All aboard highspeed rail authority

rail network along the east coast of Australia which will revolutionise interstate travel, provide a fast alternative for people to move between cities and regional centres, promote sustainable settlement patterns and create broad economic benefits for regional centres.

The network could allow passengers to travel between major cities and regional centres at speeds exceeding 250 kilometres per hour.

A merit-based process was recently completed to select the Board members of the

Authority, resulting in a team with the appropriate skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience to best bring highspeed rail to reality.

Chair Jill Rossouw has multisector Board experience across privatised transport infrastructure entities, social infrastructure and public health care.

She is currently Executive Director, Infrastructure at IFM Investors and a Board member of the Port of Brisbane.

Dyan Crowther is CEO of High Speed One Ltd, which owns and operates the high-speed railway in the UK.

Gillian Brown has expertise in transport, infrastructure and fund management and is a director of Ausgrid, a nonexecutive director of Queensland Investment Corporation and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ian Hunt is a former infrastructure CEO with more than 30 years’ experience in engineering and project management.

He is currently a nonexecutive director of Canberra Light Rail and the Royal

Melbourne Showgrounds.

Neil Scales is an experienced infrastructure leader and most recently the Director-General of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Formerly he was CEO of Translink and Director-General of Merseytravel in the UK.

At present he is Chair of Austroads, a commissioner of the National Transport Commission and a member of the Queensland Transport and Logistics Council.

Sue Murray

ingara Leisure Group has been given the go-ahead by Central Coast Council to build a $19M five-storey hotel at its Tumbi Umbi site.

The 86-room hotel will be integrated with the existing Mingara Recreation Club at 14 Mingara Dr as well as complementing existing facilities such as cafes and restaurants, the Mingara