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

• Paul Roth, Interim Chief Executive Officer at VIDA Roads, will outline 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.

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

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

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.

Presentation by conference gold sponsor ARKANCE

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

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

Overview of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project

• The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a 90km orbital rail line designed to connect every major metro rail line from the Frankston line to the Werribee line, via Melbourne Airport.
• The SRL, which is projected to cost over $30 billion, will feature new stations and cater for Melbourne’s anticipated growth, connecting communities, and improving the city’s liveability and productivity.
• This session will provide an overview of the SRL, including the construction timeline for SRL East, SRL North, and SRL West.

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.

Presentation by conference gold sponsor ARKANCE

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.

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.

Structure planning underway across six SRL East precincts

• Structure planning is underway across the six SRL East precincts: Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverly, Burwood and Box Hill. Each precinct is centred around one of the planned underground stations.
• In this session, hear about SRLA’s unique approach to structure planning, resulting from SRLA’s role as the planning authority for what is now Australia’s largest housing project and Victoria’s largest transport infrastructure project.

Reviewing the new Metro Tunnel

• Melbourne’s new metro tunnel features twin nine-kilometre train tunnels, and five new underground stations, improving train capacity, reducing congestion in the city loop, and connecting more destinations to the rail network.
• Hear about the Metro Tunnel’s first few months of operations.
• In addition, take a retrospective look at key learnings from the new Metro Tunnel’s construction.

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
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

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 and details of the upgrade.

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

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.

Accelerating decarbonisation in the rail and wider infrastructure sector 

• Rail is a low emissions form of passenger and freight transport, contributing just four percent of transport emissions.
• Hear about initiatives underway to further decarbonise the industry. 
• Learn about measures being adopted by the rail industry to drive sustainability performance in Victoria.

Reviewing the new West Gate tunnel 

• The new West Gate Tunnel provides a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge, ensuring more reliable travel between Geelong, Ballarat and Melbourne.
• The West Gate tunnel also provides a direct route to the port, allowing trucks to bypass residential streets, improving safety for residents.
• Hear about the first few months of the West Gate tunnel’s operation, in terms of traffic flow and safety implications, as well as future capacity.

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.