Engagement the key to Victoria’s transport evolution

Victoria is future-proofing its transport network so it will deliver simple, safe, connected journeys for generations to come.

Projections show that by 2050, 10 million people will live in Victoria and Melbourne will be a global city of 8 million. By 2051, freight volumes will triple to almost 900 million tonnes, and the roads, rails and footpaths will have to handle 14 million more trips a day, on top of the 23 million they already handle today.

This is why the Victorian Government’s Department of Transport is focused on creating a transport system that is in step with other global cities and caters to future users.

Begun six years ago and pressed ahead during COVID-19 lockdowns, the government’s transformative investment in transport infrastructure is dominated by Victoria’s Big Build – an $80 billion infrastructure program that supports more than 50,000 jobs.

Victoria’s Big Build includes city-shaping projects like the North East Link and the Metro Tunnel, a level crossing removal program on track to remove 85 dangerous crossings by 2025, and a comprehensive agenda of road and rail improvements in regional areas.

The pace of transport investment accelerated further in 2021 after the Victorian Budget injected a record $21 billion into new infrastructure, including substantial allocations for transport.

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s Australian Infrastructure Budget Monitor 2020-21 describes this commitment as “the largest jump in planned infrastructure spend for any State or Territory. Infrastructure now accounts for 18 per cent of total government expenditure for Victoria. This is well above its 10year average of 11 per cent.”

The budget also supported a pipeline of projects including the Melbourne Airport Rail that will start construction in 2022 and the Suburban Rail Loop, which is forecast to create 20,000 construction jobs.

Such momentum would be impossible without effective engagement between planners, designers, engineers and related disciplines across government, industry and the community.

To encourage greater engagement and co-ordination, two years ago the Department of Transport embarked on a process of integration – bringing all road, rail and other transport-related activities under one roof.

Integration means the department’s 4,000 staff can work more effectively with each other as well as other government agencies, project partners and network operators.

Collaboration is the only way to manage the complexities of a network designed to connect ever-evolving communities and precincts.

One of the most exciting recent additions to the Department of Transport was Development Victoria. For the first time, this allows major precinct developments to come from the same place as major transport developments.

Now everyone is in the same room at the start of every project, ready to deliver solutions that fully take into account the movement of people, and the interaction between rail and public transport and road infrastructure at a precinct scale. This new way of working enables better understanding and development of the right outcomes for every environment, no matter how complex.

Collaboration is also the only way to take full advantage of innovation. This thinking underpins the department’s new innovation division and program, which recently released its first trial offering – a real-time capacity indicator for public transport called RideSpace. Developed using industry partnerships to test, trial and deploy improvements, RideSpace highlights the power of fostering strategic relationships between industry and government.

Strategic engagement also drives the department’s sustainability agenda. It lies at the heart of the latest electric bus trials and sustainable products like sound barriers made from 70 per cent recycled household plastics.

Transport is fundamental to people’s lives, to the extent that a better transport network directly influences quality of life. The level of transport infrastructure investment per person of working age in Victoria bears this out, doubling in the last 20 years from $800 per person to a forecast high of $1,800 per person.

The rate of change in transport keeps getting faster, and the department is proud to work alongside organisations that share its commitment to enable better ways of living for Victorians.

For more information please contact

Department of Transport

Corporate Stakeholder and Industry Partnerships