SPECIALISTS IN POWER DISTRIBUTION AND AUTOMATION PRODUCTS, SYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS

NHP is an independent, Australian-owned company, passionate about providing its customers with a local choice powered by global partners. With more than 50 years of electrical and engineering industry excellence and over 20 branches across Australia and New Zealand, it is NHP’s local people and footprint that helps it to understand specific project needs, no matter how big or small.

As the exclusive distributor for Rockwell Automation throughout the South Pacific region, NHP provides SMART digital devices which deliver better visibility into processes, data and analytics. By enabling smarter and faster decision making and seamless connectivity spurring new collaboration, NHP is enabling the Connected Enterprise.

Its global network of supply partners means customers have the freedom of choice for power distribution, power quality, energy management and automation products. When it comes to finding a local partner with a global network for your next project, choosing NHP will unlock a world of expertise across electrical and automation products, systems and solutions.

MORE THAN QUALITY PRODUCTS

By assisting customers to identify the risks and opportunities that are prevalent in their industry or application, NHP can facilitate the required services and solutions to maximise operational investment in accordance with specific priorities and objectives.

NHP Services and Solutions has a strong track record in the critical infrastructure sector, including integrated remote racking air circuit breaker (ACB) upgrades in the Sydney Road Network, working within very tight timeframes to guarantee improvements in production uptime and personnel safety.

NHP has an extensive service infrastructure including Repair Centres, Test Rooms, Field Service Technicians, Application Engineers and Project Managers. Its specialist teams work collaboratively to design and deliver solutions to maximise the success of projects.

With ACB retrofit solutions available to facilitate the installation of a range of products and brands, as well as customising solutions to suit specific requirements, NHP can work within an existing switchboard environment. This provides a cost-effective solution, resulting in an increase in system reliability, minimising production downtime and thereby lowering your operational costs. NHP’s ACB retrofit solutions are engineered according to relevant Australian standards and recognised industrial practices.

Power quality services

NHP’s range of power quality services assist in determining requirements to ensure a power quality system is optimised and delivering enduring results. Power quality services NHP provides include: ♦ Power quality audits ♦ Commissioning services for NHP Power Factor

Correction systems, NHP Static Var Generators and NHP

Active Power Filters ♦ Periodic service and maintenance of NHP power quality systems ♦ Installation of NHP power quality systems

Emergency breakdown assistance

NHP service provides 24/7 protection, 365 days a year, ensuring that your assets continue to work for you. Its service technicians and engineers are on call, equipped to minimise downtime and provide rapid assistance when required.

WHY CHOOSE NHP?

No matter how good a product may be, it is nothing without dedicated people to support it. NHP is solely committed to servicing the needs of its customers. It brings together internationally recognised power distribution and automation products with local knowledge and expertise to deliver best practice services from concept design through to installation and after-sales service.

For more information, please call 1300 NHP NHP, visit nhp.com.au or email nhpservice@nhp.com.au.

By Chris Melham, Chief Executive Officer, Civil Contractors Federation (National)

Speaking to the NSW State Labor Conference in October 2021, Mr Albanese said if Labor were elected to Government, it would maximise opportunities for Australian businesses in major infrastructure projects.

This included the establishment of a ‘Future Made in Australia’ office within the Department of Finance to actively support local industry in taking advantage of government purchasing opportunities.

And importantly, he said a Labor Government would “provide opportunities for mid and small tier Australian companies to participate in the infrastructure pipeline helping to build and strengthen our sovereign capability.”

This, he said, would be achieved by “packaging tenders where appropriate, into multiple packages that allow smaller companies to bid for them.”

After having been in Government for more than five months, the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) will be formally approaching the Government to better understand how, and when, it will be implementing this key election policy.

PROCUREMENT REFORM IS THE FIRST STEP

Mr Albanese also went on to say that 95 per cent of the top20 infrastructure projects worth more than $500 million were delivered by foreign-owned companies from 2015 to 2020.

At the time of the announcement, CCF warmly welcomed it.

According to Labor, around $190 billion has been spent on government contracts over the last three financial years, showing that procurement policy is a major economic lever available to drive the economic recovery from COVID-19. CCF agrees.

We have been strongly advocating for the civil infrastructure sector to be used as a lever to lead Australia’s economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19 and the economic recession.

Procurement reform of the Commonwealth Governments’ $120 billion rolling ten-year infrastructure investment program is an important first step in turning the economy around.

Furthermore, debundling major projects as a means of encouraging more tender bids from Tier 2 and Tier 3 companies and SMEs was a key theme of CCF’s report Rebuilding Australia – A Plan for a Civil Infrastructure Led Recovery.

I was pleased to recently discuss this report with the Hon Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

It is encouraging to see Labor adopting CCF’s key infrastructure procurement recommendations to increase Australia’s sovereign capability.

CCF looks forward to the Government working more with the states and territories to break up large contracts where possible to allow Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4 and smaller SMEs an opportunity to bid for civil infrastructure tenders.

To enable this, the Commonwealth Government’s $120 billion ten-year rolling infrastructure investment program needs to focus on ensuring there are sufficient resources within the state and territory procurement agencies to deliver the pipeline to market in a way that maximises opportunities for small to medium contractors.

Maximising the use of local workers and businesses was a key point CCF made to the House of Representatives Inquiry into Infrastructure Procurement, so it is pleasing to see Labor committing to this reform.

THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE JOBS AND SKILLS SUMMIT 2022

Certainty around the infrastructure pipeline was one of the key matters discussed at the Jobs and Skills Summit 2022 – Infrastructure Roundtable which I attended with other infrastructure sector leaders and was chaired by Minister King. From an infrastructure perspective, three important matters emerged as key themes from the talks.

Firstly, a nationally coordinated, clearly defined, transparent and predictable pipeline of infrastructure projects will provide the sector with more certainty and enable better strategic planning. There was also an acknowledgement that industry is keen to be involved in discussions to provide advice on what works.

Secondly, improving sovereign capability while simultaneously promoting local upskilling through effective long-term planning alongside sound migration policies will allow for a more sustainable and productive sector.

And thirdly, procurement reform is vital to the success of any measures and the construction industry needs to be an employer of choice to guarantee the future successful delivery of the infrastructure pipeline.

These are important initiatives which CCF hopes will be included in the Employment Whitepaper which is due for release later this year.

CCF is also looking forward to greater detail on how the Government is going to implement its pre-election promise to provide opportunities for mid and small tier civil construction companies to participate in the infrastructure pipeline.

Specifically, further detail is required on the approach the Federal Government is going to take to package tenders, where appropriate, into multiple packages that allow smaller companies to bid for them.

It is time for the Government’s good intentions to be turned into actions to create more local jobs and to improve the strength and sustainability of Australia’s civil construction industry.

By Jon Davies, CEO, Australian Constructors Association

There are few industries left that have yet to be significantly disrupted and construction is one of them. If we don’t disrupt and address current industry issues, we will run out of workers at a time where we need them the most.

The construction industry, Australia’s third largest industry which contributes eight per cent of GDP and employs one in ten of the working population, has barely changed in 30 years. It has been so slow to change that, according to global consultant McKinsey, only hunting and fishing have a worse track record when it comes to adoption of digital technologies and, not surprisingly, its productivity growth trails behind other significant industries by 25 per cent.

If ever there was ever a time to disrupt the construction industry, it is now. I am not just talking about technological disruption, but disrupting how the industry fundamentally operates, its way of doing things, its relationships – its entire makeup.

We are at a crossroads; we must disrupt or we will slowly die.

The construction industry now accounts for a quarter of all insolvencies and that number continues to rise. Our workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than a workplace incident and women make up only 12 per cent of the workforce. People are voting with their feet and leaving the industry just as it faces a shortage of over 100,000 people.

The next generation of workers do not want to work in an industry where disputes are commonplace, excel spreadsheets are considered the height of technology, and little focus is placed on the impact we are having on the environment.

If we do not address these issues, we will simply run out of workers.

INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY, CULTURE AND CAREER PROGRESSION

The time for action is now and the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) is not alone in this thinking. The industry is witnessing a number of positive initiatives such as the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (a partnership between ACA and the governments of New South Wales and Victoria).

The Taskforce has developed a ground-breaking Culture Standard that addresses the key challenges of worker wellbeing, time for life, diversity and inclusion. Implementation of the Culture Standard, through government procurement, will see the introduction of more flexible work practices, plans initiated to increase female participation rates and reduce gender pay gaps, and programs to support good mental health.

In addition to work aimed at improving the culture of the industry, ACA is also proposing solutions that will see the industry become more productive and better skilled.

Through our Partnership for Change initiative with Consult Australia, we have developed solutions to increase productivity through better reliance on tender information, streamlined design reviews and increased adoption of digital technology. In our discussions with the government on these solutions, we have emphasised the important role that they can play as a model client driving change across the industry.

We are also working with Engineers Australia to address the challenges and gaps around career progression and development of construction engineers. In developing a new Construction Engineer Learning and Development Guide, we are looking to improve consistency in the training and development of engineers across the construction sector and to pave a pathway for construction engineers to be globally recognised in their area of expertise.

Many more collaborations are underway but perhaps the most significant is the National Construction Industry Forum, announced at the Jobs and Skills Summit. This forum is different in that it is a tripartite initiative that will comprise representatives from government, unions and business. Whilst details are still to be agreed, the forum will likely focus on ways to improve industry culture, capability/capacity and productivity.

The unprecedented collaboration and the various initiatives underway are encouraging. They demonstrate the appetite for change but, as I said at the Summit, change will only happen if industry, government and unions leave behind the baggage of history, something that’s easier said than done!

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN BE THE DISRUPTOR

Australia’s construction industry is not unique, but it could be. The current universal agreement on the need for change provides an opportunity to transform our industry to one that represents global best practice and is looked to as a role model by other industries, but we need to act now before this window of opportunity slams shut. We cannot afford to continue down the path of slow incremental change. We need to fundamentally disrupt how we operate and the Federal Government, if it chooses to, can be the disruptor.

Government in general is the nation’s largest infrastructure client. The Federal Government alone has committed a massive $66 billion investment in infrastructure over the next four years, much of which is granted to the states, and yet it imposes few conditions on how that money is spent by the states.

If it chose to, it could encourage the states to procure in a way that maximises productivity, reduces the impact of construction on the environment and unleashes innovation. It could incentivise the states to procure in a way that promotes training and upskilling of the workforce. It could even mandate adoption of initiatives that promote greater participation of women in the industry. The opportunities are endless.

To equip the Federal Government for the role of disrupter, the Australian Constructors Association has developed the Future Australian Infrastructure Rating (FAIR). Essentially, FAIR is a mechanism to rate government funded projects on how well they performed against key reform areas such as improved productivity and increased female participation.

Federally funded projects undertaken by state government delivery agencies would be given a rating that would be published, leading them to strive for increasingly better outcomes for their stakeholders. The FAIR initiative, or components of it, could be included in the next iteration of the National Partnership Agreement as a requirement for all federally funded projects.

The time for action is now and we all have a role to play. Get informed, challenge the status quo and together we can make this happen.

By Shaun Butler, VP APAC, Brightly Software

The impact of climate change is undeniable, and its effects are being pulled into sharp focus across governments globally. The global focus on carbon is forcing asset managers to consider the long-term future of assets and plan for decarbonisation accordingly.

Following last year’s COP26, it was acknowledged that creating a more sustainable future will require a collective global effort and an enormous capital injection to enable the vast structural changes required.

Asset managers are now considering additional levels related to sustainability in the context of their asset valuations. For example, the risk of a high-carbon consuming asset in the longer term and what will be the value of a high-carbon asset vs. a low carbon asset.

Increased regulation and risk mitigation are reshaping the infrastructure asset management sector to align with the shift towards a longer-term approach and consider the value of assets now and into the future. The road to decarbonising requires strategic, long-term planning, and a new approach to asset planning and valuation.

HOW CAN ORGANISATIONS GET STARTED?

Understand your carbon footprint and set benchmarks

You can’t say what net-zero looks like for your organisation if you don’t know what the starting point is. Start by using an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution to create a central hub of all your carbon-producing assets, including the condition, consumption, performance, and replacement value of every asset. Once you have this, you can start to track and analyse your actual and projected emissions and adjust your plans if you are ahead or behind schedule.

Consider sustainability in your long-term asset planning

asset management in planning for the future. This may include investing in your older assets to improve performance or acquiring new systems and assets to ensure sustainability long-term.

Think beyond short-term planning cycles

Asset managers must become better at storytelling to engage decision-makers in the sustainable asset management journey. It is difficult to gain commitment to future sustainability plans when funding cycles are limited to shortterm thinking. The cost to build can change significantly in one or three years’ time, as can advancements in technology. Telling the story means getting smarter with data collection and being able to serve up those insights in a simple and compelling way.

Taking a strategic asset management focus, organisations can utilise predictive lifecycle modelling to look at the consequences of action or inaction. This is highly effective for weighing up different funding decisions and displaying this information is an easy-to-understand way to a board or senior executives.

Connect the dots between your data

When it comes to energy and carbon performance, the amount of data you can source in real-time using IoT is extremely valuable. Combine that with predictive analytics and you have the ability to model the future condition and service level of every asset. You can also optimise your future capital investment programs by directing capital spend to the most appropriate assets at the right time, based upon criticality, obsolescence or climate change.

The Northern Territory Government has released the NT Infrastructure Strategy 2022 to 2030 and the NT Infrastructure Plan and Pipeline 2022 to support the Territory economy to grow by billions of dollars and contribute to a stronger and more resilient northern Australia.

The Northern Territory Government’s vision is for infrastructure investment that enables growth of the Territory economy and population, and supports well-being and quality of life for all Territorians, underpinned by sustainability and resilience.

The Territory’s first strategic infrastructure planning and development body, Infrastructure NT, was established in 2021 to coordinate and align infrastructure needs with industry and population growth.

Informed by consultation with all levels of government, regional and Indigenous land councils and industry representative groups, the Strategy, Plan and Pipeline build the foundations for a sustainable and diverse $40 billion Northern Territory economy by 2030.

In addition to the Strategy, Plan and Pipeline, Infrastructure NT is progressing a strategic audit of Northern Territory infrastructure which will provide an evidence base to guide future infrastructure investment decision making and ensure infrastructure investment is prioritised to where it can have the most impact. This suite of documents will focus attention on the investments and reforms that will improve living standards and local and national productivity.

SELF-SUSTAINING GROWTH STRATEGY

The Territory’s new strategic infrastructure approach provides a clear direction and whole-of-government leadership for project planning, development and delivery.

Northern Territory Infrastructure Commissioner, Louise McCormick, said the Northern Territory is a land of opportunity, rich in natural resources and with the capacity to grow as a service hub for renewable energy, defence, mining, advanced manufacturing, tourism and tropical horticulture.

“Our growth strategy is to move towards an economy that can be self-sustaining through attracting private sector investment. The Northern Territory has competitive advantages and the natural assets required to achieve a zero emissions future. With high solar irradiance and many of the critical minerals required for future renewable energy technologies, we have successfully attracted the interest of industries that will support global, reliable, renewable energy transition,” Ms McCormick said.

“The Northern Territory is an attractive investment destination and has proven its ability to deliver world-class projects, including the Ichthys LNG Project, which is ranked as one of the most significant oil and gas projects in the world. The Territory is also the focus for Sun Cable’s Australia-Asia Power Link project to develop the world’s largest solar energy infrastructure network to supply energy to Singapore.

“The Territory has produced a placed-based infrastructure framework which develops and delivers enabling infrastructure that multiple sectors can use, to make a strong business case for further investment in the Northern Territory.”

The framework integrates land and infrastructure planning with economic development and population growth. It balances a stable long-term set of priorities to encourage and de-risk public and private sector investment while maintaining flexibility to meet the emerging demands. “We have anticipated investment that will occur in the next five years that will impact the Territory’s economy, particularly jobs supported during construction and operations. The increase in job numbers is directly linked to population growth, which subsequently affects infrastructure needs,” Ms McCormick said.

Ms McCormick said the Northern Territory is currently developing and delivering nationally significant infrastructure projects, including: ♦ The Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct, a globally competitive, sustainable development precinct for low emission petrochemicals, renewable hydrogen, carbon capture storage and minerals processing. The precinct will drive industry diversification, exports, jobs and population growth over the next 50 years ♦ Enabling infrastructure to promote the development of the Beetaloo sub-basin, which has the potential to be a world-class gas province. Development of the Beetaloo will increase gas supply, create jobs and drive significant economic growth in the Territory and Australia ♦ The Darwin Ship Lift and Marine Industry Park, which will establish Darwin as a thriving maritime services hub, capitalising on the Territory’s strategic location in the

Asia Pacific region ♦ Regional logistics hubs that are an important part of the land transport network and will include rail sidings and loops, intermodal facilities and adjacent industrial land and facilities to service the hubs. The common user hubs will better connect the Territory’s commodities to markets and are a key element of capitalising on the increased investment in the Northern Territory, sustainably

In addition, the Northern Territory is delivering further key enabling infrastructure investments to further develop, sustain and grow the Territory, including: ♦ Darwin Regional Water Supply Program including Manton

Dam Return to Service and Adelaide River Off-Stream

Water Storage to ensure a safe, secure, reliable and sustainable water supply to enable economic activity to support growth and provide water security across the region ♦ Infrastructure to keep pace with the Territory’s current economic growth including housing and land release for both residential and industrial use

Continuing to invest in strategic road corridors including the Central Arnhem Road and Tanami Road, to help enable economic growth in the Territory’s regions

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport in South Australia developed the Tactical Adelaide Model (known as TAM) to provide a brand-new industry paradigm via a maintained and governed multi-modal transportation operational assessment model.

Transport modelling is a crucial factor in supporting urban design and investment decisions, examining the impact of different land use planning decisions and managing traffic control systems.

While project-specific models are valuable tools, they are frequently developed in isolation from one another and end up differing greatly in shape, size, platform, and configuration. Attempts to create large-scale models by stitching together these project models result in patchwork solutions that are not fit-for-purpose for wider-scale evaluations and policy making.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) in South Australia wanted to solve these issues by developing a single, unified, consistent large-scale modelling framework; the result is the Tactical Adelaide Model (TAM), led by Transport Analytics in partnership with Aimsun.

THE USE CASES

Delivered in May 2022, TAM is the heart of DIT’s modelling framework and has already proven invaluable in supporting network planning decisions. The TAM modelling framework covers the five most critical use cases:

1. Operations – operational changes in the network.

Operational analysis is daily, weekly, monthly or seasonal with one-day to six-month horizons 2. Operational Planning – planned events and operational updates in the network, from three months to five years in the future. This includes significant event planning, major infrastructure construction, infrastructure maintenance planning and public transport operations 3. Tactical Planning – small and medium operational upgrades and infrastructure upgrades over the next two to six years. This includes road infrastructure upgrades and public transport operations/planning 4. Development Planning – medium and large land-use changes, demographics and infrastructure 5. Strategic Planning – any strategic infrastructure that impacts land-use planning, city-wide routing, or traffic patterns to assess impacts in a realistic, operationally constrained real-world environment

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DETAIL

The default operation of the wholecity modelling framework is at the mesoscopic level of detail, which is dynamic in nature but at a mid-level of granularity to keep computational effort as low as possible and prioritise speed and agility.

However, in cases where simulationbased responses might need more detail, such as a heavily congested roundabout or junction, Aimsun Next is able to provide pockets of microscopic level simulation, zooming into the behaviour of individual road users. These microscopic pockets of simulation would only be considered for special project-based applications or as further enhancements, and could be maintained on an on or off basis due to Aimsun's highly flexible, hybrid model structure.

DIT’s innovative formation of a partnership led by an agile delivery framework and working to a set of overarching principles was an industry first. This approach has proved to be instrumental in delivering the accuracy and robustness of TAM. The solution's scope has already delivered operational-level project results at a fraction of the time and resources used previously.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

DIT will use TAM to evaluate the impact of new transport modes, disruptive technologies, Mobility-as-a-Service and environmental impacts/management, which will change the network planning and operations on a metropolitan level. This cannot be considered in project models or in isolation. Therefore, the TAM framework will be the integrated platform to assess feasibility and plan/manage government and industry initiatives.

DIT has committed to maintaining TAM, keeping it up to date and relevant to the stakeholders and industry partners. The maintenance regime will include annual updates, alignment with the newest census and household travel survey information, new data sources, product improvement and software version control.

TAM will also be updated with the latest committed and funded projects to ensure consistency in model outputs. TAM will be open to stakeholders and consultants, offering transparency and a level playing field. Quality management processes will accompany the TAM guidelines to ensure the work done using the solution is consistent and relevant to the use case.

TAM will be a vital platform for South Australia in developing policy and strategy for the challenges that face all state agencies worldwide: transport business cases and scenarios for connected and autonomous vehicles, cooperative ITS, low or zero-emission vehicles and air quality management.

Future TAM enhancements extend well beyond the current framework and will include cloud-based model development and implementation. The team will also be refining the approach to model governance, version control, sub-area extraction, research initiatives from academia, project modelling integration, modelling guidelines, and of course, a completely seamless data flow between the existing strategic model (known as the Strategic Adelaide Model or SAM) and TAM. Other plans in the pipeline for TAM include dynamic simulation for emerging and future transportation technologies and disruptors, electric vehicles and infrastructure, connected and autonomous vehicles, traffic management centre and operational insights, and emission/air dispersion modelling. At present, TAM's forecasting horizon stretches to the year 2041, which will enable DIT to plan and safeguard real-world mobility outcomes for the community of Greater Adelaide.

CREATING AN IMPROVED MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM

DIT considers TAM an industry-leading initiative and a fundamental platform for developing future transport strategies in South Australia.

The TAM initiative had to overcome significant challenges in the form of the magnitude of the modelling scope and the departure from industry norms. These challenges necessitated a highly collaborative approach between DIT and Aimsun but in the end it paid off – the solution not only met, but exceeded, the calibration criteria and received extremely positive industry feedback.

TAM will be a fundamental component in supporting DIT’s vision for making its multimodal transport system more sustainable, efficient, safe, and accessible.

By Andrew Barr, Chief Minister, ACT Legislative Assembly

Canberra is a progressive, inclusive and innovative city where the benefits of a zero-emissions future are shared. Having reached 100 per cent renewable electricity, and as we continue to take our next steps towards zeroemissions, it’s important we provide clear, early signals on the pathway to reduce emissions in our two largest remaining emission sectors: transport and gas.

Reducing Canberra’s gas reliance and increasing use of Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) will be critical to achieving our commitment to net zero emissions by 2045.

Canberra is the right-sized city to pilot new, innovative ideas and demonstrate that an orderly and managed transient is possible.

The shift to 100 per cent renewables and phasing out of fossil-fuel cars and fossil-fuel gas can be achieved, but won’t happen overnight.

It will require collaboration and a coordinated approach over decades. OUR PATHWAY TO ELECTRIFICATION

Natural gas currently accounts for 20 per cent of the ACT’s emissions, while gas prices have risen by around 25 per cent since 2016.

Reducing Canberra’s gas reliance will be a long-term transition – we’re not switching off the gas network overnight.

Most Canberrans will gradually make this transition over the next twenty years without the need for government support, in the same way most households bought their own digital TV when it suited them.

But for those that do need assistance, we already have great support in place to assist households and businesses with

the upfront costs of efficient electric appliances through the Sustainable Household Scheme.

As part of the initial phase of the transition, new ‘greenfield’ suburbs will no longer be connected to gas mains, and from 2023 new gas connections will cease for future infill developments. Canberra’s first all-electric suburb, Ginninderry, is currently being developed.

The ACT Government is also a large gas user. We are actively working to reduce our gas consumption. We have opened our first all-electric office building, are now building our first all- electric hospital building, and have committed to all new public schools being all-electric.

ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES

With emissions from transport accounting for around 60 per cent of ACT emissions, the transition to ZEVs is another key part of our sustainable efforts.

The ACT is already one of the most attractive places to buy a ZEV with no stamp duty, two years free registration and interest free loans available of up to $15,000 for eligible ZEV purchases.

We are supporting the roll out of public charging infrastructure, with recently procured new charging stations tripling our public charging capacity.

And just like our approach on electrification, our ZEV strategy sends a clear signal to the market that the ACT will cease registering non-ZEV new vehicles by 2035.

We are sending the necessary signals to ensure the transition cost of embracing ZEVs will be largely met through business-as-usual purchases.

To address our own emissions in delivering government services, we are working towards a renewable energy powered bus fleet, have trialled electric fire engines and are now working with Volvo on a range of renewable emergency vehicles.

BATTERY STORAGE

A secure and reliable energy supply is a priority for all levels of government in Australia.

The ACT is delivering the Big Canberra Battery – a disaggregated battery storage system – to future-proof the ACT’s energy supply and reduce the load on our electricity network. We are leveraging the expertise of our world-class tertiary research institutes to support reliable energy storage solutions and to optimise our existing network. Stream One of the Big Canberra Battery will provide at least 250MW of new ‘large-scale’ battery storage in the ACT.

It is a critical initiative that will strengthen the stability of our energy grid, foster growth in the renewable energy sector and potentially provide a source of revenue.

Following this, Stream Two will seek to deliver batteries at 14 government sites to help reduce government power use and reduce the strain on the distribution network. Stream Three will deliver medium-sized neighbourhood batteries.

As a combined network, this battery system can address network constraints, enable more Canberrans to have solar and shorten the pay-off period of domestic solar systems.

This will not only foster growth in the renewable energy sector, including employment opportunities, but may also provide a dependable source of ongoing revenue for the ACT.

A JUST TRANSITION

These are ambitious changes to the way we live our lives.

Clear policy settings and market signals will play a powerful role in melding business-as-usual purchases to drive the transition to net zero.

We are demonstrating the opportunities for people to make the transition. But we also know that this is a massive transition and clear policy settings need to be combined with direct government investment and regulation in some areas.

The urgent need to replace fossil fuels and prevent climate change can only occur by empowering and mobilising people to make these choices.

Providing policy certainty and having accessible and affordable options are critical for this transition to happen.

To help the community get on board, we have launched the Everyday Climate Choices initiative. Its goal is to help the community by providing practical steps to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

Everyday Climate Choices is focused on providing practical steps to help our community move towards a net zero emissions future, transition off gas and consider ZEVs.

Programs such as the popular Sustainable Household Scheme provide Canberrans with zero-interest loans to support the purchase of energy efficient products. This includes efficient electric heating and cooling, rooftop solar panels, household battery storage systems, induction cooktops and ZEVs.

With our clear pathway, the ACT will continue to lead the transition to build the net zero emissions economy of the future.

Find out more about the ACT’s climate action strategy and policies by visiting climatechoices.act.gov.au

By Jessica Dickers, Managing Editor, Infrastructure Magazine

Victoria’s landfills are expected to be at capacity by 2026, a problem which will be exacerbated when the waste export ban comes into full effect in 2024. One solution being implemented is recycling some of these materials for reuse in transport infrastructure projects – in an effort to move towards a more circular economy. Major Road Projects Victoria CEO, Allen Garner, explains how this approach is progressing through the Recycled First initiative, the impact of tender processes, and where we go from here.

Almost 21 per cent of Australia’s total waste is produced in Victoria, equalling 16 million tonnes annually. Of this, ten million tonnes is being diverted from landfill and one million tonnes is exported, however this won’t be happening for much longer. That leaves five million tonnes of waste going to landfill – a huge amount that is reaching the limit of what we can responsibly manage.

That’s where Victoria’s Recycled First Policy comes in. Recycled First was spearheaded by Major Road Projects Victoria’s Allen Garner and it aims to increase the use of recycled and reused materials in state transport projects by embedding this as a preferential requirement in contracts.

Major Road Projects Victoria is a government body that supports the planning and delivery of road projects in the state. In his role at MRPV, Mr Garner launched the program ecologiQ in 2019 which supports the implementation of the Recycled First Policy.

Mr Garner said a core part of this policy is to make it as simple as possible for contractors to introduce recycled and reused materials into their projects, and said it’s critical to also have organisations set up to help support infrastructure companies in this change.

“It is really important that it's easy to do and you can make an instant change. The biggest thing for state agencies and others is to put a support mechanism around facilitating that, which is what ecologiQ does,” Mr Garner said.

“We can identify all of the quantities, the types of materials that are available, the specification standards, and help people utilise a recycled material or trial it.

“It’s one thing to get this policy going in projects, but another to actually support it and make it flourish".

HELPING ALLEVIATE SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES

Since COVID-19, Australia’s infrastructure sector has been experiencing major challenges in its supply chain, resulting in a shortage of materials needed to complete construction projects.

While Mr Garner said reusing and recycling materials won’t be a silver bullet to fix all of these issues, it can have a major impact in the long run if processes are put in place now.

“The circular economy is not going to solve all problems related to the big infrastructure boom we've got at the moment, but it's an opportunity to optimise materials that are currently going into landfills,” Mr Garner said.

Mr Garner said one of the initial short term drivers will be filling parts of the supply chain that’s needed. It can also be helpful for materials that are not currently being utilised in an appropriate way, such as bulk raw materials like crushed concrete and brick.

“In the long run, it will reduce the load on new quarry but it won't be a total replacement. It certainly plays a big part as you're reducing the amount of material you need from new quarries or reducing the amount of waste going into tip sites. It's working on both ends of the problem,” Mr Garner said.

Mr Garner said it will have significant long-term benefits to the way we build and maintain our infrastructure. He said there will also be longer-term sustainable outcomes such as the reduction of trucks on roads, and less need to haul materials from far away – cutting transport costs which tend to progressively grow over time.

“The longer term driver is the ability to be able to reuse materials over and over and over again and get into a balance of being able to recycle material and put it back in and use it in infrastructure.

“We're proving this at the moment with the big build in infrastructure, but there's no reason why it can't go across all of Australia. It will have a significant long term benefit,” Mr Garner said.

RECYCLED FIRST POLICY

It’s been a few years since the Recycled First initiative was introduced and Mr Garner said there’s been great adoption of the policy on dozens of the state’s major transport projects. The construction of the new Mordialloc Freeway as well as upgrades to the M80 and Monash freeways also incorporated huge volumes of recycled content, exemplifying the principles of the Recycled First Policy.

“In the early days, these projects started looking at what materials can be replaced with recycled materials. Mordialloc did an exceptional job with the recycled plastic noise walls. We're seeing quite a strong uptake across the whole industry and across all our road projects,” Mr Garner said.

We've doubled what we were using as recycled content from three years ago to today. We've seen quite a rapid increase and we expect that to keep going.”

From early 2020, tenderers on Victorian major transport projects were required to show how their bid will use recycled and reused materials consistent with current standards and specifications. It also helped if the tenderers could identify any new opportunities or technologies that could increase the amount of recycled and reused materials on the project. The procurement and the tender process is key in the Recycled First initiative and Mr Garner said that one of the benefits of the policy is how easy it is to embed in contracts.

“We've been able to embed that as a preferential requirement in all our contracts very simply. Our contractors then go the extra yard to define and source materials.

“Companies are then motivated initially to do what they can to ensure that they put the best offering on the table, which

creates demand in the marketplace. Then once the demand happens, it becomes self-fulfilling and the supply chain starts to engage.

“At the end of the day, Recycled First is not an extra cost imposed on a project, it's just assessing what recycled material you can use as a preference before you go to a raw material.”

BARRIERS TO UPTAKE AND CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

The idea of recycling materials and making Australia’s infrastructure projects more sustainable seems like an approach that has many benefits and not much risk, so shouldn’t all projects and sectors already be doing this?

“That was our thought when we started thinking about it too – why aren't we doing more? Really that’s how ecologiQ was created,” Mr Garner said.

Mr Garner said the barriers the industry has faced when it comes to reusing and recycling materials mostly relate to standards and specifications. This is because these were based around generating the highest quality product using natural resources, in times when we had lots of raw materials that were easy to access.

“There wasn’t flexibility to consider other materials. It's been slow to adapt and adjust standards but the industry, over time, has brought things to the table,” Mr Garner said.

“We've been working with all parties to change mindsets, change standards if it needs to be changed, and prove that an alternate material meets the standard and can be utilised.”

Besides changing standards and specifications in contracts, one of the other most important shifts needed to facilitate this is changing people’s attitudes. Mr Garner said we need to incentivise people to want to change.

“We need to take a holistic view of our perception of waste; what we do and how we treat it, causing people to think about how we dump materials and waste products all around the cities and suburbs and out in the country,” Mr Garner said.

“And secondly, it's material that can be reused so why wouldn't we reuse that as it gets harder to source raw replacement materials? It's just moving that whole mindset to ‘it's not rubbish anymore, it's a resource’ and we should be mining that resource.

“It requires focus, effort and a change of mindset about what we should do with it. Tipping waste into a hole in the ground is long past its use-by date.”

A TRUE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Mr Garner said ecologiQ has plans to keep expanding the policy further, but the future challenge will be around not just recycling the materials we already have, but ensuring the products we’re creating at the start can be reused to create a circular economy. "We're designing in a way that councils and other states can use our standards, specifications, and any changes we make. It’s really important to share the knowledge and learnings about how to utilise this approach,” Mr Garner said.

“We’re also looking to keep investing in new products. The two most significantly challenging products at the moment are plastics and rubber from car tires, but we haven't yet solved the volume imbalance at the moment. There's still much more waste being created than we're able to recycle.”

Mr Garner said that the bigger long-term benefit of the circular economy is not just having materials go round this cycle, but constantly striving to get a higher use and the best use out of each different type of materials as they come through.

“For example, initially with rubber, it might be a slow, low level solution to help get the volume down and be useful, but then over time it will be used again and again in a higher quality product or material. I think that's an evolution and certainly what the circular economy is intending to drive.”

By Marie Lam-Frendo, Chief Executive Officer, Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub)

We need more investment in economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable infrastructure, but there is real danger that investment by both the public and private sectors may slip backward.

Public sector budgets remain constrained, and soaring inflation has led to an exponential rise in interest rates that is making debt more expensive and lenders more cautious. The long-term consequences are unknown, but there is a clear need for the private and public sectors to adapt their strategies and direct more investment toward infrastructure that holistically targets the United National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At the moment, we see mostly stagnant private investment and that both public and private investment are largely directed to build more of the same infrastructure, rather than the infrastructure of the future.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF GLOBAL INVESTMENT?

stimulus, and the GI Hub’s latest figures on private investment show private capital reached record highs in 2020 and 2021, and had already reached the 2020 level by the first semester of 2022.

Yet, private investment in infrastructure projects has now remained stagnant for the eighth year running. Why? Many of the blockers are of long standing: lack of investible project pipelines, inflexibility around investors not being willing to find solutions to manage risk and enable investment in infrastructure in countries with credit ratings below investment grade, aging risk in the context of sovereign credit ratings, and regulatory frameworks that don’t adequately treat infrastructure as an asset class.

There is now a real danger that infrastructure investment by both the public and private sectors may slip backward rather than accelerating. Public budgets are stretched, and economic

uncertainty is driving up risk – particularly in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) that need investment the most.

The public and private sectors need to act now, and act together, to avoid an investment slip. There are actions both can take to boost investment and drive it toward a sustainable infrastructure future.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIONS TO ACCELERATE THE FINANCING OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Let’s start with the long-standing challenge of investors hesitant to invest in EMDEs where credit ratings are largely below investment grade. When it comes to removing blockers associated with sovereign credit rating, it’s time to be serious about creating a systematic de-risking mechanism, at a programmatic level more than simply project level, to give private investors the confidence to invest in countries with credit rating below the investment grade. The importance for this change to happen has accelerated over the last two-years, with COVID-19 showing the urgent need for investment in essential health infrastructure.

Another action pertains to banking regulations playing a crucial role in greenfield infrastructure financing. Indeed, banks financed 63 per cent of private investment in infrastructure projects in primary markets in 2020. Recent Basel III reforms that curtail this participation can have significant effects, particularly because alternative private sources are not stepping up to finance greenfield infrastructure.

To assist with removing blockers related to regulatory capital, the GI Hub is currently forming a coalition of banks to provide advice and shape proposals to the G20 and standard-setting bodies to create a more conducive regulatory environment for infrastructure investment. With an emphasis on greenfield and sustainable infrastructure investment, proposed reforms will contribute to reducing infrastructure deficits, achieving climate and transition objectives, and ensuring global financial stability.

Globally, the pipeline of well-designed, solid projects that both the public and private sector can confidently support is weak. In 2019, we found that 38 per cent of countries still do not publish national infrastructure plans and 28 per cent do not publish pipelines of projects. The public sector can create change in this area by creating mechanisms to track and monitor projects and improve governance.

And, the private sector needs to move the capital that is currently there for the taking. Dry powder (capital committed

by investors and available to fund managers but not yet invested or allocated) has quadrupled from 2010 (USD$72 billion) to 2021 (USD$298 billion).

Yet, simply securing funding or financing is not enough – this investment needs to be directed toward the infrastructure of the future

The infrastructure operating today was largely built between 50 and 100 years ago to serve a widely different world. Existing infrastructure can be adapted to realise important resilience, inclusivity, and environmental benefits – including by adopting new technology – but we cannot continue to build the same types of infrastructure in the same way. The infrastructure of the future needs to be conceived, planned, and built with the SDGs at the centre alongside local needs and global imperatives. At the GI Hub, we encapsulate these ideas by referring to infrastructure investments that ‘do more with less’ to achieve multiple transformative outcomes with a single investment.

Our analysis of G20 governments’ infrastructure stimulus post-pandemic indicated that governments are moving toward transformative outcomes: 30 per cent of the stimulus related to the low-carbon transition, 20 per cent to affordability, and 16 per cent to inclusive mobility. But this is far from enough, and most governments are making their biggest infrastructure stimulus investment in road maintenance.

The private investment picture is similarly chequered. Private investment in renewable energy has doubled since 2010, but green investment in infrastructure outside of renewables remains low and did not notably increase in 2021. As is the case with public investment, private investors need to amp up their investment in more transformative infrastructure. Although ESG standards are no silver bullet here, they are one tool that can be leveraged to push investors toward infrastructure that meets the SDGs, if there is movement to adopt a shared ESG scorecard to accommodate the different solutions that may be appropriate in advanced economies and EMDEs.

WHAT AUSTRALIA IS DOING WELL AND WHAT IT CAN DO BETTER

Climate is now very much ‘on the agenda’ for infrastructure in Australia. The passing in September of Australia’s first climate change legislation in a decade is a historic marker in the country’s effort to hit net zero. This was preceded by Infrastructure Partnerships Australia's call on state governments to introduce a ‘carbon base case’ for major infrastructure projects. Such policies have been introduced in Europe to better account for carbon emissions and allow competitive tenders that would bring down costs for taxpayers.

In making its call for a carbon base case, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia cited the $759 billion pipeline of projects in Australia and New Zealand as indicative of the decarbonisation opportunity. This highlights one of Australia’s strengths: its visible and investible pipeline of infrastructure projects, which earns investor confidence through its accessibility and transparency. The Infrastructure Partnerships Australia 2021 Investment Report showed 84 per cent of surveyed investors are highly likely to invest in Australia.

To help reduce investment uncertainty, Australia could look to improve procurement processes to shorten procurement duration and minimise cost and risk for both the public and private sectors. Work also needs to be done to remove regulatory and tax impediments that hold back investment and make the roll-out of projects more difficult.

It’s also important to consider market capacity when it comes to using local contractors and services. Infrastructure Australia’s 2021 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report revealed that the peak of demand for skills is 48 per cent higher than supply. Meeting this demand would require annual growth of 25 per cent over the next two years, which is more than eight times higher than the projected annual growth rate of 3.3 per cent.

The report identified increased collaboration with industry to support capacity and capability development as a key reform to address market capacity. Competition is a challenge in Australia – it is imperative we consider our market depth and get the risk allocation right. The long-term impact of the pandemic on Australia’s fiscal position may also impact borrowing costs.

RECOVER TOGETHER, RECOVER STRONGER

The theme of the Indonesian G20 Presidency this year is timely. 'Recover Together, Recover Stronger' is a reminder of what is achievable and a call to collective action. Multilateral activities, like our recent work with the G20 Presidency and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on the G20 Blueprint for Scaling Up InfraTech Financing and Development, can help point the way. Then it is up to individual governments and private sector entities to act on the results and take appropriate risks to realise the sustainable infrastructure of the future.

It has been said ‘Luck is where preparation meets opportunity’. The great businesses we are working with utilise finance to make their own luck and, regardless of their size, they have readied themselves to capitalise on opportunities.

Whether it’s attracting new staff, sourcing new product lines, capital expenditure for a new tender or simply catering for delays with their supply chain, here are five steps that more profitable businesses have taken:

1. Reviewing the debt-to-equity structure

Deadwood shareholders in leadership roles that haven’t added value have been bought out. High interest debt is far cheaper than sharing equity in a growing business. This shouldn’t just be looked at as part of succession planning.

2. Reviewing payment terms

What terms do you provide for your customers, what terms do your suppliers give you? In some industries it’s a challenge simply sourcing appropriate levels of stock and the cost of a container from overseas has skyrocketed. If any discounting is offered for early or bulk payment, or if your payment terms are very strict and if all your clients aren’t paying on time, then you need to look at specialist funding and workshop through the opportunity costs, not just the financial cost.

3. Reviewing security

You DON’T need to have bricks and mortar to fund working capital – in fact many businesses are now stifling their future growth by having their working capital structured that way. The growth of the opportunities in your business can’t be held to ransom by the amount of security held in directors’ property. What equity exists in the business assets? How much now sits off the balance sheet? Large businesses require reporting to their lender every year as a minimum; this is the best time to look at security and not just pricing. 4. Adequately budgeting and planning around capital expenditure

Is the business regularly reviewing its existing equipment and fleet? What are the options for disposal of those assets not actively involved in the business? Are long-term assets being financed from short-term cash flow? Are the items needed available or does the business need to compete in the second hand market to acquire the assets required?

5. Regularly reviewing borrowing costs and structures

If your business is still growing then the wrong kind of debt at the right price can be as damaging as the right kind of debt at the wrong price! You need to ensure your accountants and advisers, internal and external to the business, are working closely with your banker or broker.

The Finance Consultancy knows the best businesses working with the better brokers, advisers and consultants, look at these areas in order to be more aggressive and positive in the growth of their business.

If you want your business to grow, or you are already experiencing growing pains, then focus with your advisers and team around these areas – or add another expert in the mix.

By The Australasian Railway Association (ARA)

While skills shortages are not new in rail, the convergence of challenges and threats to workforce capability being currently experienced means this will be a particularly critical issue for the industry over the next three years.

The recent Jobs and Skills Summit provided a timely opportunity to discuss the current skills challenges gripping our nation.

The Australasian Railway Association’s (ARA) 2022 Building Australian Rail Skills for the Future report confirmed expected workforce gaps of up to 70,000 skilled workers by 2023.

Anecdotally, from speaking to ARA members, the sector is experiencing role shortages ranging from 30 to 35 per cent. Those figures are higher in key roles, such as signalling. The shortages are starker in remote areas like the Pilbara.

The range of roles in acute shortage across the rail sector in the short and medium term is extensive, including train drivers and controllers, technicians in signalling, electrical and communications, maintenance workers, engineers, as well as trainers and assessors.

Urgent action is needed to address this crisis, which is set to worsen over the next three years.

HOW DO WE COMBAT SKILLS SHORTAGES?

Infrastructure Australia’s 2021 Infrastructure Market Capacity report found that by 2023, skills demand will be 48 per cent higher than supply, with the transport infrastructure sector set to be one of the hardest hit. The report’s findings align closely with the ARA’s own 2018 Rail Skills Capability Study.

These challenges have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and local and international border closures.

Beyond the immediate challenges posed by the pandemic, increasing investment in much-needed rail infrastructure is adding to the existing skills shortages as new rail infrastructure, rolling stock and operations expand.

Research into the rail supply chain released by the ARA in 2021 found that, based on an analysis of existing rail projects, future needs and funding availability, there is approximately $155 billion in new rail construction activity planned over the next 15 years, with 87 per cent of this procured by the public sector. With the majority of investments often across concurrent projects in the same or adjacent jurisdictions, competition for skills will continue to be significant. The current approach to government infrastructure investment is largely uncoordinated, either within or across governments. This lack of coordination impacts the market’s ability to respond and the availability of a sufficiently skilled workforce to meet demand. Skills gaps are also growing, largely because of increasing digitisation, with emerging technologies that require new skills in areas including rail signalling, autonomous and remotely operated rail vehicles and operating or driving rail vehicles.

This means the industry will need to attract a new and different workforce, competing with other industries seeking similar talent. Improved promotion of careers available in rail,

and of the industry itself, will be key to achieving this goal. This also provides the industry with an unprecedented opportunity to attract a workforce that better reflects the composition of Australian society.

NEW POSITIONS REQUIRE NEW COURSES

A major barrier to being able to attract engineers, project managers and other professionals from external industries or graduates direct from universities into rail, has been the lack of appropriate courses to support their transition into rail.

There have been many attempts to address the shortfall.

Historically, rail training has been delivered in large publicly owned enterprises such as Queensland Rail and Sydney Trains.

This enterprise-based training is not available to the wider community and therefore does not contribute to attracting and increasing the numbers of people seeking to join the rail industry. There are still very few pathways that are well defined, leading to a role in rail, for those not yet in the industry.

The current Industry Reference Committee structures in the rail area have built many courses and had them accredited, but very few are completed by people in the rail industry.

Often this is because there are no TAFE or other Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) who have the trainers who meet the criteria to deliver the courses. In the university sector, at the undergraduate level, there are no courses related directly to rail, with one exception; a Diploma in Rail Track Engineering delivered by the University of Tasmania.

To add to this, each jurisdiction and rail infrastructure manager also has differing requirements for training courses that lead to recognition of the competencies held by workers, contributing to significant barriers to rail employment mobility

This means that at a time when we have significant skills shortages, the industry is faced with large productivity losses by having workers duplicate training every time they operate in a different jurisdiction. GETTING PROACTIVE ON TRAINING PROGRAMS

The ARA is pleased to see a key outcome from the Jobs and Skills Summit was a commitment of an additional $1 billion in joint Federal-State funding for fee-free TAFE in 2023 and accelerated delivery of 465,000 fee-free TAFE places.

The TAFE sector has always supported rail in the training of tradespeople, but there has not been a nationally consistent approach for other roles. We hope with this recent announcement, the needs of large industry sectors such as rail can be considered, so we can develop and deliver sustainable national training programs that ensure the rail industry has access to skilled workers.

We were also pleased to see an additional commitment to improving access to jobs and pathways for women, First Nations people, regional Australians and culturally and linguistically diverse people, as well as increasing the permanent migration ceiling to 195,000 in 2022-23 to help ease widespread workforce shortages.

Increasing diversity in the rail sector will be crucial to growing our sector. Attracting and recruiting women is one part of the equation. Rail companies must also put in the work to retain them. Five years after graduating, men with a STEM qualification are almost twice as likely (1.8 times) to be working in a STEM job compared to their women peers.

The ARA will continue to advocate for practical ways the Federal and State Governments can support developing the skills of a diverse rail workforce of the future.

However, we cannot just rely on the government alone.

It is up to the ARA and wider industry to be proactive on those issues that we can solve ourselves. The rail industry sets itself hurdles due to the vagaries of federation.

National harmonisation must be the priority, as this is a fundamental issue impacting the skills of our workforce.

By Andrew Towers, Assistant Vice President, Asia-Pacific Risk Management Group, Allied World

Australia’s rail network is undergoing a significant expansion in both the freight and passenger space, which will continue - and even accelerate - in the years ahead. However, integrating new lines with existing infrastructure could create challenges in both the construction and operational phases.

From the rapid expansion of freight and passenger lines in the 19th century to the evolution of this century’s high-speed services, railways have long played a significant role in developing national economies.

The new infrastructure projects driving the expansion of Australia’s rail network are therefore expected to give a substantial boost to the country’s finances, as well as improve regional economic prospects.

For companies engaged in the construction, adaptation and operation of this growing network, this evolution will present some risk management challenges that hark back to the infancy of rail.

An October 2020 report, produced for the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), estimated that $155 billion of rail investment is planned over the next 15 years, with Australia keen to transform its fragmented national network.

The rail industry is believed to carry around 56 per cent of freight in the region, and around 75 per cent of the increased demand for freight services in the next decade is expected to be met by the rail network.

This is driving the development Karsten Buescher, of Australia’s $12 billion Inland Rail Vice President, project, which will connect large Lead Underwriter, tracts of Queensland, New South Australia Construction & Engineering Division Wales and Victoria.

In opening up Australia’s interior, Inland Rail will not only create new jobs during the construction period, but will also bring further business and employment opportunities

following completion to areas whose economic growth has been overlooked for many years.

In the passenger rail sector there is also a wealth of high profile projects underway, from Sydney Metro to the Cross River Rail project in Brisbane, Queensland, the Metro Tunnel and Suburban Rail Loop in Melbourne, and Western Australia’s METRONET project in Perth - all of which are supported by Allied World as a risk management partner, providing contract works and delay in start-up insurance.

ARA estimates that construction work on major rail projects across Australia over the next five years will more than double the annual activity seen at the peak of its mining boom, at a cost of over $14 billion.

However, as the sector expands, risk managers in the rail sector will need to be mindful of both new and emerging risks from upgraded technology and the evolution of existing challenges with rail rolling stock and infrastructure.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has the potential to exacerbate a range of inherent hazards, from more frequent flooding or erosion of the track-bed following catastrophic rainfall, to track-bed subsidence or collapse of embankments created by extended droughts, to the increased risk of cracked or buckled rails and signalling problems caused by rising summer temperatures.

As with many other industries, there is also a growing cyber threat as rail IT systems become increasingly automated and interlinked with global networks.

INTEGRATING OLD AND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE

There is the more prosaic problem of ageing rail infrastructure, which will need upgrading or replacing as it reaches the end of its useful life.

Integration of new infrastructure and systems with existing legacy assets, while maintaining standards of safety and efficiency, is also a key challenge faced by some of the new passenger lines under construction.

SIGNALLING

With older fixed block signalling systems being replaced with moving block systems, track beds and rolling stock need to be updated with sensors that enable the signalling systems to create ‘safe zones’ around the train - not only to improve safety, but to enable higher-capacity rail traffic on increasingly crowded urban networks.

Moving block signalling is being utilised on parts of Melbourne’s rail network, not only with installation on the new Metro Tunnel, but also as an upgrade to existing infrastructure on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines, which Rail Projects Victoria says will increase peak time capacity by 45 per cent and help deliver a ‘turn-up-and-go’ network, similar to those in London, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The project also requires updates to existing conventional signalling infrastructure so that freight and regional passenger services can operate on the same system.

DERAILMENT

In addition to collisions between trains, derailments continue to be a major safety issue faced by rail operators. There have been concerted efforts to reduce the numbers of level crossings in Australia in recent years, but while the risk of derailment from landslips or accidents is difficult to eliminate, the risk from more common causes of derailments such as damaged rails or trackbed and defective wheels on rolling stock can be more readily mitigated.

Some of these issues can be addressed by technology – such as trackside monitoring systems that use lasers and cameras to monitor wear and defects in wheels, braking systems and other parts of its wagons to reduce the chance of derailments.

Other causes of derailment can be reduced by stepping up inspections and maintenance regimes - whether deploying inspection vehicles with ultrasound/laser detectors for monitoring damaged rails, or physical inspections to ensure trackbeds aren’t at risk of flooding or erosion from malfunctioning culverts.

REDUCING GROWING RISKS

As the Australian rail sector continues to evolve, insurers can actively assist the sector not only with risk transfer mechanisms, but also with the management of rail infrastructure and rolling stock risks.

The insurance industry can deploy its knowledge and experience of managing rail sector risks in advising clients on resilient design and construction methods, management of specific perils during construction and operation, the challenges of integrating new and legacy tracks and signalling, and the implementation of rigorous monitoring and maintenance programmes.

Allied World’s risk management and underwriting teams are able to draw on a wealth of first-hand experience from being a risk management partner for rail projects across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia/New Zealand.

The newly electrified Gawler rail line in South Australia reopened to passengers in June 2022, providing a much-improved piece of transport infrastructure for the people of Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

The completion of the project now delivers an electrified network through Adelaide, from Gawler in the north to Seaford in the south.

The electrified line, together with the progressive introduction of 12 new electric trains, is set to provide a cleaner, greener, quieter and faster service for the thousands of passengers who use the line every day. The line will be fully serviced by electric trains from mid-2023.

With the line now in operation, South Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Tom Koutsantonis, was very pleased to see commuters embracing the modernised service.

“It has been very exciting to see passenger trains running once again and so many people enjoying the more efficient service, with more than 10,500 passengers on average using the line each weekday since it reopened on 12 June this year,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“The reopening of the Gawler rail line has been a gamechanger for the people of the northern suburbs who are now enjoying a smoother, quieter journey. We recently reached a fantastic milestone with our millionth passenger travelling on board the line.

“We expect that even more people will leave their cars at home and embrace public transport to and from the northern suburbs with such a convenient and comfortable option available.

“A number of stations along the Gawler rail line have also been refreshed to provide a better experience for commuters using the train services.

“I’d encourage anyone planning to travel between the CBD and the northern suburbs to jump on a train, sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.”

WHAT UPGRADES WERE MADE?

14 stations along the line have been upgraded and refreshed, with improvements ranging from new and refurbished shelters, new seating and bins to LED lighting upgrades, painting and landscaping.

To improve safety for pedestrians, 13 existing pedestrian crossings along the line are being upgraded to active crossings. Active crossings use gates that close automatically when a train is approaching and reopen once the train has passed, and it is safe to cross. Five are complete, with the remaining eight to be operational by early 2023.

The rail corridor has also had improved fencing installed to increase safety.

Passengers at Gawler Central Station are now able to cross the line via the new King Street pedestrian bridge, fabricated entirely in South Australia with a local workforce and using locally sourced materials.

The new structure replaced the old King Street Bridge, which was too low to accommodate the infrastructure required for the electrification of the Gawler rail line.

A stunning new mural has been completed alongside the bridge as part of the volunteer-managed Rail Care program. The artwork, created by street artist Adam Poole-Mottishaw, depicts the Gawler township and local area, past and present.

COMPLEX WORK REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION

Electrifying the line was a complex project, requiring highly specialised workers from interstate. Detailed planning, together with skilled resources, were required to ensure the project was delivered safely and in accordance with the Rail Safety Act 2012.

The project included constructing a 58km combined services trench for the installation of new fibre optic communications cabling, installing more than 350km of conduit and 456km of signalling cable, and the installation of the 25kV overhead wiring system, concrete foundations and masts which support the overhead wiring network.

Management of vegetation clearance to electrical wires is an integral part of the safe operation of an electrified rail network. The project team worked closely with the relevant authorities, local councils and interested parties to minimise and manage impacts to vegetation, trees and wildlife habitats.

The South Australian and Australian governments committed $842 million towards the Gawler Rail Electrification Project, which supported, on average, approximately 675 full-time equivalent jobs per year over the life of the project.

The opening of the Gawler Line was highly anticipated, with the community and businesses along the line embracing its reopening and were thrilled to have an efficient, easy and modern public transport available at their doorstep.

Apply to diaphragm walls and piles with a diameter of 450mm to 3,000mm.

Can result in financial and program savings.

Can reduce potential health and safety isssues.

For a simple, safe and controlled demolition of rock and concrete.

It is now recognized that permanent exposure to noise and vibration management can be harmful. The most effective way of decreasing rail noise and vibration emissions is using the new high absorbing mini sound walls rated A3 or 11dBA whilst optimising the extent of recycled materials currently 70 per cent.

The community expects good innovative design in and around new and existing railways, with significant reduction in noise where products should easily retrofit into the existing railway.

Particularly in a dense urban environment, managing the noise and vibration from railways above and below ground is becoming an increasing issue on major rail corridors in Australia. The community doesn’t want large, unsightly concrete walls with high embedded energy to manage noise.

With clever innovation, recycled products erected close to the noise source can reduce noise by up to 11dBA, whilst providing passengers and the community with an unobstructed view.

Railway vehicles generate rolling noises, airborne flange noise and vibrations during operation. This is due to roughness and imbalances of the wheels and corrugations on the rail running surfaces. Surface defects such as head checks, corrugations and slip waves on the rails are among the most common sources of vibration interference and will combine with high airborne noise generated by the wheel rail interface.

THE NEW 20TH ANNIVERSARY UPDATED NOISE TOOL BOX

STRAILastic’s “noise attenuation toolbox” for reducing sound and vibration for railways is significantly improved with all products offered with the new version 2.0 surface rated A3 or 8 to 11 DBA rating. This updated range provides cost-effective, recycled and proven options to allow acoustic engineers and asset managers to better manage noise reduction for both new and existing transport systems.

Constructed from several layers and materials, it combines all the advantages of the durable and stable rubber compound, now complemented by a very high absorbent surface. As previously these products require minimal planning approvals, have high impact resistance, UV, graffiti and fire resistance, with minimal material fatigue caused by vibrations or pressure and suction forces from trains. Due to good design, they blend into the surroundings with no acoustic bridges, allow simple type approvals and are easy to install. STRAILastic supplies mini piles/ground screws and sleeper extensions, or they can be bolted to existing walls and concrete foundations. Mini sound walls have a very low visual impact which can be further enhanced by attaching screen printed local scenes on the obverse side. Further, with no planning approval required, delays and costs are reduced, versus the major planning challenge with large concrete panel walls.

NEW TP 2.0 ACOUSTIC PANELS FOR TUNNELS AND WALLS

Airborne rail noise can travel into the passenger train compartment inside the rolling stock, where strict limits are imposed on rolling stock manufacturers to manage this noise. Strailastic TP acoustic panels are moulded to the curve of the tunnel and designed to withstand the extreme push/pull forces generated by pressure, and suction forces generated by trains travelling very close to the panels through tunnels. The TP panel can be combined with an in-track absorption panel or Inox 2.0 rail web dampers to further reduce noise and vibration whilst providing a safe evacuation route. The Purasys vibration mitigation systems complement the airborne noise tool box to economically isolate and manage vibration impact by combinations of sub-ballast mats and special elastic support, as well as bearings for massspring-systems in the railway superstructure.

As always STRAILastic will work with projects to modify its products to suit an individual project.

We can close our eyes – but not our ears.

By Damien White, Chief Executive Officer, Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB)

The Australian rail industry is currently facing enormous challenges and opportunities. An unprecedented rail infrastructure pipeline totalling more than $150 billion brings with it challenges relating to capacity and associated skills shortages, and the opportunity to build new infrastructure with a focus on interoperability, decarbonisation and standardisation.

It is just over 150 years since the origin of Australia’s infamous “three gauges” issue which, by the time of World War II, resulted in no less than 13 break-of-gauge locations being identified in five Australian states.

This lack of uniformity saddled the Australian rail industry and economy with decades of impact on productivity. Likewise, whilst Australia’s state-based rail systems have enjoyed some level of integration for almost two decades, the legacy (and antiquated) safeworking systems and rules continue to be commonplace; manifesting themselves in enormous additional costs and risks which could be remedied if there was a greater integration of systems.

The current rail infrastructure pipeline provides the ideal opportunity to address these hurdles to productivity, climate change and safety - and there's now a demonstrated will by industry and governments to take a more integrated and focused approach to interoperability and standardisation.

Unlike the challenging and ongoing work of trying to harmonise engineering standards and safeworking rules, building new infrastructure and having a focus on the interoperability of legacy operations should be a far easier task, if interoperability is a focus.

Even a very conservative estimate of the savings, just in construction, that a more harmonised approach can have are significant. But of more significance will be the decades of managing the cost and safety imposts of further disintegrated railway operations if an interoperability emphasis is not a key focus of these projects.

But, like of lot of things in life, there’s no “silver bullet”, however, a few simple but direct approaches could go a long way: 1. Continuing and reinforcing governments’ commitment to interoperability, which was first initiated back in the late 1990’s through the National Rail Summit, and has been realised through the establishment of the

Defined Interstate Network (DIRN), the Australian

Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), the National Transport

Commission (NTC), and the Office of the National Rail

Safety Regulator (ONRSR). Whilst these bodies have done much to inform and implement governments’ rail reform agenda, they weren't established to ensure that interoperability objectives are included in new infrastructure projects. 2. The rail industry, specifically rail industry sectors, need to more clearly define their long-term vision and shorterterm objectives, particularly relating to interoperability and harmonisation requirements. Whilst there is a general government direction and emphasis regarding

interoperability, more specific industry objectives (of a strategic nature) would better inform both government and industry in developing approaches to address such issues. 3. Continuing the good work of the NTC in establishing the National Rail Action Plan (NRAP). This approach has proven that a coordinated effort can bear fruit. An

NRAP2 is required (and probably a three, four & five!). 4. One key opportunity for a real step-change in operational safety, productivity and service reliability is the introduction of computer-based railway safeworking systems. These systems are well established overseas and are in the process of being developed and implemented into Australia’s rail operating environments.

Without a well-coordinated approach to the design and development of these systems there is the very real potential to replicate the mistakes of our forefathers of 150 years ago by creating an electronic break-of-gauge.

We don’t necessarily need only one system, but we do need an integration focus during the development of these systems. 5. Further to Point One, considering that many of the projects in the pipeline are funded by governments, there is the opportunity to require project proponents to have a bias towards governments’ interoperability objectives

The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board has supported the rail industry reform process over the past 19 years through the development of harmonised Standards, Codes of Practice, Guidelines, Rules and other products.

This work has generated significant safety and productivity improvements for industry and, in addition to continuing with this work, RISSB is now embracing the opportunity to raise the profile of industry’s interoperability work, especially in the context of the current pipeline of infrastructure projects.

Interoperability objectives need to continue to be visible and elevated to ensure that any new rail operations can be strategically planned and implemented to prevent repeating our industry’s historical legacy issues.

Such an approach gives our industry and Australia the best chance of maximising the safety, economic and decarbonisation opportunities from this rail infrastructure investment.

By Raymond O’Flaherty, CEO, Metro Trains Melbourne

The last two years have been unprecedented. Train patronage fell to as low as 10 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, as Melburnians followed public health orders and stayed at home. But now, Melbourne is a city once again on the move.

Similar record patronage declines were seen in London and New York. Patronage on The Tube dropped by 95 per cent during the worst of London’s lockdowns in 2020.

In New York, a similar fate – subway ridership fell a staggering 96 per cent in 2020 – the lowest number in a century.

But now there is a feeling of a return to normality. Melbourne is coming back to life, and we see emerging trends in our passenger numbers – particularly on weekends, where our patronage levels are almost on par with pre-COVID levels.

We still have a way to go on weekdays (we are sitting at around 60 per cent of pre-COVID patronage) as hybrid working is now a feature of our lives. But it is very welcoming to see more of our passengers getting back on our trains and reconnecting with their city.

During the recent AFL Grand Final, Metro carried around 40,000 footy fans to the MCG. This coincided with the mask wearing requirement on public transport ending after two-anda-half years.

Despite lower patronage levels during COVID-19, our network ran ‘full steam ahead’ as we continued to deliver the normal timetable for essential workers.

While it was quieter on the network, we continued to move at pace supporting the major rail infrastructure program that is well underway here in Melbourne. It has been anything but quiet.

At Metro, we have continued to focus heavily on safety, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and wellbeing. Certainly, the safety and wellbeing of our people and passengers will always be the foundation of our organisation.

COVID has taught us all some very valuable lessons and reinforced to us just how profoundly important these things are. It has taught us how to be more caring, flexible and inclusive.

We have been transforming at a rapid pace, from the inside out – striving for the very best outcomes for our people and our industry.

We continue to deliver city-shaping projects, such as the Level Crossing Removal program of works with our project alliance partners.

Since February 2020 when people started working from home, we have removed 36 level crossings and re-built 18 stations.

The total tally now stands at 67 level crossings removed and 38 stations rebuilt since 2015 as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project.

Truly mind-boggling when you consider that all of this has taken place in just seven years, almost three of which were during a global pandemic.

We are now gearing up for the opening of the dual ninekilometre tunnels and five new underground stations as part of the Metro Tunnel project in 2025.

Our latest new fleet of High-Capacity Metro Trains have begun entering service and will eventually run through the Metro Tunnel from Pakenham/Cranbourne all the way to Sunbury, allowing more trains, more often.

More level crossings will be removed, and works will ramp up on the new Melbourne Airport Rail – projects that will keep our city busy for years to come and cement public transport as the lifeblood of moving people around our city.

As we all strive for a more sustainable future, it is encouraging that Victorians continue to be committed to this journey to upgrade and expand the rail network.

Trespassing continues to challenge us – last year there were more than 3,000 incidents of trespassing recorded on Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network.

These incidents regularly cause delays to our train services and can also be traumatic for Metro’s drivers, station staff and passengers.

This continues to push us to innovate to protect our people and our network.

In August, Metro’s Train Services team was recognised at the Australasian Rail Industry awards for our Train Driver Trauma Recovery Guidebook.

The Guidebook was developed to support rail industry workers involved at the scene of an incident on the rail network and provides drivers with important information about what to expect and the support services available.

The Guidebook has been issued to every qualified and trainee driver on the Metro network and has been shared widely across the industry to support the wellbeing of rail workers – because no one should feel alone or unsupported.

CHANGE FROM THE GROUND UP

This year, we also welcomed our 500th female driver to Metro – the highest number of female drivers on any rail network in Australia.

In 2009, there were just 26 women driving trains on our network. Now, women represent 37 per cent of all Metro drivers, and we are excited to see this number growing.

In a traditionally male-dominated industry, we should all be working hard every day to break down barriers for women and create a flexible working environment where everyone feels welcomed and supported.

And we are working at this from the very roots of our organisation.

Now in its ninth year, 87 per cent of graduates who have completed our Engineering Graduate Program are still employed by Metro.

We are incredibly proud of our graduate program and its success over the years in attracting and retaining talent in the industry, and of our graduates, who will shape the future of Australia’s rail networks.

The rail industry is vast and interesting and there are opportunities for anyone who wants to join, and it is so important that we foster a culture of diversity and inclusion.

As we leap into 2023, three years since the start of the pandemic, it is clearer than it has ever been: that not only have our work habits changed, but so too have our attitudes to work and the need to strive to do better for our people.

That’s my focus. Let’s be the change we want to see in this industry.

Metro's Train Services team picked up the 'Wellbeing in Rail' award at the Australasian Rail Industry Awards 2022 for the Train Driver Trauma Recovery Guidebook

Train driver mother-daughter duo Carole and Jess. Jess is the 510th female driver to be recruited to the Metro Trains network

By Stephanie Nestor, Assistant Editor, Infrastructure Magazine

Construction of the New Dubbo Bridge is on track to begin in 2023, thanks to Transport for NSW’s planning and consultation with community groups.

Early works are underway on the New Dubbo Bridge project, which is set to reduce congestion and provide a second river crossing in the region during flood events. Through consultation and engagement, Transport for NSW is working with the community to help deliver the project.

The project has been in development for several years, with the planned works to involve not only constructing the new bridge across Macquarie River, but also to upgrade intersections along the Newell Highway and other surrounding streets.

The project is currently in early works, with the main construction contract still to be awarded later in 2022. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and Transport for NSW aims to keep the community informed every step of the way.

IMPROVING RESILIENCE AND FREIGHT PRODUCTIVITY

The New Dubbo Bridge project is the fifth infrastructure project under the Building a Better Dubbo initiative. The project itself is jointly funded by the Federal and New South Wales Governments on an 80:20 basis.

The new bridge will be 660m long and will connect the western side of the Macquarie River to River street.

In 2017, after investigating several options and consulting with the community, River Street was determined to be the preferred route for the new bridge, as it would improve freight efficiency along the Newell Highway and provide an additional route during flooding. Media Manager for Transport for NSW, Penny Robbins, said the Building a Better Dubbo program aims to improve resilience and freight productivity for the region by providing safe and more reliable roads and bridges. “The New Dubbo Bridge will provide a second high level river crossing in Dubbo during flood events and will maintain reliability for local, commuter and heavy freight traffic through Dubbo during these events,” Ms Robbins said.

The route along River Street was selected to improve freight efficiency on the Newell Highway, reduce traffic congestion and provide an additional route during flood events. It will assist in easing congestion in Dubbo when needed most.

RESOLVING ISSUES PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION

Phase One of the project began in August 2022, with early works on the new intersection at Brisbane Street and Darling Street.

Other works which form part of the project include new and upgraded intersections at Thompson Street, Whylandra Street, and the Newell Highway, realigning the Newell Highway with the new separated lanes north of Whylandra Street, and upgrading the intersection at Bourke Street and River Street.

The realignment and construction of the intersection for Brisbane Street and River Street is underway and will be open to traffic by early 2023, weather permitting. Abergeldie was awarded the contract for the works, which will assist with construction later on by allowing Brent Knight (Abergeldie Complex easier access to the bridge. Industries), Dane Hendry (Transport

Additionally, test piling works are for NSW), Paul Polansky (Transport expected to begin in the coming weeks, for NSW) and Aron Frost (Caporn and will form part of the final bridge Piling NSW Pty Ltd), turning the first sod on the early works phase of the structure. Caporn Piling will undertake New Dubbo Bridge project these works in the floodplain between Brisbane Street and Macquarie River by driving three test piles into the ground using hydraulic hammers. These works will be key to the delivery of the project to identify and fix any issues with construction and structural integrity of the bridge earlier rather than later.

Upgrades for the Thompson Street and Mitchell Highway intersection are also expected to commence by the end of 2022.

Construction of the bridge itself will begin in 2023, with the main contract to be awarded by the end of 2022. BUILDING A BRIDGE TO HELP THE REGION

Throughout construction and after completion, the project is expected to boost the local economy and ease congestion in the region, by offering hundreds of jobs and providing a necessary alternative route when flooding blocks key roads and freight routes.

“The project will deliver a boost for regional New South Wales and grow the Dubbo economy, supporting an estimated 290 direct and 1,200 indirect jobs during the construction phase,” Ms Robbins said.

“There is a strong focus on engaging and supporting women, Indigenous people, trainees and young workers as part of the New Dubbo Bridge project,” Ms Robbins said.

Since its planning, the project has been focused around reducing traffic congestion, improving freight efficiency and preparing the region for when extreme weather events occur. The new bridge and realigned roads will form a key route for both the local area and New South Wales.

“Once completed, the New Dubbo Bridge will reduce traffic congestion and enhance access across the Macquarie River during flood events,” Ms Robbins said.

“It will transform the way motorists travel around and through Dubbo, keeping commuters and freight moving efficiently on the Newell Highway.” WORKING WITH COMMUNITY SINCE THE BEGINNING

to ensure the bridge will not only serve road users but will also minimise damage to the surrounding areas and heritage of Dubbo. Since planning and development began in 2015, the community has been consulted to determine the best course of action for the project and the region. Through consultation and investigation, it was determined that the nearby Emile Serisier Bridge caused long delays and heavy congestion when it flooded during extreme rainfall. The New Dubbo Bridge aims to alleviate the high traffic volumes experienced when the Emile Serisier Bridge is closed. The community got to be involved with commenting on the strategic concept design for the proposal and offering feedback in drop-in sessions. “Transport for NSW has been in regular contact with local residents, landowners, the Indigenous community, Dubbo Regional Council and the business community since the start of planning for the project,” Ms Robbins said.

“Initially the project team met with residents, landowners and businesses to keep them informed about how the project was developing, including discussing impacts and answering specific questions raised by stakeholders.

“The project was then handed over to the delivery team who continued work on the project including developing the detailed design and associated works such as further geotechnical and survey investigations, as well as detailed planning and finalising design.

“In May 2022, Transport for NSW hosted an Industry Forum in Dubbo for local contractors and suppliers to come and meet prospective tenderers and find out what skills and experience were required for work on the New Dubbo Bridge project.” Additionally, it was key that planning took into account both Indigenous and non-Indigenous heritage when developing and constructing the project. Local Indigenous groups, including the Dubbo Local Aboriginal Land Council and Tubba-Gah Aboriginal Corporation, worked with Transport for NSW to salvage stone artefacts from the site and repatriate the Terramungamine Grinding Grooves along the Macquarie River. Transport for NSW also investigated whether the project would impact the Mount Olive Cottage located nearby and determined care will need to be taken to prevent damage to the driveway and surrounding plantings.

Ecological assessments and investigations were also undertaken, with the project unlikely to impact threatened species or ecosystems, but risk management measures will still need to be taken before construction.

As works continue into the future to deliver the project, keeping the community informed throughout the process will ensure the new bridge can adequately provide that alternative route during flood events the region desperately needs.

Bridge deck waterproofing systems are an essential tool to protect bridges from the deterioration that can occur through exposure to Australia’s unique weather and climate conditions. Without such protection, concrete and steel degradation can occur on both new bridges and restoration projects, creating risks to structural durability and road users’ safety.

Selecting a proven, standards-certified and locally compliant waterproof bridge deck membrane, such as the Matacryl WPM system, has a number of benefits that can help to shield and repair the structure, while also providing assurance that the product is safe, extensively tested and fit for purpose.

Tested and certified in accordance with internationally accepted standards, including some of the most stringent such as BBA HAPAS, ASTM and KIWA, the Matacryl WPM system has undergone local testing to ensure it can withstand the Australian climate, and is compliant with the Victorian Department of Transport (Section 691) and Transport for New South Wales B343.

Matacryl WPM bonds with the bridge’s substrate and asphalt overlay to enhance and extend its service life. It can be used on new bridge constructions, routine maintenance or bridge rehabilitation where uneven or irregular surface profiles exist.

INSTALLATION AND PERFORMANCE BENEFITS

The Matacryl WPM system is fast curing, making it ideal for construction projects on a tight schedule. The rapid set time reduces ‘possession’ and enables fast installation, lower labour costs and far quicker handover times to subsequent construction phases. Its elongation of >300 per cent in excess of other conventional resin systems makes it a market leader for this technology.

Made from 100 per cent solid, reactive resin content, the system can be installed in a wide range of ambient temperatures, from -20ºC to +35ºC, to extend the construction season in all Australian regions. It is also weather-resistant and ready for use 60 minutes after application including rainfall.

Once installed, the Matacryl WPM system provides a total envelope of protection against chlorides and other deleterious substances.

Its durability against rail ballast, backfill and construction equipment and traffic, has been proven on some of Australia’s most iconic bridges and biggest bridge projects including the West Gate Bridge, Princes Bridge, and on 47 bridges for the Pacific Complete W2B (Woolgoolga to Ballina) project in New South Wales.

THE PACIFIC COMPLETE W2B PROJECT

The Pacific complete W2B project was a major upgrade of New South Wales’ Pacific Highway, delivering a 155km stretch of a safer, four-lane divided road. As part of the upgrade, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) required an effective system to waterproof and provide effective corrosion inhibition to the decks of 47 bridges, measuring a total of 24,000m2. The system also needed to be TfNSW B343 compliant and BBA certified – a combination that very few products on the Australian market can offer. TfNSW selected the Matacryl WPM system, which was implemented on the bridge decks prior to the installation of asphalt wearing layers. Raw Worx carried out the installations in the northern section of the project for various head contractors, with the Matacryl WPM installation occurring on bridge decks between 2019 and 2020. The balance of the bridges was carried out by CPR Australia.

Across all of these bridges, Matacryl Primer H was applied to the substrate, followed by one layer of Matacryl Membrane, and a layer of Matacryl STC Tack Coat. Finally, as the asphalt wearing course being applied over the waterproofing system was less than 80mm, an additional layer of Matacryl Tack Coat No 1 was applied (as pictured), to ensure adequate bond of the Asphalt.

As the Matacryl WPM system is fast curing, it was ideal for the Pacific W2B Project due to the amount of construction traffic on the project. It was ready for use 60 minutes after application – rain, hail or shine. The rapid set time facilitated rapid handover times, which were crucial for the construction phases of the project.

By Frank Zeichner, Chief Executive Officer, IoT Alliance Australia

The application of IoT has already significantly affected people, society and workplaces, and we’re only in the early stages of adoption. By 2030, the value of the IoT is likely to hit the trillions. While IoT innovation can enable great economic, environmental and positive social change, there are also risks that it can reinforce biases, bad practices and even exclusion.

As technological disruption and innovation continue to change society and our environments in profound ways, how do we ensure those changes are for the better? And how do we collaborate to try to make sure that the value and benefits are distributed equitably?In other words, how do we do IoT for Good?

The scope of IoT for Good is enormous and could incorporate how IoT can affect: ♦ Environment Social Governance Goals (ESGs) ♦ The UN’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) ♦ IoT product stewardship ♦ Ethics in the use of IoT ♦ Diversity and equity, access to training, tools and solutions that are affordable and relevant to the vulnerable in our communities ♦ The ‘digital divide’ – IoT that is designed to be inclusive ♦ Trust in the use of IoT from security, privacy and safety perspectives

RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

In 2018, the World Economic Forum (WEF) concluded that most current IoT projects can contribute to achieving both the United Nations SDGs and ESGs. An analysis of more than 640 IoT deployments conducted in collaboration with IoT research firm, IoT Analytics, showed that 84 per cent of existing IoT deployments can address the SDGs.

The WEF has launched a program to help shape a sustainable, inclusive and trustworthy digital future and examines a number of these points. This program focuses on responsible digital transformation, fit-for-purpose informed governance, secure and resilient people, processes and practices, robust and interoperable digital ID for all and the benefits of data sharing while respecting privacy.

Defining what IoT for Good could look like in Australia and driving application of IoT in that direction is an opportunity to leverage its potential during a period of tremendous digital transformation. It’s also a chance for Australia to lead in areas such as water conservation, bushfire and flood management and virtual healthcare.

Importantly, defining IoT for Good will help ensure that we don’t just reinforce old practices, but use technology to improve social inclusion and create a better society for all.

As the peak body for IoT in Australia, Internet Alliance Australia (IoTAA) fosters socially responsible IoT innovation – IoT for Good. Its aim is to engage a broad range of business, government and community to ensure that we take a diverse and inclusive approach to what IoT for Good means in technology, industry and society. If you would like to submit a paper, get in touch with laura.hamilton@iot.org.au.

With over 30 years’ experience providing resilient industrial technology solutions, Madison Technologies is familiar with many of the challenges the industrial sector faces as it embraces digital transformation.

The buzz around data grows louder every day. By the time you finish reading this article, an estimated 16 billion connected IoT devices around the world will transmit over 300 trillion bytes of data.

All this data has the power to create value through greater understanding - providing analytics and insights that can deliver sustainable change and positive impact for all organisations.

However, before data can be used to better understand and manage resources, improve safety and increase efficiencies, it needs to be collected.

For industrial operating environments, collection of data starts at the sensing and edge layer, where the initial data acquisition takes place. As technology improvements are made, the data sources we can measure continue to grow. In 2022, it is possible to measure almost anything, and data sensors can be placed (almost) anywhere.

Once the data has been captured, it needs to be transferred through a connectivity layer to an on-premise or cloud platform. This could be through traditional wired communication networks or wireless communications. Where high availability and reliability in critical applications is required, network redundancy or mesh networks allow for the constant connectivity of static or mobile assets, so they stay connected to the network. Finally, private and mobile network communications enable connectivity in remote and difficult to reach areas.

For some processes, real-time decision-making is required, and the advancement of edge computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence means data can be captured, processed and turned into an action at or near the physical location where it’s created. Without the need to transfer the data to the on-premise or cloud platform, this real-time analysis of data decreases the time to insight from minutes to micro-seconds, powering quick decision-making for solutions like smart traffic control systems.

For processes that don’t require real-time decisionmaking, the transferred data is now ready to be presented to a platform or application to be analysed, visualised and contextualised. It’s at this layer that the value hidden in the collection of data can start to be unlocked. This might be to identify a process that needs attention or improvement, clarify factors that influence human behaviour, provide insight to anticipate a future condition, or identify key sources of a problem that needs to be addressed. The final step in this process is to mobilise and present the data to operational stakeholders across an organisation, so that informed decisionmaking can take place. Armed with this data, organisations can now identify trends and influence change. Across this entire process, consideration must be given to cybersecurity, and the need to keep the data secure. Preventing manipulation of the data so that it can be trusted enables more accurate data driven decision-making. Cybersecurity technologies built specifically for industrial environments, in alignment with IEC 62443 cybersecurity requirements, can proactively identify and mitigate cyberthreats in IT/OT environments and ensure business sustainability.

Consider how data is currently collected in your operations. Is it set up to be insightful, secure, and is the right data going to the right people?

By John Thompson, Journalist, Infrastructure Magazine

In recent years, critical infrastructure around the world has proven vulnerable to new and sophisticated cyber attacks. In her presentation at the 2022 Digital Utilities conference, Associate Professor in Cybersecurity and Networking at Flinders University, Elena Sitnikova, discussed the challenges facing critical infrastructure companies and how they can best prepare against new and emerging cyber threats.

Instances of known cyber crime have increased by 50 per cent since the COVID-19 pandemic and incurred a record $323 million in losses for Australian business during 20211 .

In her presentation, Dr Sitnikova highlighted three major attacks on critical infrastructure owners carried out between 2020 and 2021, including the ransomware attack that crippled Bluescope Steel’s global production systems in May 2020, the now-infamous Colonial Pipeline hack the following year, and a hackers attempt to poison Florida’s water supply by adjusting the systems sodium hydroxide levels in March of that same year.

Dr Sitnikova suggested that organisations’ growing transition to ‘greenfield’ or otherwise new and untested cyber-physical systems, motivated by the restrictions incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, had exposed operators to new and unknown risks.

Though advancements in Information Technology (IT) systems have allowed for new efficiencies and better productivity, Dr Sitnikova urged companies to exhibit caution and vigilance when introducing new systems, highlighting three of the most common dangers facing critical asset owners today, and how best to prevent them tomorrow.

PROTECTING AGAINST COMMON THREATS

Dr Sitnikova suggested that malware infiltration, phishing attacks, and vulnerabilities in external devices are among the most common and pervasive methods for carrying out cyber attacks on critical infrastructure today.

According to findings presented by Dr Sitnikova, these attacks are becoming increasingly common due to the rapid adoption of new technology, but there are some proactive solutions for mitigating these threats.

MALWARE INFILTRATION

Untargeted malware, as the name suggests, are viruses and threats not targeting specific industries, groups, or users, instead casting a broad net by prioritising the quantity of infections over the quality of those affected.

Though unsophisticated in nature, these attacks have become a growing threat as more and more employees are given remote access in support of them working from home, exposing their company to any malware unwittingly installed by family members or on personal devices.

Fortunately, Dr Sitnikova said, protecting these systems from untargeted attacks is made easier due to their standard software.

“IT systems are well positioned when it comes to preventing cyber attacks because they’re working with standard security protocols,” she said.

“However, it’s still very important to make sure you understand and protect your systems by installing malware detection software and educating personnel in cybersecurity basics.”

Of greater concern, Dr Sitnikova suggests, is outdated ‘legacy’ protocols such as Modbus and DMP3, and standards such as PROFIBUS, and PROFINET often used by automated industrial technology.

“On the operational side, legacy systems also use legacy protocols. We can see that many systems are still using Modbus, PROFIBUS, PROFINET,” she said.

“The equipment is so diverse. So when we talk about security, we need to have disparate systems to deal with the complexity of different vendors, systems and offerings.”

PHISHING AND RANSOMWARE

Phishing attacks attempt to mislead employees into unknowingly installing malware by impersonating legitimate correspondence (such as emails) with seemingly innocuous links or attachments.

Though best known for its use in spam emails from supposed Nigerian Princes offering untold fortunes, Dr Sitnikova suggests phishing attacks have since become increasingly sophisticated.

“They're made really cleverly. So people sometimes can’t differentiate between true email and not true email, so they click on attachments or links provided to them,” she said.

“And what we've seen that really scares people who are working in this area, like myself, is that special malware like Triton has been created to specifically target safety instruments, systems and safety instrumented system controllers.”

“This is very important because safety isn't machinery, it's people whose lives could be in danger.”

Phishing attacks, much like malware, often result from user error according to Dr Sitnikova who said employee education programs are the best way to prevent or mitigate against potential attacks.

“As you can infer from these threats it's not just technical issues, it's human errors. So what we suggest is introducing organisational policies and promoting security awareness,” she said.

“You have to explain how to use emails. You have to have a policy on how to use external devices. For the technical side, you have to set up users' client privileges, endpoint security and virus protections.”

“Other threats we've seen have occurred because of incorrectly configured software or hardware. But for the people who are using these systems, that might be employers, they can still intentionally or unintentionally compromise their systems. So to be safe you have to configure your software and hardware from unauthorised access, and keep these up to date.”

IIOT VULNERABILITIES

New networked technologies have pioneered efficiencies in the critical infrastructure space, especially those equipped with GPS tracking or communication features.

However, in the race to bring new and exciting products to market, Dr Sitnikova argues that manufacturers of said products have implemented poor or impracticable security features and in turn expose operators to higher risk.

“Organisations are increasingly using different technologies that feature real-time or passive tracking systems using GPS,” she said.

“These new technologies specifically use new communication protocols through a variety of connections like Wi-Fi or cellular data.

“But in order to be first to the market, they are often built with no security in mind, use poor code and often prevent users from installing basic updates or security patches.

“One of our main recommendations for cyber security is installing regular patches and updates, but doing so through these systems is made to be very hard for the user.”

In response, Dr Sitnikova’s research team have developed the Brown-Industrial IoT testbed, an innovative tool for insulating against poorly protected, yet necessary, third-party products.

Acting as a firewall, the approach was found to have a high probability of detecting and preventing cyber threats, including spoofing and DDOS attacks.

“Our testing showed that the proposed model scored well in accuracy, recall, precision, and failure rates,” Dr Sitnikova said.

‘DON’T THINK IT WON'T HAPPEN TO YOU’

Dr Sitnikova challenged those who assumed they were immune from cyber attacks or threats.

“If you're a business manager or a security personnel thinking everything is done in your computer and you are not a target, you are wrong, because you are,” she said.

“Attackers are using sophisticated methods and they're very much ahead of everybody else trying to find out the weakest link, where they can compromise.

Dr Sitnikova said companies should work with IT and Operation Technology (OT) specialists to inform best-practice solutions and ensure competent outcomes.

“We already have some vendors providing you with data logs and prevention, and actually are alarming you when something goes wrong.

“It's not just collecting the data, it's how you interpret it and implement controls. You have to not only think about the technical measurements and technological solutions for your systems, but to use a holistic approach.

“You must implement cybersecurity strategies, cybersecurity legislations and policies, tactics, risk management. This is all part of your security for critical infrastructure.”

When it comes to data security, sharing is not caring. Organisations are more connected digitally than ever, however, these digital connections also leave us exposed and vulnerable to cyber security attacks, particularly during international upheaval.

Cyber security involves protecting digital systems, data, networks, software and programs from malevolent and unwanted attacks that would cause harm.

A lot has changed over the past two years that can cause us to become more vulnerable to cyber attacks than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic means more of us are working remotely, sometimes using our own personal devices, leaving us more open to malicious cyber attacks.

The tensions overseas also mean the risk of cyber attacks has risen worldwide. Now is when you and your organisation or department should be taking extra precautions to limit the number and severity of these cyber attacks. But what can you do to help limit these cyber attacks?

UNITED SECURITY MINDSET

First, it's time to realise that cyber security isn't just the job of your IT team, it’s up to all of us to educate ourselves on cyber security.

It's usually the people most unfamiliar with cyber security that often make innocent yet fatal mistakes that can lead to an attack. When starting to increase cyber security, you should: ♦ Familiarise yourself with your company's cyber security plan ♦ Audit how you currently store data ♦ Run a security health check on your third-party vendors ♦ Educate and train your team on cybersecurity awareness

SECURE PLATFORMS

With cyber attacks on the rise, it’s becoming more important to use third-party software and platforms that not only talk about data and security, but also have procedures and processes in place to protect you. There are a few things to look out for from third-party vendors including: ♦ Australian hosted data ♦ Use of data disaster recovery plans ♦ Performance of regular security platform updates ♦ Understanding the use of your data ♦ Access and user permissions

AUSTRALIAN HELD DATA

Knowing what happens to your data has become critical. Global uncertainty and unrest between countries can increase cyber attack risk and threaten data sovereignty. The demand for data to stay on Australian shores and secured within Australian data centres is increasing daily. Data held in Australia is fully compliant with Australian anti-spam and privacy laws.

CYBER SECURITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT

Another way to stay on top of your cyber security is to run regular cyber security health assessments on your company, department, team and, of course, your third-party vendors. Download Swift Digital’s security and data checklist using the QR code to run security health checks on your organisation, third-party platforms, and vendors.

Swift Digital works with public and private sector companies, including government organisations, educational institutions and the utility and infrastructure sectors, to help improve its communications and stakeholder management. For more information, contact Swift Digital today at info@swiftdigital.com.au.

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By James Goodwin, Chief Executive, Australian Airports Association

There is no doubt that in the past two years, Australian airports have faced the greatest shock to the aviation industry in the modern era. Amid the upheaval, there has also been an opportunity to reflect, reset and reimagine the airports of the future.

The industry is realistic in its predictions — it is unlikely a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will happen before 2023-24.

A ‘two-speed’ aviation recovery is currently underway with domestic and international flights now decoupled. Domestic travel is back too, and in some cases exceeding, pre-pandemic averages, but international travel still lags at around 50 per cent of pre-COVID levels.

Substantial growth in international travel is expected in 2023 as more nations reopen their borders and international carriers return international capacity to Australian airports.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY

The economy-wide skills shortage is one of the many challenges the aviation industry continues to face. It has also become apparent that wider community and economic issues are having an impact, such as housing supply and affordability, alongside the pressure on wages from inflation.

The sector has been doing it tough but the skilled people who work in the sector have been doing it tougher. We now need to focus on encouraging new and returning workers back into the industry. Airports will be looking closely at the outcome of the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit and its plans to address skills and capability shortages in its Employment White Paper.

We have also highlighted to the government the importance of prioritising steps to secure and invest in airport infrastructure.

The Australian Airports Association (AAA) has identified the cost of keeping the national airport network open for business at approximately $4 million a day. This includes the fixed costs of providing domestic and international security screening and ensuring airfields are safe for planes to take off and land – all government-mandated requirements.

Many airports took advantage of fewer travellers and aircraft during the pandemic to carry out critical infrastructure upgrades, but other airports, particularly regional and remote airports worked hard to keep their infrastructure in a state of good repair, while still providing essential transport services to their communities. These airports not only carried passengers, but also cargo, essential workers, high value airfreight trade and keeping critical export industries operating.

LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF AIRPORTS

A supportive regulatory environment will create the conditions allowing airports to make long-term infrastructure investment decisions. This will not only support aviation and tourism but also the infrastructure and civil construction sectors, who also need certainty and a forward pipeline of projects.

Regional and remote airports are vital parts of Australia’s transport network. The recently ended Regional Airport Program and Remote Airstrip Upgrading Program provided extremely good value for money and helped address the backlogs of infrastructure upgrading and renewal to ensure safe flight operations in regional and remote Australia. The Federal Government should continue this support to maintain connectivity with large regional cities and capital cities.

Looking to the future, airports are now, more than ever, an extension of the economic regions they serve — effectively acting as the front door. In the next few years, travellers will see more food and beverage, retail and in-terminal experiences at our airports reflecting the character and culture of the region.

Integral to being a city or region’s gateway is the focus of airports to have the best customer experience, both in-terminal and on the broader airport precinct. While the pandemic accelerated existing trends of automation and contactless technologies, there is still a role for personal service that airports want to provide their customers. Finally, airports are also looking to the opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies. There is significant potential for airports to meet their own energy needs with solar power and battery storage, reducing aviation emissions through electrification of landside and airside infrastructure.

The integration of alternatively powered aircraft using electricity, hydrogen or sustainable aviation fuels presents challenges and opportunities for airports, as does ensuring the safe and effective entry into service of Advanced Air Mobility Systems.

While the aviation sector’s recovery is well under way, there’s still plenty of work to do and airports will be aiming high, finding new ways to connect with communities and share its vision of an exciting aviation future.

By Tom Ganley, Executive General Manager Corporate Affairs, Adelaide Airport

Adelaide Airport has delivered on a $200 million expansion of its domestic and international terminal. It is the airport’s biggest infrastructure project since the completion of its existing terminal building in 2005, and was delivered on time and on budget in the midst of the biggest upheaval in global aviation history.

International upgrades have included an addition of baggage belts for arrivals, relocated emigration and security screening and refurbished immigration processing, a larger duty-free precinct for arrivals and departures, and expanded and refurbished dining and retail options.

The expansion has also seen a complete refurbishment of retail areas, resulting in a more than 80 per cent increase in the overall size of the terminal’s retail and dining precinct across domestic and international areas.

Other improvements include a new common user premium international lounge and new VIP facilities for international arrivals and departures, which are anticipated to open once international passenger numbers recover post COVID-19.

Virgin Australia’s members lounge has been relocated and is significantly bigger than the previous facility. The new ‘lounge of the future’ was the first product to be launched for travellers since Virgin Australia entered new ownership. The lounge offers a new look and design, which the airline plans to introduce to its other lounges around the country.

Other components of the project included new secondary examination areas, general office space, plant and storage areas, communication and transformer rooms, a service yard, forecourt and a new taxi drop-off area to help reduce congestion at the main pick-up and drop-off zone.

Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Brenton Cox, said the airport’s new purpose and updated vision proudly connected

South Australia to the world, and created everyone’s favourite airport that was seamless, connected and easy.

“This ethos was a key driver of our terminal expansion project. The journey starts from a new dedicated taxi drop off area, through to 80 per cent more retail space for shopping and dining, a streamlined entry and greater space for international departures and emigration processing, a larger duty-free space, and a common-use international departures lounge and VIP facilities,” Mr Cox said.

“Working with our main project builder, BESIX Watpac, we have expanded the terminal’s footprint by 16,500m² with an additional terminal refurbishment footprint of 18,400m², while the total retail footprint has increased to 7,257m².

“Communicating with the vast number of stakeholders – from airlines and retailers through to security and regulators – was a significant challenge, particularly given many of these stakeholders were an integral part of planning stages, work zones and site management.

“All of the works were carried out with minimal disruption to passengers while managing these complex stakeholder relationships.

“It was also important that the terminal expansion was contemporary but sympathetic to the design of the existing T1 terminal.”

Mr Cox said the project had provided $200 million directly into the South Australian economy.

“We estimate 60 to 70 per cent of this is local content for South Australia – there’s very little overseas product,” Mr Cox said.

“The total number of jobs was more than 200 at the peak of construction. Ongoing employment from the expansion of retail and dining will be about 630 direct and indirect jobs.”

Mr Cox praised the multi-disciplinary project team behind the Adelaide Airport Terminal Expansion, including BESIX Watpac and Adelaide Airport personnel.

“Particularly in the building of such a complicated structure in and around an airport environment, while maintaining passenger flows, it has been an amazing team effort,” Mr Cox said.

Adelaide Airport’s retail strategy for the expanded terminal has been built around offering customers a bespoke, South Australian experience where the best of the state’s food and wine could be showcased via restaurants, cafes and shopping experiences. The first stage of the project, the northern retail concourse area, opened in February 2020, featuring Penfold’s Wine Bar and Kitchen, Precinct Adelaide Kitchen, Soul Origin, Boost Juice, Lego Kaboom and Airport Pharmacy, although all retail areas were forced to close just weeks later due to COVID-19. Other retail spaces opened as part of the terminal expansion have included the completely refurbished Coopers Alehouse; the 100 Miles restaurant offering food and drinks that have all been sourced within 100 miles of Adelaide Airport; and the Southern Providore showcasing South Australian wine and produce.

Another significant highlight of the project is the relocation of the Vickers Vimy aircraft to a new purpose-built, climatecontrolled space within the new terminal expansion footprint – putting the aircraft and its story front and centre to visitors.

The Vickers Vimy aircraft was flown by Adelaide brothers, Sir Keith and Ross Smith, in the famous London to Australia air race in 1919 – the first official flight from England to Australia.

“There are only two of these aircraft left in the world,” Mr Cox said.

“The Vickers Vimy is a treasured national asset and Adelaide Airport is proud to be its custodian. The aircraft was very carefully relocated to its new home earlier this year, and construction of the exhibition space is continuing with the exhibition due to open to the public later in the year.”

By Ports Australia

Ports Australia held its long overdue Biennial Conference in Brisbane from the 30th of August 2022 to the 1st of September 2022. One of the headline panels examined how risk, resilience, and recovery will play a key role for the port sector in responding to the market and environment we find ourselves in today.

The ports sector, the maritime industry, the global supply chain and the world as a whole have been severely impacted by the pandemic in the last few years. Established processes and systems have been challenged as cumulative effects have caused delays and rising costs around the world.

The public, governments, and people in industry have begun to demand answers when it comes to efficiency as delays impact the Australian economy. One thing is clear as we begin to approach the light at the end of the tunnel: the new normal will come with new challenges.

Inefficiency and rising costs have emerged as the key issues for the medium term and both industry and government must react accordingly.

TasPorts Chief Executive and Ports Australia Deputy Chair, Anthony Donald, moderated Port Australia’s risk, resilience and recovery panel. Mr Donald highlighted the remarkable fact that, despite the global disruptions associated with the pandemic and the government response, not a single Australian port shutdown because of it. This highlights the agility already present in our ports before the current push to make them more resilient.

But what does resilience mean today? The first guest on the panel, Shane Fitzsimmons, Resilience NSW Commissioner, suggested that perhaps the way we use the word now is different from its dictionary definition.

“Resilience means the ability to bounce back to normal after a big disruption. But what is normal and how do we avoid

going back to the same place that left us vulnerable in the first place? Resilience is how we learn, adapt and adjust through our lived experience,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

“Industries like ports can learn through their own lived experiences and importantly, that of others, to identify, understand and mitigate the risk of vulnerability, through considered planning, interventions and investments.”

It is clear as we continue the recovery process that we must treat threats to our ports sector as opportunities to strengthen it. Mr Fitzsimmons’ experience with the recent natural disasters in New South Wales can teach us all. We must adapt and continue to evolve, falling back to the ways of old will not always work.

The second panel guest, Phillip Emmanuel, TT Club Asia Pacific Regional Director (international transport and logistics insurer), highlighted that ports don’t operate in a vacuum. We are part of a wider supply chain, and when the wider supply chain experiences issues, so do ports.

“Where the problems came in was on the logistical side with struggles around infrastructure. The problems came in with the infrastructure around the ports on the logistics side via rail, trucking. There was also a lack of containers, labour, and lack of infrastructure durability,” Mr Emmanuel said.

One of the key takeaways, as we look back on the effects of the pandemic and other supply chain challenges, has been that every point along the supply chain must be resilient. Changes in international supply chains ripple down to domestic supply chains and ultimately impact everyday Australians.

Ports are big, visible pieces of infrastructure that often bear the blame from the public for international issues, but they have not shied away from this. Already, we see around the nation our ports taking the initiative to address wider supply chain issues, whether it be empty container shortages, or trying to reduce truck turnaround times. Australia’s ports can be proud of the work they do as a part of the international supply chain community.

The final guest on the panel, Jenny Lambert, Director Economics and Employment and Skills at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, spoke about skills and how the maritime sector can find skills from new places.

“Look at the growth industries such as the tech sector and think of the corporations that were nothing several years ago but who are now global leaders in their spaces. Seeing areas where they have taken advantage of the crossover between entrepreneurship and technical skills, and how that can be applied to other businesses,” Ms Lambert said.

“Those types of sectors have taken advantage of their skills base and looked for opportunities to use existing skills in new ways. That is the competitive ground that, globally, these organisations are on.”

The maritime sector in Australia relies heavily on skilled workers of all levels. Global competition for skilled maritime workers remains tight.

We are encouraged by the direction the Federal Government seems to be going in terms of promoting domestic skills development, whilst also encouraging the immigration of skilled maritime workers to provide the workers the industry needs. But it is also important for industry itself to play a role in developing the talent it will need in the future.

Managers must also look internally to promote learning of new skills amongst its experienced workforce to retain employees by increasing their abilities and/or placing them in different roles to take advantage of their existing skills in new ways.

This is an exciting time for the Australian ports industry. The energy at the Ports Australia Biennial Conference shows that the sector has bounced back from COVID-19 and is going to be stronger than ever.

Ports Australia would like to thank the distinguished panel for their insights about risk, resilience, and recovery.

The people we have in our industry are engaged with challenges of the supply chain both domestically and internationally. We call for unity across the supply chain as we continue our journey and look forward to working with our counterparts to get the best outcomes for the Australian economy.

By Stephanie Nestor, Assistant Editor, Infrastructure Magazine

Asset management can be highly demanding and costly, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) drones are providing new insights into the maintenance life cycles of New South Wales’ most significant infrastructure.

With maintenance work on large infrastructure, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, requiring regular inspections that are costly and dangerous, Transport for NSW is looking to develop and adopt new technology to find a safer and more convenient approach to asset management.

Including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Transport for NSW maintains thousands of kilometres of roads and 6,000 bridges across New South Wales. Repairs and inspections can cause disruptions for the community, take weeks or months at a time, become expensive very quickly and even put maintenance personnel in danger.

Transport for NSW completed a three-week trial across July and August 2022 using AI drone technology to carry out inspections under the southern part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. These drones allowed the crew to access hard-to-reach areas, capture high-resolution images, and even create digital 3D models.

The trial not only demonstrated the suite of benefits drones can offer when it comes to maintaining large infrastructure like bridges, but also what the next steps will be for adopting the technology in the future.

A POWERFUL TOOL FOR SURVEYING

Surveying is notoriously difficult to undertake, especially on a structure such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge. AI or autonomous aerial vehicles like drones offer maintenance crews a preventative tool for tackling inspections and repairs.

For the past six years, Transport for NSW has been collaborating with companies developing AI and autonomous drones, including CSIRO, Emesent and Skydio.

These drones use AI to enable autonomous or assisted flight, meaning they don’t require someone to manually pilot them for the whole flight. Manual drones pose a higher risk of crashing and require more work from the pilot, which can impact the quality of data collected during an inspection. Autonomous drones are equipped with sensors which prevent them from hitting objects or structures as they collect information and capture images.

Using drones enabled the team on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to access hard-to-reach areas without endangering personnel and capture 4K high-resolution images. With over 4,100 elements and 495,000m2 of steel that needs to be inspected regularly, the technology has made what used to be a time-consuming and dangerous task, convenient and comprehensive.

The drones can also be used to render a 3D map of the bridge to get a better understanding of what needs to be maintained, providing detailed visualisation of every nook and cranny.

Director of Infrastructure Technology Services, Transport for NSW, Houman Hatamian, said the drone trial produced close-up and in-depth views of the bridge elements for the Sydney Harbour Bridge inspection team.

“One of the major advantages of using drones is that it simplifies the inspection process by reducing the need for special equipment and being able to access physically unreachable areas,” Mr Hatamian said.

“Drones are also more time and cost efficient compared to traditional maintenance techniques.”

NAVIGATING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

As a relatively new technology, there are unique challenges to utilising drones for surveying. The trial may have demonstrated a game-changing method for inspecting bridges, but the uptake of drones will require more than just good technology. Personnel must be trained up to be able to use autonomous drones.

Currently, over twenty drone pilots have been trained, but rolling out the technology across the whole state will require more people with the necessary skills.

For the Sydney Harbour Bridge trial, autonomous drones were used to ensure drones could be used safely, capture high quality data and wouldn’t require pilots to undergo extensive training. Nevertheless, the team had to be familiar with regulations and public safety obligations to operate the drones, which meant planning ahead.

“The team had to familiarise themselves with the current procedures and requirements of both the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Transport for NSW for flying drones for inspection purposes,” Mr Hatamian said.

“They also had to comply with local council requirements, manage pedestrian traffic, work with other stakeholders in the same area, and most importantly, the weather. Most of these challenges were overcome by engaging with the key stakeholders earlier in the process and finalising dates and times well in advance before submitting the job for approval.”

Additionally, Harbour Bridge’s location posed another challenge. Considering the drones could potentially be damaged from rain or water, the drones had to be waterproof and durable to carry out inspections under somewhat harsh conditions.

Ensuring they used the best drones for the location and job meant the team could capture data without worrying that the drones would hit structural elements or get damaged by the weather. With the data capture and scanning processes automated, the pilot only had to set up the scan, making the work a lot easier for everyone involved.

SEEING ASSET MANAGEMENT WITH NEW EYES

Apart from the Harbour Bridge trial, Transport for NSW carried out other drone demonstrations around the state, including at Gladesville Bridge over Parramatta River. But at the moment, it’s unclear whether the technology will be adopted for continued use as part of bridge maintenance.

Before it can be used extensively across the state, there needs to be more training for pilots, modelling technology that is specifically designed for monitoring and surveying large infrastructure, and planning for how often drone flights will occur to minimise disruptions to the wider community.

Nevertheless, AI and autonomous drones are quickly developing as a safer and more reliable tool for inspecting bridges. They have already been adapted to suit asset management for mining, offshore drilling, real estate and local government.

These drones can save maintenance crews time and money spent on constantly monitoring assets and putting themselves in danger while conducting inspections or repairs. Most of all, the key difference drones can offer is being able to visualise and understand how circumstances can evolve over time and impact existing structures.

Regularly scheduled drone flights and detailed 3D modelling can give maintenance teams a consistent and preventative way of protecting bridges from damage or degradation. Particularly when it comes to extreme weather events or natural disasters, having a less time-consuming and physically demanding monitoring process means crews are better prepared.

“Drones are a great tool for geotechnical inspections after natural disaster events, for example, with the Oxley Highway after heavy rainfall in 2021,” Mr Hatamian said.

“Transport for NSW is also trialling water-resistant drones for post-flood assessment of impacted assets.”

THE FUTURE OF DRONE MAINTENANCE

Incorporating drones and other technologies into monitoring and asset management is part of New South Wales’ Future Transport Technology Roadmap 2021-2024. As part of the strategy, drones and digital 3D modelling will be trialled and eventually used to assist in maintenance and repair programs.

Mr Hatamian said Transport for NSW is regularly increasing its range of drone applications to many areas in both metropolitan and regional New South Wales.

“While the Digital Engineering Services branch of Transport for NSW already has 15 pilots trained in bridge maintenance, it also has a fleet of specialised drones for flying in confined spaces and GPS-denied environments,” Mr Hatamian said.

“The Transport Management Centre also uses drones for incident response, congestion monitoring and intelligence gathering, and the Network and Asset teams have been using the technology for remote site inspections.

“Our Technical Services have also been able to collect spatial data in areas that are inaccessible and as a result have created 3D models to help with further analysis. Drones have also been used for photography and videography by its production team.”

As an emerging technology that has already proven to be beneficial by saving time, costs and risks, it’s clear that drones will eventually become a regular part of asset management for infrastructure like the Harbour Bridge, it’s just a matter of planning ahead.