Major projects – panel discussion
L–R: Peter Regan, Dan Marshall, Emma Thomas, Kevin Devlin and Robert Montgomery
Major projects Robert Montgomery, Chief Economist and Head of Policy, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Panellists: • Kevin Devlin, Chief Executive Officer, Level Crossing Removal Authority • Dan Marshall, Head of PPP Programme, New Zealand Treasury • Peter Regan, Deputy Secretary, Finance and Investment, Transport for NSW • Emma Thomas, Director-General, Transport Canberra and City Services
• Looking beyond benefit-cost ratios, project effectiveness and impact could be evaluated with a holistic view of the networks they operate within. • The availability of public information is changing the face of community engagement, and social media amplifies the views of vocal minorities. • Resourcing major projects in an active trans-Tasman market is challenging, but also provides opportunities for interjurisdictional learning.
Robert Montgomery (RM): Can you each give us an overview of the projects that you’re working on, and where they are up to? Kevin Devlin (KD): The Level Crossing Removal Project is removing 50 level crossings. We are aiming to remove the first level crossings by 2018, and the full 50 by 2022. We have made a pretty good start; we’ve got four complete, 15 under construction, six in active procurement and 25 in design development. We feel we’re on track thanks to the industry partners’ ability to deliver on that. At the moment, we’re also procuring the Mernda rail extension and the Hurstbridge rail extension, and constructing the Pakenham–Cranbourne line upgrade project. In total, we have in excess of $7 billion worth of projects under management, so it’s exciting to be part of that. RM: Certainly a big task. How about you, Emma? Emma Thomas (ET): The Canberra Light Rail project Stage One is a 12-kilometre light rail project north of Canberra, and through the city. Interestingly enough, Infrastructure Australia’s most recent audit of infrastructure around the country found this was the corridor that was the most congested in the Australian Capital Territory. We signed the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract in May 2016 during financial close – Pacific Partnerships with John Holland, and a number of other partners involved in the venture – we’re
looking forward to having light rail operational by mid 2018, and construction has commenced. RM: From your perspective, Dan, can you update us on some of the bigger projects that are happening in New Zealand, or that you’ve worked on? Daniel Marshall (DM): Sure. Keeping with the transport theme, our pivotal highway project that we announced early last month is in the negotiation stage, and anticipating financial close in November 2016. There are some school projects happening, and we’re also looking at a major prison project. RM: Finally, Peter, if you’d like to give us an update on the Sydney Metro Project? Peter Regan (PR): Sydney Metro is being delivered in two parts: the Metro Northwest is well under construction at the moment, and the tunnel was completed, with a PPP running all the systems. That’s all under construction, and due to open in 2019. We’re proceeding well. Certainly, if you go out to the north-west of Sydney, it is an enormous undertaking up there that is well underway. That’s the first part of the Metro. The second phase is the City and Southwest, and many of you will be aware that that goes from Chatswood in the north under the harbour, through the city with three new stations via Central Station, and then connects to the tunnel with one of the existing suburban rail lines. It is in relatively early stages of
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