations from the independent advisory body to improve Victoria’s transport infrastructure provisioning.

Jill Riseley AM, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure Victoria

Inland Rail: connecting Australia through faster freight 

• The $31 billion Inland Rail project involves enhancing approximately 1,000km of existing railway track and constructing 600km of new track, passing through regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
• Once complete, Inland Rail will form a 1,600-kilometre freight rail network, enabling rail freight to travel between Brisbane and Melbourne in under 24 hours.
• One of the twelve sections of inland rail (namely the Beveridge to Albury (B2A) section) passes through Victoria. 
• This session will provide an overview of Inland Rail, focusing on the B2A section in particular.

Russell Hamilton, Acting Project Director, Inland Rail

PANEL DISCUSSION
Public and private transport electrification: towards net zero emissions for Victoria

• The transport sector is one of the biggest (and growing) sources of greenhouse gas emissions. It accounts for 25% of Victoria’s total carbon emissions.
• Victoria is working to accelerate the adoption of zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) to ensure a timely transition to net-zero emissions by 2045.
• The Victorian government is aiming for half of all light vehicle sales in the state to be zero emissions vehicles by 2030.
• Hear from a panel of experts about the roadmap to achieve this goal. 
• Panellists will provide insights into the latest public and private fleet electrification developments.

Bernhard Conoplia, Chief Networks Officer, Evie Networks
Lisa Maro, Renewable Energy and Transport Industry Adviser, Industry Capability Network (ICN) Victoria
Prof Mahdi Jalili, Director of the Electric Vehicle Living Laboratory, RMIT University

Making Melbourne’s trams more inclusive

• Melbourne has the largest operational tram network in the world, spanning more than 250 km of double track. Over 500 trams serve 24 routes.
• Hear about the new G-class trams, which are being modified to withstand Melbourne’s large network, which is unforgiving compared to networks where tracks do not embed in asphalt roads.
• Following input from stakeholders, the low G-class tram floors have been lowered an additional 20mm to make boarding easier for commuters with disabilities, the elderly and those with prams.

Ben Phyland, Head of Rolling Stock and Ticketing, Department of Transport and Planning Victoria

Suburban Rail Loop: Placemaking through transport infrastructure projects

• Victoria’s largest transport infrastructure project, Suburban Rail Loop (SRL), is also Australia’s largest housing project, delivering thousands more homes in places people want to live – close to public transport, jobs, services and vibrant neighbourhoods – across Melbourne’s middle suburbs.
• With major construction powering ahead on SRL East, structure planning is also underway across the six SRL East precincts: Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverly, Burwood and Box Hill.
• This session will showcase the unique delivery model for SRL, as a fully-integrated transport infrastructure and placemaking project – setting a new standard for efficient, sustainable transport-oriented developments that enhance connectivity, liveability and productivity.

Dr Lissa van Camp, Executive General Manager, Land, Planning, Environment and Sustainability, Suburban Rail Loop Authority

PANEL DISCUSSION
An Intelligent Transport System: opportunities and challenges for Victoria

• A panel of experts will discuss recent developments in Intelligent Transport Systems and Intelligent Transport Technologies.
• The panel will explore the opportunities and challenges of a future Intelligent Transport System for Victoria.
• Integrating autonomous vehicles into Victoria’s transport system is a complex undertaking. This challenge and many others will be discussed by the panel.
• Learn about the safety implications of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and the role of data in transport management.

Dr Clarissa Han, National Leader for Sustainability and Resilience Division, National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO)
Ian Christensen, Managing Director, iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre
Michael Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner, National Transport Commission, Department of Transport

Upgrade of Western Highway

• The Australian Government has allocated $1.1 billion to upgrade the Western Highway, between Melton and Caroline Springs.
• Hear about the importance of the Western Highway project for the region.

Cr Susan Yengi, Chair, LeadWest

Mitigating the impact of construction cost escalation on transport projects  

• Construction costs are set to continue to climb as a result of geopolitical, labour and supply chain challenges.
• Hear about the drivers behind escalation, the impact on transport projects, and how to manage risk and cost in this environment.

Sam Mendoza, National Infrastructure Lead, WT

Victoria’s Freight Plan

• Victoria’s Freight Plan 2025-2030 focuses on decarbonisation, supply chain efficiency, increased rail usage, and digital innovation to support the $36 billion freight sector. 
• Hear about the Freight Sector Innovation Fund, the Victorian Rail Freight Plan and other key plans and priorities. 

Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP)

• The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) was established by the Victorian Government to oversee one of the largest rail infrastructure projects in the state's history.
• 88 level crossings have been removed so far. 110 to go in total by 2030.