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Lessons from a mega project:the importance of leadership, collaboration and culture
Allen Garner, CEO, Regional Rail Link Authority
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Regional Rail Link
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• Creates capacity for an extra 23 metro services and
10 regional services during each morning and evening
peak period
• More trains, less delays
• More efficient and predicable scheduling
• Less crowding on trains
• More accessibility to and from regional centres
• New communities get access to rail for the first time
Increasing reliability and capacity
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• $4 billion Photo
• 14.1 million man-hours
• 15,000 individuals worked on the project
• Peak daily workforce of 3,800• Lost-time Injury Frequency Rate: 0.6
• Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate: 10.4
• Average $100 million per month turnover
• peaking at $180 million per month
• 119 kilometres of track installed
• 40 bridges and grade separations constructed
• 5 new or rebuilt stations
• 50 occupations
• including 9 major occupations
• 1000’s of kilometres of wires
Project stats
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• Make up of the authority
• VPS and VicRoads staff seconded, new VPS staff
• Rail & construction specialists
• Metro Trains and V/Line project staff
• Design, commercial & probity consultants
• An overseeing RRLA board
• Informed authority experienced in project management
• Integrated and cross agency approach
• Focus on continuous improvement, collaboration and
innovation
Regional Rail Link Authority
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Matrix-style organisation structure
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• Focused on:
• Strategic management
• Relationships
• Stakeholders
• Government
• Agencies
• Councils
• Community
• Performance
• Legacy
Leadership team
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• Getting the right mix
• Co-location leading to
• cohesion
• cooperation
• collaboration
• Interaction with industry and government
• Timing
Planning and approvals
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• Strategic Procurement Plan
o established work packages and delivery models
• Strong focus on ensuring the right balance of ARO
involvement, industry capacity and open to as many
bidders as possible
• Design and scope
Project development
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Six work packages
Southern Cross $250m
City – Maribyrnong River $600m
Footscray – Deer Park $950m
Deer Park – West Werribee Junction $550m
West Werribee Junction $50m
Rail Systems $250m
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• Collaboration with contractors, AROs, VicRoads, councils,
government agencies, stakeholders and local community
• Managing interfaces
• Mitigating risk
Success through collaboration
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Participants
Objectives
• All interfaces coordinated and managed
• Encourage sharing between parties and lessons learnt
• Discuss innovation relevant to project delivery (eg. driver
simulator, sleeper procurement, safety initiatives)
• Ensuring sub-committees minimise impact of coordination
of activities
• Review project progress and issues
• Identify synergistic time and cost savings between work
packages
Joint Coordination Committee
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Joint Coordination Committee
Governance Structure
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• RRL Master Program
• Milestone Definition Process
• Delivery of staged benefits
Setting milestones
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Setting milestones
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• A project first that will change the way rail projects are
delivered in Victoria
• Successful planning, communications and delivery
• 7 major line occupations
• 72 weekend occupations
• 718 after last / before first service occupations
Major rail occupations
2020
RRLA has worked closely with:
• Victorian and Federal Government and Ministers
• DTPLI, DPC, DSE, DTF and Commonwealth
• Public Transport Victoria, Growth Areas Authority,
VicRoads
• Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line, VicTrack, ARTC
• City of Melbourne, Brimbank City Council, Wyndham City
Council, Maribyrnong City Council, Shire of Melton
• City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, City of Greater
Bendigo
Delivering Regional Rail Link
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• High focus on engagement by the project team
• Managed at multiple levels
• Executives in contractors and client teams involved
• Critical to project success
Stakeholder management
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• Effective communication and consultation arrangements
• Individuals and groups affected by the project had
opportunities to participate in its development
• Provided a local perspective
• Assisted in plans for managing construction impacts
Community Reference Group
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Multiple communication channels
• 1800 number (24/7)
• Website
• Newsletters
• Fact sheets
• Letter box drops
Communications
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• Defining scope
• Strong change management controls
• Proactive contract management
• Robust reporting & review monthly
cycle
• Good people
• Assurance processes
• Project controls & processes
• Enormous value in our stakeholder
relationships
• Communications
In conclusion
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Conclusion