Managing Director’s Review

In his Foreword this year Reece talked about the importance of the transport system in supporting our liveability and achieving our aims in terms of social prosperity. It is in this context that 2016 marks 90 years since the creation of Main Roads-an organisation that has a rich and proud history of providing an essential service to the people of Western Australia and an organisation that I am proud to say continues to evolve and change in order to meet the needs of all Western Australians.

As I come to the end of my time with Main Roads I have been reflecting on the changes of the past three years since I joined the organisation, our progress in achieving the Government’s goals and our strategic objectives. I feel that during this time we have achieved not only what we set out to do but in some cases have established new benchmarks in project management, sustainability, safety, customer engagement and tackling the growing issue of congestion.

In last year’s review I talked about the importance of our new strategic direction Keeping WA Moving. Throughout the last 12 months we have continued to see significant change based around a renewed focus on customers, sustainability, safety and of course movement. We have implemented some of the most comprehensive structural changes seen in the past decade. Most of these, reported in our previous annual report, have been finalised and are in the process of being deployed. I am confident that collectively the leadership team has placed Main Roads in a strong position for the future.

Our Operational Performance

Our Keeping WA Moving strategy and focus areas of Customers, Movement, Sustainability and Safety emphasises what is and will be material to our business and customers in the years ahead. The outcomes we are seeking in these areas of focus have guided operational activities and investments of just over $2 billion in the last financial year, representing 99 per cent of our total budget. This is once again an excellent outcome.

We have delivered our services through a suite of programs aligned to Government Goals that reflect how our funding is allocated. Road efficiency continues to be the largest of our six investment programs and is a strong driver of our major projects. Reece has already mentioned the iconic Gateway Project and I would like to add that this, the largest road construction project in our history, was delivered one year ahead of schedule and under budget. It highlights efforts we are taking to achieve more sustainable practices that will ultimately flow across our entire project practice. This is demonstrated by recognition we have received for Work Safety Awards, achievement of a national first with certified as Excellent for As Built under the independently assessed Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Scheme, and a Waste Infinity Award, to name just a few.

It is the nature of these works that reflect well on not just all of our people but also the willingness of our partners and suppliers to be innovative and help us achieve the best outcomes for the State and our customers; the community.

Other significant works undertaken over the past 12 months include completion of the Vasse Bypass, Onslow Ring Road, Ravensthorpe Heavy Haulage Route Project and works on South Western Highway. In the metropolitan area we have invested more than $77 million on Kwinana Freeway widening projects and commenced works on NorthLink WA which will service regional traffic movements to commercial and industrial areas such as Malaga, Kewdale, Perth Airport and the Perth CBD. NorthLink WA will see us not only deliver enhanced road capacity and reduced congestion on local roads but it will also improve journey times by avoiding up to 16 sets of traffic lights, one railway crossing and 21 speed limit changes for the freight route from Kewdale to Muchea.

Reducing the impacts of congestion continues to be a very high priority. We recognise that there is no single solution. However, by focusing on multiple strategies and projects traffic flow improvement will be noticeable through more reliable travel times. In its first 12 months the Traffic Congestion Management Program delivered more than 300 low-cost, high-impact initiatives including new merge lines, traffic signal optimisation, yellow box junctions and the new 3D laser scanner being used by WA Police. The program also includes physical road projects such as the additional lane added to Mitchell Freeway between Charles Street and Market Street. By reconfiguring the road lines, drivers gain a lane between Vincent Street and Market Street improving average speeds southbound by a massive 65 per cent in the evening peak period. Together and individually these initiatives significantly improve our traffic flow, benefiting all road users. We are constantly exploring new and innovative ways to improve reliability of the road network. For more and the most up-to-date information for your area, please ensure you visit our website.

Business Activities

As well as infrastructure projects, our world class outcomes for customers come through ongoing management of the single largest community asset in the State. Our sustainable practices, including the partnerships we form with our stakeholders to identify the best, most cost effective and least disruptive methods in achieving our strategic direction, are equally important to our success.

I was very proud when we became the first government agency to enter into and sign a Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement. This new arrangement means we are able to build stronger relationships with the Noongar people in the South West and adopt more collaborative processes to ensure 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 processes for projects.

We also completed a transition of our traffic signals from old technology globes to LED which reduces gas emissions, maintenance and running costs. It also improves visibility and safety at intersections. We have also recently introduced a trial of LED street lights on our first infrastructure projects on the Gateway Project and Mitchell Freeway extension.

Our Road Safety Management System (ROSMA) was launched mid-2016. ROSMA is a system that seeks to manage the interaction between the road, travel speed, the vehicle and users. This is a ground-breaking approach to safety. As we apply the Safe System principles underpinning ROSMA, I anticipate we will achieve reductions in road trauma across our road network.

Strengthening our focus to achieve improved integration with our peers and to create even better customer experiences for everyone we have concentrated on improving collaboration and communication with all of our stakeholders.

We have adjusted our communication with stakeholders, media outlets, local communities and we increasingly use digital platforms to better inform customers about journey times and management of events and incidents on the road.

Looking Ahead

As I prepare this statement we have been advised that the Court of Appeal has overturned a Supreme Court ruling relating to Roe 8 and as a result of this decision, the project’s full environmental approvals have been restored. Roe 8 is just one section of the proposed $1.9 billion Perth Freight Link Project. Completion of all sections of the funded Perth Freight Link project will collectively provide the ‘missing link’ in the Perth Urban Transport Corridor. It will be achieved through the development of a dedicated, high productivity, east-west freight connection between Perth's heartland industrial areas, such as Kewdale, Welshpool, and Fremantle. Current stop-start traffic will be replaced with free-flowing vehicle movements yielding environmental, safety and productivity benefits for the Western Australian community.

Combined with the Gateway WA project and the $1.12 billion NorthLink WA project, the Perth Freight Link infrastructure projects will ultimately provide a free flowing 85 kilometre route from Muchea to Fremantle and Perth's southern industrial and trade centres. The project continues to attract significant community interest and remains subject to further clearances before we can proceed. The project website provides up-to-date information and I encourage anyone interested in the project to register at the website to receive regular updates.

In late July 2016 the Premier and the Minister for Transport will launch the new Perth Transport Plan for 3.5 million people and beyond. We are working closely with our portfolio colleagues and other agencies in seeking to make the future of our urban transport network smarter, better integrated and with more access and transport choices including active transport modes. We will also be working to achieve greater integration of transport and land use policies to support future development of key activity centres.

I am proud of my three years at Main Roads and the achievements to which we have all contributed. The organisation has the momentum to continue to create an environment of commercial awareness and nurture a culture of innovation. Our approach has been to draw from the best insights and evidence from around the world. These learnings will be applied to make Western Australia a better place. I would like to thank you for your support during my time at Main Roads, and wish you the best for an exciting future.

 

Steve Troughton
Managing Director of Main Roads