Creating Value in Western Australia

The graphic below describes at a high level the activities we undertake to deliver our services to the community and how this translates to material issues for sustainability.

LED Upgrades to Traffic Signals Gateway WA New 24 Hour Rest Area – Two Camel Creek Bridge Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement Incident Management Plays a Key Role in Safe Customer Access Introduction of 60 metre Road Trains in the Pilbara Traffic Congestion Management Program Onslow Ring Road Wheatbelt Highway Safety Review Northbridge Tunnel Multi-Agency Emergency Exercise Traffic Management Safety Route Manager Training

Gateway WA

The Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project has transformed the entry to Western Australia, upgrading the safety and efficiency of one of the most important transport hubs in the State.

Gateway WA is a road construction project jointly funded by the Australian and State governments and is the largest ever construction project we have completed. Construction began in 2013 to upgrade one of the State's busiest transport hubs. Safety and efficiency have improved throughout the project area, with road users experiencing reduced congestion and improved travel times. Furthermore, the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget whilst delivering excellent outcomes for the community.

We made a commitment to achieve sustainable economic, environmental and social outcomes for the project from planning through to construction and beyond. This project resulted in work being contracted to more than 600 local suppliers and at its peak had more than 1,000 people working on the project.

It delivers on road efficiency and safety outcomes through:

• building and upgrade of five main interchanges
• widening of Tonkin Highway to six lanes between Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway
• upgrading of Leach Highway between Tonkin Highway and Orrong Road to expressway standard
• incorporating of road and bridge improvements.

Long-term sustainable community benefits include:

• seven kilometres of noise walls
• approximately 21 kilometres of shared path and local connections for cyclists and pedestrians supporting the State’s commitment to provide safe facilities that are separated from the busy road network
• landscaped areas to be enjoyed for years to come.

The project was recognised by being awarded an ‘Excellent’ As-Built v1 Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia. Gateway WA achieved the second highest IS rating possible for a completed infrastructure construction project in Australia. This is on top of the 2015 Infinity Awards (organised by the Waste Authority) where the Gateway WA Project was chosen as the winner of the Business Category for its commitment to waste minimisation on the project. Around 5.9 million tonnes of bulk materials were needed for the project and we sought to reduce the amount of material being sent to landfill including reusing material from other projects and recycling material such as soil. Waste management practices included recycling more than 95 per cent of waste sent offsite and processing 850,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 38 olympic sized swimming pools, of unsuitable material onsite, diverting this from being sent to landfill. The construction of infrastructure is made more sustainable through decisions and practices that seek environmental, social and economic benefits during the project and long after construction ceases.

Onslow Ring Road

The completion of Onslow’s new ring road is set to benefit residents, industry and local tourism. This will guarantee access to the town, even in cyclonic conditions.

The $14.1 million Onslow Ring Road project involved the construction of a new 3.5 kilometre entrance road into the Town of Onslow with all-weather access to the town site from the recently upgraded Onslow Airport. It is another important piece of infrastructure for the growing Onslow community.

Previously, the access road between the airport and Onslow was subject to flooding from storm surges after cyclones which hampered emergency services and prevented evacuations from occurring. To overcome this seasonal problem, the new road is constructed on higher ground and includes new intersections and remedial works on the existing Onslow Road.

The works were funded by the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project, a major liquefied natural gas venture located 12 kilometres west of the town. The works form part of a State agreement with the Department of State Development and the Wheatstone Joint Venture.

We worked closely with Chevron, Department of State Development and the Shire of Ashburton to design and construct the road. We are continuing to work with stakeholders to upgrade the remaining 75 kilometres of Onslow Road over the coming years.

New Maintenance Contracts

After five years of operating under our Integrated Service Arrangements we have taken the opportunity to review the approach that we are taking to the delivery of maintenance and minor works across the State.

Since we put the existing arrangements in place, we have seen a number of changes in terms of the structure and operation of our regions, a call from our industry partners for clear contractor accountabilities and a desire to increase our own asset management capabilities to reflect the changing needs of our business into the future. With a slowdown of the mining sector the construction and road industry sector is competitive providing opportunities for more efficient delivery of maintenance services.

With the existing arrangements expiring at various times throughout 2017, the last 12 months has seen significant activity undertaken to put in place a new contracting model. In addition to securing expressions of interest for the delivery of detailed maintenance services across our five rural regions being Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance, Wheatbelt, Mid West Gascoyne and Great Southern, other new generation contracts that are being developed include:

• state-wide consultancy for asset management support
• a state-wide bridge panel contract
• two rural road line marking contracts
• maintenance and minor capital works covering Metro and South West Region
• minor contract for a Kimberley Direct Contracting trial
• resurfacing contracts covering all of our rural network.

This new approach will strengthen our role in planning and management of the delivery of the annual works program. The structure of the contracts also means that we are moving away from a ‘cost plus’ to a more traditional contracting approach. One of the strengths of the current arrangements has been the strong relationship based approach between our people and contractors, and this will continue to be a key element of this new generation of maintenance contracts.

A distinct difference however, will be that we are not adopting a single model for all Regions. In the Kimberley we will implement a model whereby the Region manages the work more directly. Other models are being explored for the Metropolitan and South West Regions that best deal with the huge number of interfaces and the complexity of working in a heavily urban environment.

Requests for Proposals are being developed for each Region and it is anticipated that these will be released to successful companies from the expression of interest short-listing process from September 2016.

New 24 Hour Rest Area – Two Camel Creek Bridge

Over the past three years we have been working with Tourism WA to improve facilities for travellers in the North of the State as part of the Caravan and Camping Action Plan.

The Caravan and Camping Action Plan is into its third year and aims to expand the number of affordable recreational camping and caravanning facilities across the State, including enhancing facilities in our national parks. One of the initiatives has resulted in the identification and creation of a new 24 hour rest area near the Two Camel Creek Bridge.

Located between Auski Road house and Port Hedland on the Great Northern Highway, the new rest area features:

• fully sealed track
• three shade shelters
• benches and seating
• toilet
• black waste disposal point
• two barbeque areas.

As well as providing this facility for light vehicles we built a separate truck stop approximately 400 metres further on the highway. The separation from trucks preserves the rest area as a fatigue stop for travellers and provides more privacy and peace with plenty of bush surrounding the area.

Works were funded by Royalties for Regions through the Caravan and Camping Action Plan. As well as delivering on our commitments under the Plan, we have also been able to find savings in our operations resulting in improved facilities at the Barradale Rest Area with the addition of new tables and benches.

To date we have upgraded 17 rest areas across the network through the Caravan and Camping Action Plan. Additional rest areas are planned to be upgraded through to 2018.

To find out more about Rest Areas with maps for all parts of the State or to see the latest information on Victorian and George Cross recipients being honoured along South Western Highway refer to our website.

Introduction of 60 metre Road Trains in the Pilbara

In October 2015 we commenced the trial of higher productivity 60 metre quad road trains in the Pilbara Region.

When approached with a request to operate safer and more innovative high productivity 60 metre quad road trains, we considered it a prime opportunity to work collaboratively with industry to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Results of the vehicle on-road performance matched or exceeded the expectations based on the initial Performance Based Standard (PBS) assessments offering productivity and efficiency benefits up to 25 per cent. Long term benefits will include significantly less road train movements on the public road network. In announcing the trial the Transport Minister said "Even though they are longer, these are state-of-the-art vehicles with improved safety and superior handling compared to the standard 53.5 metre road trains, the longest currently allowed on our roads."

The 60 metre quad road trains were required to undergo a Performance Based Assessment prior to participating in the trial and implementation period. As a safety measure, they were also fitted with an Electronic Braking System with a Stability Control Program and monitored via in-vehicle telemetry. Though capable of higher speeds, the road trains will be limited to 90 kilometre per hour, allowing easier overtaking by other vehicles and ensuring superior on-road performance.

The on road operation of the vehicles was further assessed by a Panel consisting of key stakeholders including representatives from our organisation, the Road Safety Commission, local government and the Caravan and Camping Association. The panel met monthly to discuss and review evaluation material relevant to the trial, such as Intelligent Access Program monitoring data, video footage, compliance reports, traffic counts, road user survey results, productivity gains, stakeholder feedback and specific vehicle tests (brakes tests) conducted by the participants.

The 60 metre road trains demonstrated safe performance and improved productivity. Approving 60 metre road trains on other suitable routes in Western Australia is being considered.

LED Upgrades to Traffic Signals

In an Australian first, all of Western Australia’s traffic signals now operate with LED displays, following a six-year conversion program. The first set of traffic lights in Western Australia was installed at the West Perth subway in December 1953 closely followed by another four sets on William Street. Some 60 years later we have completed upgrades to the almost 1,000 sets of traffic signals throughout Western Australia.

These upgrades saw sustainable, cost effective and environmentally friendly LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs replace the existing krypton traffic signal lanterns. The signals at the intersection of Albany Highway, Hillview Terrace and Oats Street was the last site on the Electrical Services LED upgrade program, which coincidently were upgraded in December 2015, 62 years after the first traffic lights were installed.

The shift toward LED lanterns provides our customers the following benefits:

• brighter displays with LED visible in all circumstances, even in full direct sunlight
• improved efficiency with high luminous output, excellent viewing and readability
• increased safety with more visible and more reliable displays
• environmentally friendly with a reduced carbon footprint.

Benefits also take us closer to our sustainable transport network goal, through:

• substantial savings, with a 75 per cent reduction in power consumption estimated
• approximately $6 million saved over 10 years in operation and maintenance costs
• greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 49.9 per cent
• significant reductions in materials sent to landfill
• CO2 emissions reduced by more than 22,000 tonnes across 10 years
• maintenance contact hours reduced by 3,000 per year.

Incident Management Plays a Key Role in Safe Customer Access

This year, we have experienced some of the most catastrophic weather conditions seen in decades. Smog, fires and flooding throughout the State have highlighted just how important timely intervention is to restore access and essential services, protect the community and environment and ensure safe and efficient travel for all road users.

Crisis and incident management forms one of our key functions as a vital Essential Service Network Operator for State emergency management. Made up of highly trained organisation leaders and specialists, our Crisis Management Team is activated during incidents and emergencies to:

• provide traffic management at vehicle control points established by police
• manage resources to rotate and relieve crews at the vehicle control checkpoints
• manage maintenance works to restore access and reinstate damaged signs and guideposts
• communicate closures, detours and other crucial journey planning information to customers.

The bushfires that hit the South West in January had a devastating effect on the Shires of Waroona and Harvey and were some of the most catastrophic seen in Western Australia for decades. The South West Region responded directly to the fires and managed traffic for road closures, including a major detour between Perth and Bunbury. The Region’s Incident Management Team was activated for 24/7 operation to support the Waroona Command Centre. Traffic management support was also provided by Metropolitan, Wheatbelt and Great Southern Regions due to the large scale of the fire.

As the fires came under control, the South West crews worked with Department of Parks and Wildlife to clear fire affected trees in danger of falling onto roads and organise repairs to guideposts and traffic signs. They established a side track around Samson Brook Bridge which had collapsed to allow access for traffic along South Western Highway, and within two months the old bridge was replaced with a large concrete culvert. At the Corporate level the Crisis Management Team met twice daily during the fires to provide support where required and ensure a coordinated response and recovery effort.

Regular crisis management meetings, de-briefs and reviews with State and local agencies allow us to share lessons learnt and review processes to ensure continuous improvement. These improvements help us put in place measures that will prevent and mitigate impacts of commonly occurring incidents such as road covering smog that reduces visibility, leading to potentially dangerous driving situations.

All road users, regardless of experience, are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and major incidents on the road network. When dealing with these incidents and emergencies, our Crisis Management Team consider and balance the road user experience with their responsibility to provide a safe and efficient transport network.

Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement

In October 2015 we became the first government agency to sign a Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement. The agreement was signed as part of the South West Native Title Settlement, a settlement of resolution on native title involving Western Australia and the six registered native title claimant groups in the South West.

The South West Native Title Settlement (SWNTS) covers approximately 200,000 square kilometres, including the South West and Metropolitan regions and sections of the Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Midwest – Gascoyne regions. Noongar claim groups are:

• Yued (Jurien, Moora, Lancelin, Gingin)
• Gnaala Karla Boodja (Mandurah, Bunbury, Donnybrook)
• South West Boojarah (Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River, Pemberton, Nannup)
• Wagyl Kaip (Katanning, Gnowangerup, Albany)
• Ballardong (York, Northam, Hyden, Kondinin)
• Whadjuk (Perth Metropolitan area)

The SWNTS requires agencies to enter into Noongar Standard Heritage Agreements with the relevant Native Title groups. The Agreement establishes a detailed process and deliverables for consultation, timeframes to provide information and arbitration if parties fail to provide information within specified timeframes. It also provides a formal process for heritage consultations and surveys that must be followed in the south-western part of the State.

In exchange for a suite of benefits and recognition, the six native title groups, involving around 30,000 Noongar people, surrendered native title rights and released the State from compensation liability under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). In October 2015 we led Western Australia’s government agencies and became the first agency to sign the agreement with the six claimants.

This new arrangement means we are able to build stronger relationships with the Noongar people in the South West and adopt more collaborative processes ensuring heritage sites are identified and protected. We also expect improved efficiencies through more consistent and better understood processes, giving us shorter assessment timeframes and streamlined regulatory consent processes for projects.

A further seven heritage agreements have been made with other native title parties, including in the Midwest–Gascoyne Region (Wajarri Yamatji, Gnulli, Nanda, Malgana Shark Bay People, Yugunga-Nya native title claimants and holders) and Pilbara region (Njamal and Karriyarra native title claimants and holders).

Northbridge Tunnel Multi-Agency Emergency Exercise

We work with our stakeholders to minimise the impact of potential major events and incidents in the Northbridge Tunnel.

On Sunday 1 November 2015 between 4.30am and midday we closed the Northbridge Tunnel in order to conduct a multi-agency emergency training exercise. We simulated a three car crash resulting in seven casualties.

One of the vehicles involved was transporting dangerous goods canisters, which began to leak, resulting in additional casualties. As part of the exercise, emergency crews were not aware that the damaged canisters were releasing a toxic gas due to the vehicle not being fitted with dangerous goods placards. The discovery of dangerous goods requires a specific Hazmat response.

Together with 50 of our staff, we worked with Lend Lease (Northbridge Tunnel operator), the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Department of Environmental Regulation, Western Australian Police, St John Ambulance and the Department of Mines and Petroleum in responding to this simulation.

The emergency exercise in the Northbridge Tunnel was a great success and successfully tested the capacity of first responders, emergency crews and government agencies, preparing us for real life incident.

This was the third time that a multi-agency emergency exercise has taken place in the Northbridge Tunnel. These exercises improve how we communicate with our stakeholders and the timeliness of our response to ensure the safety of the public and minimise the resulting impacts on the community in the event of a major incident in the tunnel.

Route Manager Training Program

One of the new skills and capabilities that we are developing as part of our response to improving the operation of the road network is around route management. Route management is essentially seeking to gain the greatest efficiency possible for a particular route within the overall network.

To address this new skills requirement we developed a structured 18 month training program including rotational placements in various areas associated with operation of the overall metropolitan network. The program allows participants to complete technical aspects of work by gaining on the job training under the guidance of experienced practitioners.

One of the benefits of the program is the opportunity to challenge and influence existing business practices aimed at promoting improved performance. This dedicated program facilitates staff development and is helping us to build new skills as part of an overall succession planning and workforce management approach to meet new business needs.

At the end of the 18 month training program the participants will have the necessary skills required to fulfil their role as part of the Route Management Team. The program includes on the job learning through 16 rotations as participants gain skills in defined competencies during each placement. Technical training also supports on the job learning helping to reinforce the level of competency gained. This program has been developed using best practice examples from existing models used in other international transport agencies.

The project began in mid-2015 with the first cohort of trainees starting in February 2016. Four more trainees will be recruited from our graduate pool to commence in February 2017. This approach is just one more way in which we are ensuring that we have the right people with the right skills to meet the needs of the community.

Traffic Congestion Management Program

There is no single solution to Perth’s traffic congestion. The Traffic Congestion Management Program (TCMP) was established to focus on multiple strategies and projects to improve traffic flow through more reliable travel times.

The TCMP has achieved a great deal in its first year and had a huge impact on driving in the Perth metro area.

Aligned under our strategic direction Keeping WA Moving the TCMP forms an integral part of a wider approach to addressing Perth’s traffic congestion challenge. We fully embrace the strategy areas of focus and keep our customers, their safety, their freedom of movement and our network’s sustainability at the centre of all our decisions.

The TCMP has implemented various, low cost, high impact initiatives. These initiatives, some of which are outlined below, have made significant improvements to traffic flow, benefiting all road users.

• Dedicated exit lanes: contentious merge points previously disrupting freeway traffic have been removed from four locations.
• Additional Mitchell Freeway lane (Charles Street to Market Street) – a new, fourth lane has been created by reconfiguring road markings. Average speeds for southbound drivers have increased by 65 per cent in the evening peak period between Vincent Street and Market Street as a result.
• Freeway and highway merge lines – new merge lines have been installed at 56 freeway on-ramps across the Perth metropolitan network. Results demonstrate noticeable improvements in traffic flow.
• Yellow box junction trial – new methods of keeping intersections free-flowing by painting yellow ‘do not enter’ boxes on the road at four locations throughout the Perth area.
• 3D laser scanner – new technology introduced to increase the speed at which police can photograph incidents, clear affected vehicles and reopen the roads to traffic.
• Expansion of pedestrian countdown timers – LED countdown signs installed at a further 12 locations, increasing safety for pedestrian and improving traffic flow for drivers.
• Flashing yellow caution lights to turning traffic - introduced to protect vulnerable pedestrians crossing the road, improve driver awareness and maintain traffic flow.
• Right turn filtering lanes – as per customer feedback, the TCMP is investigating the effect of turning off the red right-turn arrow during nonpeak times on certain intersections to assess if this will improve movement.
• Fog warning system trial – a first for Western Australia, a dedicated fog-sensing device triggering and alerting the Traffic Operations Centre to activate low-visibility warning signs has been introduced.

Traffic Management Safety

Safe interaction between traffic and our workers is of the highest priority in our occupational health and safety profile.

We continue to explore and implement innovative ways of improving the protection of workers, contractors and members of the public.

As well as improving safety for the road user and workers, we design our initiatives to deliver efficient work practices. The table shows three specific road safety innovations that we have adopted over the last 12 months supporting our objectives:

These traffic management initiatives provide efficiencies for operations particularly where it is not practical to deploy temporary safety barriers, such as with short to medium term road works. Over the next 12 months we will continue to embed and enhance the use of these safety assets as a key part of the safety, health, wellbeing, and road safety strategies.

Wheatbelt Highway Safety Review

The Wheatbelt Highway Safety Review represents a more collaborative approach involving road safety agencies working together with the community to improve road safety outcomes in the short- to –medium- term.

The Wheatbelt Region has been overrepresented in road trauma statistics for an extended period of time. Sections of road targeted in this review included Toodyay Road, Great Southern Highway (between Chidlow and York) and Great Eastern Highway. These roads had the highest Killed and Serious Injury (KSI) crash densities in the Wheatbelt Region, with differing traffic volumes and road conditions – making them ideal choices for the review.

This new approach was in response to the number of road deaths and serious injuries on the State’s roads in 2014. It draws on the experience of similar reviews in other Australian States, which aim to reduce road trauma by tapping into the knowledge of experts across a range of road safety disciplines – as well as locals who regularly use the roads under investigation.

The success behind this project was based upon a number of key elements, including:

• Extensive in-depth analysis of the crash history
• Technical considerations, in particular geometric design, traffic type and volumes, and driver behaviour characteristics
• Consultation with local stakeholders and the community.

The review commenced with desktop analyses, proceeded to on-site technical assessments and incorporated extensive community and stakeholder engagement. A key element of the review was a bus trip focusing on “multi discipline” input. This field inspection involved input from regulators, enforcers, designers and road users with practical assessment of known crash sites. Our Road Safety Branch joined with regional offices to present an analytical approach to each site and consider achievable counter measures.

Also of particular note was the use of an interactive online mapping tool to record community input and two highly-focussed community forums held in Merredin and Toodyay. The engagement activity resulted in the proposal of a number of traffic treatment modifications. Many of these have already been implemented, and a number are in scoping or planning phase.

Strategically, one of the most important outcomes of the review was its reinforcement of our commitment to reduce KSI on Western Australian roads and helping shape our Road Safety Management System – ROSMA. This system uses a holistic view of the road transport system, seeking to manage the interaction between the road, travel speed, the vehicle and the road user. Developed in line with best practice internationally, ROSMA is on track to be accredited against ISO 39001 Road Traffic Safety (RTS) Management Systems by late 2017, meaning we will become the first road authority to be accredited to this international standard in Australia, and possibly the world.

We continue to take important steps towards reducing road trauma in new and innovative ways. This review sets the benchmark to develop similar approaches for other high-priority roads throughout Western Australia and reinforces our commitment to the Safe System approach, which underpins the State’s road safety strategy Towards Zero.