Conference Agenda

MC OPENS

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

Delivering Major Road Projects Across Victoria

Allen Garner, Chief Executive Officer, Major Road Projects Authority

Address by Infrastructure Victoria

Catherine Rooney, Strategy & Research Executive Director, Infrastructure Victoria

Overview of the Inland Rail Program

Ed Walker, GM Projects, Interstate Network, Victoria - Interstate Network and Inland Rail

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 re-building and widening the West Gate Freeway from 8 to 12 through lanes, twin tunnels under Yarraville and a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River

• Travel times will be cut by up to 20 minutes and trucks will be reduced on six residential streets with 24/7 truck bans on opening

• 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

Delivering the Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal Project

The Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal Project is removing nine dangerous and congested level crossings, rebuilding five stations and upgrading over 70 kms of signalling and power along the rail corridor as part of the Victorian Government’s level crossing removal program.  As Caulfield to Dandenong Alliance General Manager, William Smith has spent 18 months overseeing the delivery of one of Victoria’s fastest paced and largest infrastructure projects, on Melbourne’s busiest rail line.  

William’s presentation will explore:

• The challenges of delivering fast paced, large scale and complex projects during the current infrastructure boom, and the unique opportunities this presents for delivery teams.
• Managing large scale community disruptions and high levels of community interest during the delivery of the Caulfield to Dandenong Project.
• The successful application of a straddle carrier and gantry crane system to build an elevated structure in a narrow rail corridor – an Australian engineering first.
• Maintaining a high-level focus on sustainability, the pursuit of a class leading ISCA ratings and winning the Victorian Premier’s top sustainability award in 2018.

William Smith, Project Director, CPB Contractors John Holland Joint Venture - West Gate Tunnel Project

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

Developing Above Melbourne’s Rail Corridors: The Challenges and the Opportunities

Melbourne is Australia’s fastest growing city.

As Melbourne’s population surges past 5 million, managing growth, providing affordable housing close to employment, services and connected to transport, while protecting Melbourne’s prized liveability, is a significant challenge. 

With rising land values in the inner and middle suburbs, there are new opportunities to advance residential and commercial developments in and above the existing rail corridors. This will help the State Government manage the challenges of growth and realise policy objectives such as those in Plan Melbourne. 

VicTrack, as the owner of Victoria’s transport land and assets is uniquely positioned to deliver this new agenda of consolidating development in and around the rail network.  

In this presentation, VicTrack Chief Executive Campbell A. Rose AM discusses some of the challenges that developing in and above the rail corridor present, and some of the big opportunities available for Melbourne and the State.

Campbell A. Rose AM, 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

Enhancing Victoria’s Freight Opportunities

A/Prof. Russell Thompson, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne

Driving Greater Digital Adoption and The Growth of Paperless Jobsites

Data loss represents a significant financial impact for construction organisations. Failing to accurately capture and transfer data between construction phases, from the design to the build to the handover, can cause significant delays and expensive mistakes. In Australia and New Zealand alone, rework caused by inaccurate data and communication cost businesses $8.4bn in 2018.

In 2019, this data loss will become a critical commercial driving factor for firms to embrace digital technology throughout the construction process and beyond. Businesses will be able to adopt new tools faster than ever before, thanks to a new generation of employees who are more comfortable adapting to new technology. 

Construction firms who can successfully introduce new technology will not only realise significant operational efficiencies but will be able to access a greater quantity of data to inform their overarching business strategy – and secure success in the months ahead.

Scott Harvey, Regional Sales Manager, PlanGrid

Project Assurance Using Integrated QS Teams

Through DCWC’s recent experience on providing cost estimating services for the Major Road Projects Authority’s (MRPA) - Suburban Roads Upgrade Project, we were able to offer greater assurance in the project outcomes by up to 15-20% with written advice and detailed justification.

We believe Integrated Quantity Surveying teams with specialist engineering skills are the solution to providing assurance of the TOC on major infrastructure projects. We’ll take you through some of the key factors that contributed to the successful award and subsequent delivery of services.

David McCann, Regional Manager - Victoria/Tasmania, 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 - Metro Tunnel 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
Dr Crystal Legacy, Senior Lecturer - Urban Planning, University of Melbourne
Martin Cutter, Chief Executive Officer, City of Greater Geelong
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.

Optimising Across Modes and Energy Supplies for a Tri-State Hub-How Hard Can It Be?

Richard, former Head of Strategy for the European Railway Agency takes a look at the opportunities for the Central Murray Region in the context of decentralisation

Richard Lockett, Former Head of Unit, European Railway Agency

Keynote Address

Vicki Ward MP, Member for Eltham, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport Infrastructure

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 for 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 Director-General and senior leaders from each of the Project Offices (POs) 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 PO 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

Transforming Infrastructure Project Delivery using Data and Analytics

Infrastructure projects create a lot of data but the real competitive differentiator is in how it is viewed and treated – is it considered a strategic asset that needs to be on the balance sheet or a by-product of technology that should be archived? The answer to the question is largely based on how it is put to use – describing data in volumetric terms does not do it any justice as it’s true power is in the lessons it holds, many of which are unlocked today through analytics and AI. From looking at past data and picking patterns to the use of AI for making predictions, this session will cover the fundamentals of the data journey with examples, anecdotes and visualizations drawn from our extensive experience working on infrastructure projects globally.

Karthik Venkatasubramanian, Vice President, Data Science & Analytics, Oracle Construction & Engineering

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?

Peter Kartsidimas, Senior Manager Transport, Planning and Infrastructure, RACV
Cr Nicolas Frances Gilley, Councillor, Chair Transport Portfolio and Chair Aboriginal City, City of Melbourne
Craig Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Bicycle Network
Kate Roffey, Director – Deals, Investment & Major Projects, Wyndham City Council

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, Program Director, Major Road Projects Victoria

Public Transport Solutions: Convenience and Sustainability Meet Taxpayer Value

• The threat to our cities that’s worse than population growth
• Transport infrastructure is never ‘set and forget’: unlocking value requires best operating practices
• Learning from operations with the highest cost recovery
• Taking multimodality seriously: how will Jenny get to the station?

Tony Morton, President, Public Transport Users Association (PTUA)

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

Trends in Road Traffic Performance using Innovative Road Data 

(Speaking on behalf of HERE Technologies)

Adrian Kemp, Partner, HoustonKemp

Enabling MaaS Through a Distributed IoT Data Fabric

Andrew O’Brien, Vertical Solutions Architect, Industry Solutions Group, Cisco Systems