Governing Bodies

The Main Roads Act 1930, as amended, establishes the Commissioner of Main Roads as a corporate body and sets out the powers and duties of the office. The Commissioner reports to the Minister for Transport and the agency's primary governing body is its Corporate Executive.

Our governance processes and behaviours guide us to achieve our Aspiration, conform to all relevant laws and standards and meet public expectations of probity, accountability, integrity and transparency. Our governance approach also directs and manages our business activities to optimise performance and deliver value. Our governance model shows the relationships between our Minister, Commissioner and Corporate Executive supported by subcommittees.

Corporate Executive

Corporate Executive is our peak decision-making body. Its objective is to set clear strategic direction to deliver government priorities, meet our Aspiration and achieve agreed performance goals.

Focus areas for Corporate Executive during the past year included:

• Monitor delivery of critical projects and meet performance targets
• Identify and monitor treatment actions against critical risks including integrity breaches and cyber crime
• Champion a culture of diversity and equity
• Identify future state-wide resourcing requirements and key skills and capabilities
• Identify new strategic initiatives aligned with Keeping WA Moving
• Monitor the deployment of activities through the Corporate Business Plan
• Champion and monitor the delivery of Aboriginal participation outcomes
• Champion and monitor the delivery of sustainability outcomes.

Main Roads has established four executive sub-committees to provide support and guidance for specific aspects of the business.

Management Review and Audit Committee

Our Management Review and Audit Committee overseas the effectiveness of Main Roads' corporate governance including risk management, control processes and internal audit. It is an independent committee, accountable to the Director General and meets quarterly.

Focus areas for the Management Review and Audit Committee during the past year included:

• Approved the Main Roads Annual Internal Audit Plan for 2021-22
• Considered the findings and recommendations from 34 internal audits
• Discussed and approved audit progress reports quarterly
• Monitored and approved close out of audit recommendations quarterly
• Monitored outstanding and overdue audit recommendations quarterly
• Reviewed strategic, operational and fraud and corruption risks and monitored the status of action plans to mitigate risks.

Budget Committee

Our Budget Committee meets monthly with the objective of ensuring financial management oversight and best use of funds to achieve our strategic outcomes.

Focus areas for the Budget Committee during the past year included:

• Future Roads Project (Urban) - Administrative Road Classification Process and Criteria
• Oversight of the Asset Investment Program to ensure project delivery is on target
• Oversight of COVID-19 economic stimulus programs and fast-tracked project delivery
• Oversight of the Road Safety Program WA and ensuring continuity of funding is achieved
• Oversight and governance of the agency's financial outcomes and ensure the outcomes stay within the financial targets as set in the agency's Resource Agreement
• Identify risk and opportunities in the scope of investment planning, program development, program management and project delivery impacting annual finances
• Oversight of forecast cost indices used in escalation of Asset Investment Project cashflows
• Identify risk and opportunities in cashflow management including building relationship with Western Australian Treasury Corporation
• Improved forecasting and adoption of a Corporate Financial Forecast Benchmark Target
• Oversight of tender price outcomes on contracts.

Corporate Safety, Health and Wellbeing Committee

Our Corporate Safety, Health and Wellbeing Committee directs priorities and overviews the wellbeing of our workforce and the people who work with us.

The committee is chaired by the Manager Communities of Expertise and includes the Safety, Health and Wellbeing Manager.

Focus areas for the Corporate Safety, Health and Wellbeing Committee during the past year included:

• Monitored 2020-23 Safety, Health and Wellbeing Strategic Plan
• Reviewed performance measures and approach
• Reported on WorkSafe improvement notifications and serious incidents including mitigating actions
• Updated senior management on new work, health and safety legislation
• Reviewed Main Roads framework COVID-19 Safety, Health and Wellbeing Plan
• Oversight of the Integrated Management System - Safety, Quality and Environment - annual management review and recertification
• Continued focus into the prevalence of incidents involving traffic management at worksites.

More information on our health and safety activities is included in the Safety, Health and Wellbeing section.

Investment Committee

Our Investment Committee is the peak decision-making body for strategic network development strategy and investment planning, and for overseeing development of the Ten-Year Investment Plan.

Focus areas for the Investment Committee during the past year included:

• Strategic oversight of high priority projects and reporting to the Minister for Transport, for consideration in state and federal budget processes and for submissions for consideration by Infrastructure Australia in the annual refresh of the National Infrastructure Priority List
• Endorsement of all major and complex project scope of works and cost estimates as part of the decision-making requirements associated with the Budget and Investment Planning Framework
• Endorsement of the 2022-23 Strategic Asset Plan
• Oversight of improvements to the Investment Planning Process.