Adaptation, change, and equality – women to the front of the built environment

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The theme this year is #BreaktheBias. 

With the currently still unfolding devastation of flooding playing out across our communities in NSW and QLD, women are playing a critical role in protecting their communities from the impacts of climate change at all levels as decision makers, educators and advocates. 

The built environment plays a critical role in shifting the dial on climate change and preventing the kinds of community damage we are seeing with these floods. 

“I would strongly encourage women to consider a career in the built and natural environment,” Consult Australia chief operating officer Nicola Grayson.

“Women are in a great place to step into a career in this industry, and what better industry to step into than this one that is doing so much to invest in climate and to help the economy recover from COVID-19. These skill sets are going to be shaping Australia for decades to come. Now is a wonderful time to step into the industry, and into leadership opportunities.”

In the built environment sectors architecture and construction are still overwhelmingly male-dominated, despite incentives like Property Champions of Change and the NSW government’s Investing in Women Funding Program. 

Ms Grayson says that mentorship and interventions like these are vital to progress gender equality in the natural and built environment sectors.

“Having someone in leadership sponsoring me made an enormous impact and really helped me in terms of progressing. When I look back, there’s two or three people that made a big impact on me and steered me through choppy waters. I’ve been lucky enough to have those role models, I know a lot of women aren’t.”

“There’s an enormous role that leaders can play in women’s leadership development. Championing women in the business, talking loudly about fantastic performance of women and breaking that ‘tapping on the shoulder’ network of recruitment and promotion.”

Construction continues on Townsville Ring Road upgrade

Four new bridges and overpasses on the Townsville Ring Road are under construction, as part of works on the $230 million Townsville Ring Road Stage 5 (TRR5) works.

Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Minister Barnaby Joyce said the works are already delivering benefits to the region, with a strong focus on using materials and suppliers from the Townsville area.

“The TRR5 project will provide long-term improvements to traffic flow and road safety on the Bruce Highway in Townsville,” Joyce said.

“This upgrade is about ensuring the Bruce Highway can meet the strategic transport needs of the Townsville region well into the future.

“More than 17,000 vehicles use this section each day, 12 per cent of which are freight vehicles.

“When the upgrade is completed, these passenger and freight vehicles will benefit from improved efficiency and safety, reduced travel times and better access to the region.”

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said more than 200,000 tonnes of material had already been delivered to form the new Bruce Highway carriageway and bridge approaches.

“The project will duplicate the Ring Road between Vickers Bridge and Shaw Road to four lanes and install new bridges and overpasses at the Bohle and Little Bohle Rivers, and at Beck Drive and Hervey Range Developmental Road,” Bailey said.

“The end result will be improved safety and efficiency for road users, and better access between the Upper Ross and the Ring Road, especially for locals heading to and from key employment areas such as the hospital and university.”

Bridge piling has been completed on two of the four major structures. Works will continue as crews return from the Christmas break.

Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said the project was extremely important for the Townsville region.

“There’s nothing more important when it comes to our roads than safety, and the Bruce Highway is the busiest and most critical road in Queensland,” Thompson said.

“That is why the Australian Government is investing 80 per cent of the cost of this project – that’s $184 million – as part of our $10 billion 15-year Bruce Highway Upgrade Program to improve road safety, capacity and flood resilience between Brisbane and Cairns.”

Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper said local contractors and suppliers would reap the benefits of the project.

“We have 39 local businesses currently engaged and completing works on the Ring Road upgrade, with more than 80 per cent of spend to date going to local suppliers and contractors,” Harper said.

“That’s more than $40 million that has been injected into Townsville and the surrounding region, benefiting local companies employing local workers.

“We’ll see these economic benefits continue to flow through the community as works continue throughout 2022 and into 2023.

The project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments, and due for completion in 2023.

Cockburn finally free of roadworks as new freeway bridge opens to traffic

The North Lake Road bridge was opened to traffic on Wednesday, marking the end of more than half a decade of major roadworks in the congested Cockburn area.

Since 2014, city commuters heading through Cockburn and surrounding suburbs have been slowed by two freeway widening projects, the upgrade of the Roe Highway interchange and works on Armadale Road.

The freeway 80 zones continued in 2019 when work began on the North Lake Road bridge.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the $259 million bridge and associated works east of the freeway were the “last piece of the jigsaw puzzle” for the area.

“The majority of the roadworks have been done I think there’s been four major road projects delivered in the southern corridor,” she said.

“The City of Cockburn is set to boom over the next decade, so it’s important we are building the infrastructure we need for tomorrow.

“This project combined with the Kwinana Freeway upgrades, the recently opened Karel Avenue, the Armadale Road upgrades and the future Metronet Thornlie-Cockburn link, will make a big difference every day for commuters.”

The Kwinana Freeway-Armadale Road bridge is one of the most congested intersections in Perth with more than 55,000 vehicles using it daily.

The North Lake Road bridge was expected to ease pressure on that bridge by diverting east-west traffic out of the Cockburn Central area.

The final leg of Armadale Road has also been upgraded with a new bridge removing traffic from the Tapper Road intersection and a trench structure will remove traffic from the Solomon Road intersection.

The project will also erase any memories of half-hour waits to exit the Cockburn Central train station car park, with three more exits available in an upgraded 1100-bay car park.

The WA government funded $51.8 million for the project, while the federal government coughed up $207. 2 million.

The ribbon-cutting was welcome news to Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett, who together with the City of Armadale leveraged the Canning by-election and change of state government to push for both upper-tier governments to fund the project.

The joint Community Connect South campaign was launched in 2015 ahead of the Canning by-election to push for the Armadale Road widening and North Lake Road bridge, with both councils fearing the existing east-to-west road networks would not be able to handle booming population growth in the region.

“Together with the City of Armadale, Cockburn pushed very strongly, we lobbied the federal and state government, and we’re very pleased to say that finally, this project has now come to fruition,” he said.

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher said the project would relieve congestion in Perth’s southern suburbs.

“By alleviating congestion through important projects like this one, we’re helping people to get home to their families sooner and safer, we’re helping freight move more quickly between our cities, and we’re generating jobs across the country.”

Commuters are not entirely free of 80 zones on the freeway yet. Work on the Thornlie to Cockburn train link still requires a diversion of traffic.

The state is gearing up for the longest consecutive closure of the Mandurah line in its history to complete work on the Thornlie to Cockburn link.

Trains between Aubin Grove and Elizabeth Quay stations will be cancelled from Boxing Day until January 14.

Ms Saffioti said the state made the decision to have a short, but significant shutdown, rather than having lots of shutdowns over the next year.

Road and rail intermodal terminal to bring jobs to Darling Downs

The Queensland Government has announced a new road and rail intermodal terminal near Toowoomba, which is expected to create jobs in the Darling Downs.

The project, which is supported by the Queensland Government with $12.6 million in loan funding, will be built at InterLinkSQ in Charlton.

Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Steven Miles, said the project will support 36 construction jobs.

“This $16.1million terminal will provide better facilities for firms to transfer freight between trucks and trains using highly efficient multi-modal connectivity,” Mr Miles said.

“The first phase of developing the terminal will lead to lower transport costs and flow-on economic benefits to the transport and logistics sectors throughout the region and beyond.

“InterlinkSQ will engage global shipping firm Seaway Intermodal to lease and operate the Terminal.

“Local producers and exporters will be able to reduce transport-related costs, consolidate goods and then transport them in bulk by road or rail.”

The proponent, Interlink Global Logistics, will contribute the remaining $3.5 million for the $16.1 million project.

Mr Miles said the scope of works to be undertaken includes new rail infrastructure, 1.7ha of hardstand for loading and unloading operations and container storage, entrance roads connecting to council’s road network, earthworks, electrical infrastructure, and office blocks.

“Continued development of the 63ha terminal over the next 15 years will provide space for cold storage, warehousing, food and manufacturing facilities, container hardstand areas, including development of 39 hectares for multi-purpose industrial use,” Mr Miles said.

“When the project is completed, it is expected to support the development of a further 400ha of industrial zoned land beyond the InterlinkSQ development.

“This land is strategically and conveniently located between the InterLinkSQ Intermodal Terminal Project site and the Warrego Highway/Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and will become a key distribution hub.”

Interlink Global Logistics Chairman, John Dornbusch, said the loan co-investment from the State Government ensures that the strategically located InterLinkSQ intermodal terminal at Charlton will be constructed to benefit producers and logistics operators and create a legacy of jobs well into the future.

“The terminal will provide seamless connectivity to the Port of Brisbane via the existing Queensland Rail owned West Moreton Rail Line and will have in excess of 3km of frontage to the proposed Inland Rail alignment,” Mr Dornbusch said.

“Manager of the terminal, Seaway, is excited to offer new efficiencies in domestic and global logistics for our region and our state.”

The proponent expects to commence construction as early as the first quarter of 2022, with construction complete in the last quarter of 2022.

Read more about the Building Acceleration Fund (BAF) here.

QLD Gov delivers draft 20-year infrastructure strategy

The Queensland Government has today released a detailed program of its four-year $52.2 billion infrastructure spend, as well as a draft vision for the state’s infrastructure needs over the next two decades.

Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure Steven Miles today announced the two major initiatives at the IAQ Infrastructure Assembly in Brisbane.

Mr Miles is encouraging Queenslanders to have their say on the draft 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy (SIS), a key part of Queensland’s economic recovery.

“Queensland is in the box seat to seize the opportunities ahead of us over the next two decades,” Mr Miles said.

“We’ve just joined the list of Olympic and Paralympic cities, our pandemic response has been world-class, our population is booming, and Queensland has the potential to become a renewables and hydrogen superpower.

“All of these achievements are possible through the right infrastructure, a critical component of Queensland’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan and our future prosperity.

“We already have a huge head start, with a $52.2 billion infrastructure investment that will turbo-charge more growth and jobs for Queenslanders.

“The draft State Infrastructure Strategy sets out our approach to connecting our regions and creating liveable communities with essential services and infrastructure across Queensland like the schools, hospitals and roads that our growing state will need into the future.”

Along with the draft State Infrastructure Strategy, the Queensland Government Infrastructure Pipeline (QGIP) was also released today.

The Pipeline includes the four-year $52.2 billion capital program and potential future proposals currently under development by the Queensland Government.

“We have a pipeline of infrastructure projects that are creating jobs and boosting our economic recovery,” Mr Miles said.

“The Queensland Government Infrastructure Pipeline includes more than 1000 projects in delivery and planning, will provide industry with further confidence to invest in Queensland.

In 2021-22, the Queensland Government has allocated a record $14.7 billion to infrastructure programs, with more than 60 per cent being spent outside Greater Brisbane. This is expected to directly support around 46,500 jobs – nearly 30,000 of these in the regions.

Stakeholder engagement has been fundamental to shaping the draft strategy, with 13 regional workshops held across Queensland earlier in the year. These were attended by more than 270 stakeholders, in addition to more than 200 responses received through online engagement.

Further consultation and feedback will be undertaken to ensure the SIS sets out the right infrastructure priorities and reforms for Queensland.

The strategy will be supported by seven regional infrastructure plans to better reflect the unique strengths and opportunities of each region, and the important role infrastructure plays in economic recovery, resilience, growth, and liveability.

The SIS follows on from the previous State Infrastructure Plan and its annual program of updates released between 2016 and 2020.

Comment can be provided online with consultation opening today (9 September) and set to close on 7 October 2021: https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/state-infrastructure-strategy

To view the QGIP visit: https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/industry/infrastructure/infrastructure-planning-and-policy