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Transport NSW Restructure

Transport NSW Restructure Transport NSW Restructure (300 KB)


Restructure Details

 

  • Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, and Minister for Roads and Ports, Duncan Gay, announced yesterday the establishment of a new Integrated Transport Authority that will co-ordinate the State’s transport services and ensure transport projects are built on time and on budget.
  • The Ministers said the establishment of the authority will – for the first time – ensure planning and policy across all modes of transport, including roads, are fully integrated.
  • The new authority will replace the Transport NSW department, but will be headed by its Director General, Les Wielinga.
  • The establishment of the authority will see policy and planning experts from all transport agencies working together, rather than in silos: in the restructure, procurement, policy and planning control formerly held by RailCorp, StateTransit, NSW Maritime and the Roads and Traffic Authority are being centralised in the new authority.
  • “It’s about getting rid of a dysfunctional structure with duplication and poor communication and replacing it with a streamlined agency which plans and delivers for all transport modes,” Ms. Berejiklian said.

 

  • The new authority will feature six key divisions:
  • Customer Experience: responsible for making sure journeys are as simple and seamless as possible;
  • Planning and Programs: responsible for consolidating planning for all modes and develop a comprehensive transport masterplan;
  • Transport Services: responsible for ensuring transport services cost-effectively meet the current and future needs of customers;
  • Transport Projects: responsible for ensuring major projects are delivered on time and on budget;
  • Freight and Regional Development: responsible for ensuring freight services and facilities meet the needs of the State economy, with particular focus on regional NSW; and
  • Policy and Regulation: responsible for developing and overseeing polices and laws pertaining to transport across the State.

 

  • A nationwide search will be conducted to identify the six people to run the new divisions, with the search to go global if necessary.

 

  • The Transport Minister said the restructure would be achieved within the existing transport budget.

 

  • The establishment of an independent advisory board will ensure the Government has access to independent advice on planning, delivering and managing the transport system for the NSW community.


Industry Response

 

Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF)

  • In a media release yesterday, the TTF stated that, “Establishing a new integrated transport authority is the right move to better coordinate the delivery of the state’s transport services.”
  • TTF Chief Executive, John Lee, said having a division focused on improving customer service will help bring Sydney’s road and public transport networks up to the standard expected of a city this size. “This is a positive move by the new government,” Mr Lee said. “A single body overseeing planning and policy across all transport modes will ensure a more efficient and streamlined transport system. It will ensure an end to the blame game, with different agencies blaming each other for failures in the network.”

 

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA)

  • IPA is on the record as saying that the radical overhaul of New South Wales’ transport agencies “will equip the State to deliver joined up planning and better transport outcomes.” “A single agency to oversee transport planning and procurement and drive accountability from line agencies makes sense,” said IPA Chief Executive Brendan Lyon.
  • Mr Lyon went on to say, “This model reflects world’s best practice and drives a much clearer delineation of responsibilities and outcomes. This structure means that public transport delivery by government and the private sector will be subject to uniform performance measures, meaning greater visibility for taxpayers about the actual performance and costs of the whole public transport network.”

 

Sydney Business Chamber

  • The Sydney Business Chamber has welcomed the establishment of an Integrated Transport Authority to take charge of Sydney’s transport network. Patricia Forsythe, Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, stated, “Sydney’s transport network has suffered from a collection of 15 dispirit transport agencies all looking out for their own patch without a strategic focus on delivering better transport services.”
  • Mrs Forsythe said she particularly welcomed the O’Farrell Government’s commitment to establish a division focused on freight transport.