|
|
Insider
|
|
Transport & Infrastructure News
|
|
|
|
|
|
What’s inside? A quick look at what’s in today’s edition: |
|
1. CEO Update
|
|
Constraint sharpens our focus |
|
2. Policy
|
|
Partnering with AECOM on policy |
|
3. Program
|
|
Platforming our alumni at new event series |
|
4. Upcoming Events
|
|
Industry lunches in SA and QLD |
|
5. Events
|
|
Summit, John Shaw Dinner date announced |
|
6. People Moves
|
|
Updates for your industry contacts list |
|
7. Industry News
|
|
What’s making news in the transport sector |
|
|
|
CEO UPDATE |
|
|
|
At the Australian Constructors Association’s Foundations and Frontiers Conference, I spoke about what scarcity can unlock.
Not because I want Australia to build less. I want us to build more. But pressure on the pipeline, workforce and delivery market can force us to challenge assumptions, innovate and work across traditional boundaries.
Our recent Port of Brisbane Industry Lunch showed those themes in practice. |
|
|
Queensland already moves around 900 million tonnes of freight each year, with that task projected to grow by 20 per cent by 2032. Yet 98 per cent of containers currently enter or leave the port by truck.
Bringing Port of Brisbane CEO Neil Stephens and TMR Director-General Sally Stannard together connected the freight task with the wider transport system. The discussion covered rail capacity and maintenance, mode shift, freight and passenger conflicts, strategic corridors, project sequencing and the capability needed beyond 2032.
It brought productivity, safety, resilience and delivery capacity into one conversation.
As Neil put it: “It’s about building that integrated transport system.”
This is Transport Australia’s mission at work.
We champion an integrated and sustainable transport system by connecting government and industry, bringing different parts of the network into the same discussion and creating space for practical alignment.
We also make the case that transport does not compete with housing, energy, defence or economic development. It enables them. The Port of Brisbane connects Queensland with more than 145 international markets and supports thousands of jobs, businesses and communities. Its future capacity affects trade competitiveness, household costs and Queensland’s prosperity.
One event does not create policy change. It can, however, clarify the challenge, establish shared priorities and begin the next conversation.
Our role now is to carry those insights into our advocacy, member engagement and future program.
Constraint can sharpen our focus. Connection is what turns it into progress. |
|
|
|
Be part of the conversation. Send your updates to Insider.
|
|
|
|
|
POLICY |
|
Policy partnership: turning delivery experience into better policy
|
Transport Australia is bringing industry delivery expertise into its policy work, with AECOM set to play a key role in the development of TA’s upcoming freight policy report.
AECOM is our inaugural productivity policy partner, with AECOM contributing directly to TA’s major freight policy report, to be released mid-2027.
As a key industry partner on the freight report, AECOM will provide analysis and insights drawn from its experience planning, designing and delivering major transport infrastructure.
AECOM joins the report’s advisory group, contributing to the development and testing of the recommendations TA takes to government.
The collaboration brings practical experience from across the transport infrastructure lifecycle into the policy process, helping TA examine the infrastructure and network challenges affecting freight productivity, strategic transport corridors, emerging energy precincts and secure supply chains.
For TA, the partnership strengthens understanding about what needs to change, as well as what it will take to deliver that change in practice.
AECOM’s contribution will form part of broader industry and member engagement.
Other TA members and stakeholders with relevant experience or insights are encouraged to contribute contact the TA policy team. TA is also seeking policy partners across network resilience, safety and workforce policy streams. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROGRAM |
|
Platforming our alumni at new event series
|
Transport Australia is strengthening the connection between two important leadership communities: our Fellowship alumni and the early-career professionals participating in Emerging Leaders.
Our alumni have told us they want more opportunities to give back, speak and mentor. Emerging Leaders say they are looking for access to experienced industry professionals, practical career advice and honest discussion about how projects are delivered. Bringing the two groups together creates value for both.
We saw this in Brisbane at the Emerging Leaders Forum in July. Following site visits across Cross River Rail, 2026 Fellowship Alumni Award recipient Stuart Cook moderated a discussion on project legacy, future skills, leadership and the relationships required to deliver complex infrastructure. Participants shared ideas about what legacy today’s major projects should leave for the transport system and its future leaders.
The next Emerging Leaders event will be held in Sydney on 3 September. Fellowship alumni Simon Berry from WSce and Matthew Ferreira from Transport for NSW will lead From Drawings to Delivery: Design, Constructability and Network Performance in Sydney. The discussion will examine how design decisions translate into practical delivery, asset performance and better outcomes across the network.
Brisbane will follow on 15 September with From Pipeline to Site: Practical Lessons from Queensland’s Delivery Frontline. Alex Borg of Arup and Ryan Jones of CPB Contractors, facilitated by Kelli Hansen, will share practical lessons from the state’s busy infrastructure program and the realities of moving from planning into delivery.
The series has been co-designed with early-career professionals and focuses on real projects, current constraints and useful lessons. Involving alumni as speakers, moderators and mentors keeps their expertise connected to Transport Australia while giving Emerging Leaders a clearer pathway into the Fellowship and the wider industry community. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meet a mentor: Sarah Iwaniw, Industry Director, WA & NT at Aurecon
|
Sarah Iwaniw brings deep experience across city-shaping infrastructure, inner-urban regeneration and mixed-use precinct development.
With Aurecon, she has been instrumental in growing design-led methodologies to help clients navigate complex projects. She has led Alliance and project governance roles across transport aviation project in WA, and previously led Aurecon’s advisory offering in Perth, working with resources clients on organisational transformation and cultural development.
Why did you choose to mentor?
I believe the best way to grow our industry is to invest in the people who will lead it. The Fellowship already attracts people making an impact, and the chance to work with them is something I genuinely value. It’s not about having all the answers, it’s about being a sounding board and helping people see their own potential more clearly.
What do you get out of mentoring?
Fresh perspectives. The people I mentor challenge me to think differently about the work we do and how we do it. They bring energy, curiosity and a willingness to question how things have always been done. That keeps me sharp and reminds me why I love this industry.
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Focus on what you can control. There is so much in this industry that is outside our influence: government decisions, market shifts, global events. But how you show up, how you treat people and how you respond to challenges is always within your control. That advice has kept me grounded through some of the most complex projects I’ve worked on.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the sector?
The move towards genuine collaboration. When I started, the model was often transactional. Today, the best projects are built on trust and shared purpose. Clients, contractors and consultants are working together earlier, being more transparent about risk, and focusing on outcomes rather than just outputs. That shift has been significant and it makes the work more rewarding. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UPCOMING EVENTS |
|
|
SA Industry Lunch with Jon Whelan | Adelaide | 10 September
|
Reconnect with industry colleagues at Transport Australia’s industry lunch with Jon Whelan, Chief Executive of South Australia’s Department for Infrastructure and Transport, on 10 September.
Jon will provide a senior agency perspective on South Australia’s transport and infrastructure priorities, delivery pipeline and policy agenda for the year ahead.
The discussion comes as South Australia delivers a $25 billion transport pipeline, including the $15.4 billion T2D project, the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass and safer regional networks.
As Chair of the Austroads Board, Jon also brings a national perspective on the shared challenges facing transport agencies across Australia and New Zealand, including productivity, road safety, asset resilience, workforce capacity and the delivery of complex projects.
The event runs from 12pm to 2.30pm at SkyCity Adelaide.
Event partner: KBR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
VIC Industry Lunch with Port of Melbourne CEO Saul Cannon | Melbourne | 17 September
|
Transport Australia members are invited to a limited-capacity, behind-the-scenes boat tour of the Port of Melbourne, ahead of the industry lunch with Port of Melbourne CEO Saul Cannon.
Departing from Docklands aboard Lady M, the two-hour tour will give members a view of the port from the water, taking in Appleton Dock, Victoria Dock, Swanson Dock and Webb Dock East and West.
Following the tour, pre-arranged transport will take guests to Metropolis Events for the Transport Australia Industry Lunch. The event discussion will examine the priorities shaping the port’s next phase, from landside connectivity, network resilience and rail mode shift to long-term planning for future container capacity.
Saul will be joined by Isaac Wingfield, Vice President and Head of Ports, Global Transportation at AECOM.
Event partner: AECOM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Save the date: 2027 Transforming Transport Summit and John Shaw Dinner
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mark Thursday, 20 May 2027 in your calendars
|
The Transforming Transport Summit will return to W Sydney, to be followed by the John Shaw Dinner at ICC Sydney’s Grand Ballroom. Both overlook Darling Harbour.
The day brings together government and industry leaders to connect, exchange ideas and explore the priorities shaping transport’s future, before moving into an evening of celebration at the John Shaw Dinner.
- Wednesday 19th May 2027 | Pre Summit Networking | Ventia | 6pm-8pm
- Thursday 20th May 2027 | Transforming Transport Summit | W Sydney | 8am-4:30pm
- Thursday 20th May 2027 | John Shaw Dinner | ICC Sydney, Grand Ballroom | 6pm-11pm
|
|
|
|
EVENT HIGHLIGHT |
|
Queensland Industry Lunch with Port of Brisbane CEO Neil Stephens
|
Bringing Queensland’s port and transport network leaders together gave industry a clearer view of the freight task ahead: what must be built, what should come first and where future capability will be needed.
At our Queensland Industry Lunch, Port of Brisbane CEO Neil Stephens and TMR Director-General Sally Stannard connected long-term trade forecasts with the practical constraints facing the network.
Queensland already moves around 900 million tonnes of freight each year, with demand expected to increase by 20 per cent by 2032. Sally made clear that the road network cannot absorb that growth under the current modal balance.
Neil noted that 98 per cent of containers entering or leaving the Port of Brisbane currently travel by truck. His call for greater freight rail capacity was grounded in a broader system view: “It’s about building that integrated transport system.”
The discussion established clear alignment around maintaining Queensland’s rail network, increasing freight rail modal share and separating passenger and freight movements where practical. It also looked beyond the immediate 2032 program to the preservation of strategic corridors, construction capability, infrastructure financing and the role of technology, data and alternative fuels.
For Transport Australia, this was our mission in practice. Port capacity cannot be considered separately from road and rail connections, workforce capacity, community impacts or the wider project pipeline. By bringing government, operators and industry together, we can clarify the choices ahead and identify where coordinated action is needed.
We will carry these insights into our continuing work across productivity, network resilience, safety and workforce capability, championing transport as an integrated system and an enabler of Australia’s long-term prosperity. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PEOPLE MOVES |
|
|
|
|
Daniel Powrie has been appointed Executive General Manager, Program at the High Speed Rail Authority, leading delivery of the Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail project development over the next two years. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natalie Heazlewood, the Australian Airports Association’s Head of Policy and Advocacy has stepped into the role of Acting CEO. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew Jackson has been appointed GHD’s Regional General Manager – New Zealand Pacific, bringing more than 25 years’ experience with the firm, most recently as Operations Manager for South Australia. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silje Troseth, Transport Australia Deputy Chair, has been appointed Honorary Consul of Norway in New South Wales. Silje is Vice President APAC at Q-Free, the Norwegian intelligent traffic management company. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonathan Sharrock, Senior Account Director for HS2 at Arcadis, has been appointed to the Board of the UK High Speed Rail Group. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard Trinder has joined WARD Civil and Environmental Engineering as General Manager – Pre‑Contracts and Business Development, bringing more than 20 years’ experience across transport and asset management in NSW and the ACT. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jane Solly joins Transport Australia as General Manager – Operations, with more than 20 years’ experience including senior roles at JLL and Ashurst. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Dales has joined Struber as Head of Partnerships for Victoria, leading client relationships across the state’s major project pipeline. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jeanni McDonald has joined AECOM as Senior Strategic Advisor, Building + Places ANZ. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turnbull Engineering has added four new Queensland-based appointments: Wee Teck Yeo, as Technical Director and Group Lead, Ian Van Wijk, as Technical Director – Pavement, Howard Toi, as Principal Engineer, and Jack Kieseker, as Civil Engineer, road design and traffic assessment on TMR projects. |
|
|
|
|
INDUSTRY NEWS |
|
Westport freight rail upgrades move to planning phase
|
The WA Government has appointed Arup and WSP to lead planning and project development for key freight rail upgrades supporting the future Westport container terminal in Kwinana.
Working alongside Main Roads WA and the Public Transport Authority, the team will progress a new freight rail connection to the terminal, duplication of approximately eight kilometres of track between Kwinana and Cockburn, removal of existing rail level crossings, and a new grade separation at North Lake Road in South Lake.
The WA and Federal governments have committed $67 million to this planning phase. Community consultation will begin later this year. |
|
|
|
|
Stantec acquires Niche, expanding environmental services
|
Stantec has acquired Niche, a 200‑person environmental consultancy based in Sydney, along with its subsidiary Ausecology.
The deal grows Stantec’s Australian environmental team to nearly 450 professionals, with offices in every mainland state.
Niche brings deep expertise in ecology, heritage, natural capital and land restoration, with a strong east coast footprint. The firm has worked on major projects including Transgrid’s HumeLink transmission line, the Pacific Highway upgrade for Transport for NSW, and the Parramatta Square redevelopment.
The addition strengthens Stantec’s ability to guide clients through permitting, biodiversity and environmental planning across energy, transport, resources and land development. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Changes for Suburban Rail Loop station contracts
|
Victoria’s new Premier Ben Carroll has announced changes to two Suburban Rail Loop East station contracts, identifying $2 billion in savings from the state’s largest infrastructure project.
The government has identified $1 billion in savings it can make now, taking the estimated price tag to $33.3 billion. Another $1 billion in savings will be sought through an independent technical review.
The government will also absorb the standalone Suburban Rail Loop Authority into the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority.
All current works continue as scheduled. No further contracts will be awarded until the review is complete. |
|
|
|
|
Get in front of industry. Contribute to the next edition of Insider, out 9 September.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
