Conference Agenda

MC OPENS

Speed Networking
This speed networking session will allow delegates to introduce themselves and swap business cards with other conference attendees.

Ministerial Address

Reviving Victoria’s Regional Rails

• Victoria’s $1.75 billion Regional Rail Revival Program will deliver major rail upgrades to Victoria’s regional rail lines through a joint partnership between federal and state governments.
• Creating upwards of 1,000 jobs this initiative will improve the reliability of regional networks

Delivering Major Road Projects Across Victoria

Allen Garner, Chief Executive Officer, Major Road Projects Authority

An Update on Victoria’s West Gate Tunnel Project

• Improving travel time to and from Melbourne’s west, the West Gate Tunnel will provide a much-needed alternative to the West Gate Bridge
• By building four more lanes on the West Gate Freeway, twin tunnels under Yarraville and a new bridge over Maribyrnong River, over travel times will be cut by up to 20 minutes and congestion lessened with a 24/7 truck ban on local streets
• Providing Melbourne with a second freeway link between the city and the west, construction is scheduled for completion in 2022

Peter Sammut, Chief Executive Officer, West Gate Tunnel Authority

An Update on Melbourne’s Level Crossing Removal Project

• Three years into an eight-year project the Level Crossing Removal Authority has removed 29 level crossings and built 18 train stations.  
• With several more dangerous and congested level crossings slated for removal, the project is expected to reach completion in 2023 with the successful removal of 50 boom gates across Melbourne.

Melbourne’s Port and Freight Potential

While Victoria holds the title as the nation’s largest exporter of agricultural commodities, it is still difficult to move freight. Improving transport infrastructure across the state will in turn increase export capabilities and allow for the sustainable development of an industry.

Brendan Bourke, Chief Executive Officer, Port of Melbourne

To Be Confirmed

Campbell Rose, Chief Executive, VicTrack

High Capacity Metro Trains

• Expected to address the growing congestion on public transport, the Victorian Government is investing $2.3 billion into the implementation of 65 high capacity trains for the metropolitan network.
• Designed to hold 20% more passengers than current trains on the metropolitan network, the new trains will be initially deployed on the Cranbourne and Pakenham line in mid-2019.

Ian Sturdy, Project Director, High Capacity Metro Trains Project

Monash and Princes Freeways upgrade

Following the completion of Stage 1’s construction, the Monash Freeway Upgrade is beginning the preliminary work for Stage 2. Easing the traffic congestion in Melbourne’s South East, the upgrade will allow for an additional 2,000 vehicles to be on road during peak travel times.

• The distribution of a $711 million investment
• Exploring how these enhancements are beneficial for current and future drivers

Victoria’s Biggest Road and Tunnel Project

• Cutting congestion and travel time Victoria’s biggest road and tunnel project, the North-East Link will connect Melbourne’s existing freeway network to an upgraded Eastern Freeway
• Supporting the removal of 15,000 trucks off local streets, this project will also provide upwards of 10,000 Victorian’s with jobs during the construction period

Infrastructure Project Assurance Using Integrated QS Teams

In August 2018, Donald Cant Watts Corke (Infrastructure) entered into a contract with the newly formed Major Road Projects Authority (MRPA) in Victoria, providing state-side cost estimating services for the Suburban Roads Upgrade Project - Northern and South Eastern Packages. 

Two key factors contributed to the successful award and subsequent delivery of the services:

• The provision of the best resources relevant to the Suburban Roads Upgrade Projects. This was achieved by integrating personnel from Agonis Group into our team, who had previous involvement in numerous MRPA Projects and specialist skills in managed motorways and ITS, construction methodology and construction scheduling; and
• The provision of flexible cost options continuously benchmarked and tested against the market. This was achieved by setting up integrated cost models at the outset for both the Northern and South Eastern Packages that allowed automated updates of cost and budget linked to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), cash flows (real and nominal), project cost control and risk. 

In the experience of DCWC, the Total Outturn Cost (TOC) for a major transport-related infrastructure project could be under estimated by 15% to 20% if these two factors are not taken into consideration. This proved to be the case in a recent review of an integrated light rail and road modification project. In applying recent experience with similar projects both in scope and environment, the Client was given greater assurance in the TOC with written advice and detailed justification to increase the previously advised figure by approximately $130 million.

With the successful outcome of the SRUP Northern and South Eastern Packages, coupled with the extensive knowledge of local procurement and site conditions by both Agonis Group and DCWC we are now of the firm belief that Integrated Quantity Surveying teams with specialist engineering skills is the solution to providing assurance of the TOC on major infrastructure projects.

Greg Rush, Managing Director, Agonis Group
Peter Gill, Managing Director - Infrastructure, Donald Cant Watts Corke

Emerging Technologies for Transport Infrastructure

Is technology the answer to better transport solutions across Victoria?

• Rapid technological advancements are changing the way people travel, but do we fully understand the impact these emerging transport technologies have on our towns, cities and communities?
• Will emerging technologies improve safety, value and efficiency outcomes for our transport network?
• How will these technologies (Intelligent Transport Systems, Autonomous vehicles, Mobility as a Service and Smart City Infrastructure etc.) shape our cities now and in the future?
• How can we work with our partners and clients to take the lead on applying innovative technologies to deliver better transport solutions?
• Understanding how we will use transport in the future is the key to planning for these changes.

Tony Butler, Operations Director, GHD Digital

Melbourne Metro Early Works

John Holland was engaged as the Managing Contractor on the Metro Tunnel Early Works (MTEW) project, the first of four packages required to deliver Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel on behalf of our client Rail Projects Victoria (RPV). The Metro Tunnel will transform the lives of Victorians, creating five new stations to allow an extra 39,000 people to travel by rail during peak times – a necessary expansion as Melbourne’s population grows.

The team oversaw and orchestrated the delivery of the diverse and complex MTEW project, spanning every aspect of project management and engaging over 3000 workers, 210 contractors and major Utility Service Providers across more than 30 working environments. The Project was powered by people in all areas from project delivery, design and engineering, commercial and contracts, community and stakeholder engagement, OH&S, quality and completion, environment, sustainability, and traffic management.

The scope of work required us to cut through the complexity of this project in a united way, creating a positive and caring culture that impacts each person involved in MTEW, from the leadership team through to the contractors and USPs.

Jill Boag, Project Director – Melbourne Metro Early Works, John Holland

How AI is Changing the Art & Science of Transportation Project Planning 

For 50 years, project planning for transportation projects has been based on the largely unchanged approach known as Critical Path Method, or CPM. The reality is that the track record for this technique has remained mediocre at best. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), we now have at our fingertips a much more accurate means of building project schedules. This presentation discusses:

• How AI inference engines and machine learning should guide a planner through the plan development process
• Why captured historical project data should be intelligently mined to drive more accurate planning, and
• The impact of human validation on task durations, productivity rates and even optimal sequences to make a plan more realistic and ultimately more achievable during execution

This major step-change is a game changer for the art and science of project planning for our sector.

Rob Bryant, Executive Vice President of Asia-Pacific, InEight

Panel Discussion: Encouraging Connectivity - Decentralising the State of Victoria

• Transforming the state’s public transport options to promote a sense of inclusivity and community across all regions
• By connecting metropolitan and regional rail networks, more employment, housing and educational opportunities can be better accessed and utilised
• Offering up major infrastructure projects beyond the stretch of Melbourne will inject money into growing areas and boost regional development

Bernadette George, Strategic Planner, Mildura Rural City Council
Stuart Moseley, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Planning Authority

MC OPENS

SPEED NETWORKING

This speed networking session will allow delegates to introduce themselves and swap business cards with those they are seated with and other summit attendees.

Local Jobs First

Don Matthews, Commissioner Local Jobs First, Victorian Government

Ministerial Address

Hon. Jacinta Allan MP, Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Victoria

Update on Transurban’s Victorian Projects

Transurban has connected communities since 1996. From building CityLink over 20 years ago to delivering projects such as CityLink Tulla Widening, the Monash Freeway Upgrade and the new West Gate Tunnel Project, our roads make travel safer, faster and smarter.

As Melbourne continues to grow, Transurban is going beyond traditional engineering to invent and incorporate new technologies and smarter solutions that respond to our customers’ needs and get people where they need to go.

David Clements, Program Director – Major Projects Victoria, Transurban

Using An ‘Active Client’ Model to Assure the Safe Delivery of The Major Transport Infrastructure Program

The Major Transport Infrastructure Program (MTIP) is one of the most ambitious and complex infrastructure programs in Victoria’s history.   It currently includes 41 major road and rail projects with an estimated value of $38 billion and provides employment opportunities from more than 12,000 personnel.  Major projects currently being delivered include the Metro Tunnel, Level Crossing Removals, Regional Rail Revival, West Gate Tunnel, North East Link and several significant Major Road upgrades.

While the direct responsibility for the management of health and safety for construction, operations and maintenance on the MTIP ultimately rests with the construction participants and consortiums who manage the worksite, the Coordinator-General and senior leaders from each of the Administrative Offices (AOs) consider the safety of all who may be involved with or affected by the delivery of the MTIP to be paramount.

As such, an ‘active client’ safety management model has been applied.  This model places each AO in a position of actively overseeing and supporting the safety management of these significant projects, without looking to ‘direct’ how expert contractors should perform those works.

This presentation will provide an insight into the key elements that form part of the MTIP Active Client Safety Management Model.

Anne Taylor, Director Strategic Safety, Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, Office of the Director-General

Address by Infrastructure Victoria

• 30-year Infrastructure Strategy for Victoria
• Transforming the way we use our transport infrastructure
• Choices for the growth of the State

Adele McCarthy, Director, Strategy & Research, Infrastructure Victoria

Melbourne Airport Rail Link – Rationale and Options

• The long-needed Melbourne Airport Rail Link seems closer to implementation
• Rationale for the link is outlined and options reviewed
• The case for a more direct route involving greater land development opportunities is proposed

Professor Graham Currie, Director of Monash Infrastructure, Chair of Public Transport, Professor in Transport Engineering, Monash University

Panel Discussion: Congestion Today for A Better Tomorrow

With Melbourne's population anticipated to reach 8 million by 2050 the state is in need of expansive transport infrastructure projects that will best serve the state economically, environmentally and sustainably.

• Undergoing comprehensive infrastructure planning to produce sustainable results
• How to determine the necessity of a major transport infrastructure project
• Should Victoria implement a congestion tax during peak hours?
• Which projects should be prioritised to keep Victoria shifting forward?

Bryce Prosser, General Manager, Public Policy & Corporate Affairs, RACV
Cr Nicolas Frances Gilley, Councillor, Chair Transport Portfolio and Chair Aboriginal City, City of Melbourne
Craig Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Bicycle Network
*Dr Leila Mahmoudi Farahani, Urbanist – Research Fellow in Urban Studies, RMIT University
Peter Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Transport Association

Streamlining Victorian Roads

The Streamlining Hoddle Street project is a unique project which seeks to make some of our most important transport infrastructure in Melbourne work better. The project involves creating Victoria’s first Continuous Flow Intersection aimed at not only improving traffic flow along Hoddle Street, but also tram performance, bus travel times and cycling and pedestrian connectivity near Melbourne’s famed sporting precinct. The presentation will focus on the objectives of this unique project along with the challenges encountered in designing and building it.

Brendan Pauwels, A/Program Director - Metro Projects Central & Eastern, Major Road Projects Authority

Utilising Geelong’s Potential on A Larger Scale

• Unlocking the capacity in Melbourne’s booming west, the Victorian Government is investigating the potential of a fast rail between Melbourne and Geelong, the State’s second largest city
• Increasing the frequency and reliability of regional services and allowing for growth in Victoria’s western urban hubs

Moving People in A City of 8 Million

• The Melbourne Rail Plan, created by the Rail Futures Institute, is a 30-year rail development blueprint that will maximise the connectivity between the CBD and Melbourne’s inner suburbs creating a grid network
  • Making the existing system and assets work better
  • Creating a multi-modal grid network of high frequency services
  • Developing connections to and between National Employment Clusters and major activity centres

Dr Bill Russell, Secretary, Rail Futures Institute
John Hearsch, President, Rail Futures Institute

Impact of the Murray Basin Rail Project

• Delivering $440 million work of upgrades to improve Victoria’s rail freight network, providing Western regions with more options at a lower cost
• This project will provide a much-needed boost in jobs and drive economic growth in the transport infrastructure industry, agricultural sector and regional communities

Cr Glenn Milne, Chair, Rail Freight Alliance

Connecting Melbourne’s CBD To the Tullamarine 

• With the potential to decentralise Melbourne’s inner suburbs the proposed Airport Rail Link will connect the metropolitan rail network and unite South-Eastern suburbs
• Designed to cut congestion across the state, the preferred Sunshine route will provide superior connections to regional Victoria
• The potential performance pros of a direct route

Victoria’s Big Build

• Following a detailed exploration phase the Victorian Government has identified $38 billion worth of transport infrastructure projects to tackle over the coming years
• Bringing new road, rail and port job opportunities to residents across the state, 41 ground-breaking projects have been identified and are currently underway