Conference Agenda

08:50 - 09:00

MC OPENS

09:00 - 09:20

Ministerial Address

The Hon. Bill Johnston, Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Commerce and Industrial Relations, Electoral Affairs, Asian Engagement, Western Australia

09:20 - 09:50

Western Australia’s Transport Infrastructure Priorities

Richard Sellers, Director General, Department of Transport WA

09:50 - 10:20

Speed networking
This speed networking session will allow delegates to introduce themselves and swap business cards with other conference attendees.

10:20 - 10:40

Westport Strategy 

• Nicole Lockwood, Independent Chair of the Westport Taskforce, will give an insight into how the formation of the Westport strategy is progressing.
• Westport is creating a strategy to deliver a sustainable and globally-responsive freight, trade and logistics network for the Fremantle, Kwinana and Bunbury regions that will be delivered at the end of 2019.
• It will seek to capitalise on current and emerging opportunities for the next 50-100 years.

Nicole Lockwood, Chair of the Westport Taskforce, Westport

10:40 - 11:00

Establishment of Infrastructure WA

• A New Approach for Infrastructure Planning and Decision-Making for the State

Lance Glare, Director - Infrastructure Policy and Governance, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, WA

11:30 - 12:00

Connect Joondalup Development and Bentley 360

• Some 5,000 homes would be built across four Perth suburbs under a major suburban infill plan announced by the Western Australian government.
• Dubbed The Precincts, the medium-to-high density housing developments would deliver homes in the middle to outer suburbs of Bentley, Joondalup, Beaconsfield and Cannington over the next 15 years.
• Connect Joondalup would comprise around 1,600 new dwellings.
• Connect Joondalup and Bentley 360 represent WA’s biggest ever collection of infill opportunities and they will offer developers the chance to access prime state-owned land that supports medium-to-high density development.

Greg Cash, Assistant Director General – Commercial Operations, Department of Communities, WA

12:00 - 12:30

Overview of Perth Airport’s Major Development Plans

New Runway Project

• Perth Airport's proposed new runway is an important piece of infrastructure for Western Australia.
• The new runway will occupy 293 hectares, be 3,000 metres long and will be located parallel to the existing main runway with a 2km separation so that both can be used independently.
• Construction Timelines
• Benefits of the New Runway

Kevin Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Perth Airport Pty Ltd

12:30 - 13:00

BHP South Flank Project

BHP Western Australia Iron Ore will require the development of an additional ore deposit to sustain production as the Yandi mine is exhausted over the next five to ten years.

The South Flank deposit is located approximately 130 km by road north-west of the town of Newman, and approximately 8 km to the south of the Companys existing Mining Area C operation.

Project Overview and Timelines

Simon Thomas, Project Director – South Flank, BHP

14:00 - 14:20

Perth City link Tower and Hotel Development 

• Development approval has been granted for Far East Consortium’s $158million Perth Hub twin tower development at Lots 2 and 3A adjacent to Perth Arena.
• The first building is a 32-storey mixed-use tower with 314 apartments supported by retail tenancies and a tavern.
• The second building will accommodate the four-star Dorsett Hotel – a 23-storey tower with 263 hotel rooms and a range of dining options and amenities.
• Project Overview and Timelines

Dan Sweet, Manager – Western Australia, Far East Consortium Australia

14:20 - 14:40

Cycling Infrastructure for Perth

The Government of Western Australia has committed an unprecedent investment of $134.5m over the forward estimates period across the state.  This boost in funding will allow for sizable strategic connections to be completed in the coming years to accelerate the growth of a safe and connected cycling network.

This presentation will provide details on the approach to planning the network across the state, innovations in approach, key projects that will be enabled via the funding, activation approaches for projects and evaluation of projects post implementation.

Craig Wooldridge, A/Executive Director – Integrated Transport Planning, Department of Transport, WA

14:40 - 15:30

Panel Discussion

Lithium – WA’s Next Boom Resource

• The key new generation battery ingredient of lithium is set to become Western Australia’s next boom metal, following in the steps of gold, nickel and iron ore.
• How do we ensure adequate infrastructure to capitalise on the lithium boom?
• Could WA be a global hub for lithium?
• Lithium and Energy Materials Taskforce

16:00 - 16:20

Drone Data Collection/Analytics and their Impact on Infrastructure Maintenance and Agriculture

Cameron Edwards, Director, Infrastructure Economics

16:20 - 16:50

METRONET and What it Means for WA’s Future Transport Needs 

Populations of Australia’s big cities are growing at substantial rates while road congestion limits the reliance on car traffic for peak hour commuting. The heavy lifting of commuter traffic is provided by the city rail networks which rapidly reach their present capacity limits.

Maybe just in time to avoid future traffic gridlock, Australian governments have committed to an unprecedented investment in rail infrastructure and rolling stock. The keynote outlines and compares the approaches between Australia’s four biggest cities before looking in more detail at the METRONET transport programme in Greater Perth.

While METRONET may seem just a common branding for rail network extensions in Perth, the objective and potential impact of METRONET is much wider and more visionary. With the desirable bipartisan political support, METRONET could shape the future of transport in and around Western Australia’s capital for decades to come.

Dr Frank Heibel, Founder and Director, Doc Frank Rail Services

16:50 - 16:55

MC CLOSES

08:55 - 09:00

MC OPENS

09:00 - 09:30

Speed Networking Session

09:30 - 10:00

Health Infrastructure Overview

• The health system is expanding in Perth and across the State with projects underway, recently completed or in planning.
• The Infrastructure Unit leads the development of strategies and implements planning and development processes to enable the revitalisation of WA Health’s infrastructure to meet future health service needs.
• Projects Overview

10:00 - 10:30

Presentation by Bronze Sponsor

10:30 - 11:00

Regional Freight Planning for WA Agricultural Lands

• The Western Australian Regional Freight Transport Network Plan is a comprehensive and integrated strategic plan for all modes of freight transport across regional Western Australia.
• Focus on partnering with the private sector to deliver infrastructure
• Strategic infrastructure needs and investment priorities.

Catherine Wallace, Executive Director - Freight and Ports, Department of Transport WA

11:30 - 12:00

Importance of Design to Perth’s Built Environment

Geoff Warn, Government Architect, Western Australia

12:00 - 12:20

Lithium Valley Report : Lithium Battery Boom and How WA could capitalise on it

• Western Australia’s Role in the Lithium and Battery Minerals Value Chain

Peter Newman, John Curtin Distinguished Professor - School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University

12:20 - 12:50

WA Electricity Market Reforms

Richard Harris, Chairman, WA Independent Power Association

13:50 - 14:10

Pilbara Ports Authority

• Lumsden Point General Cargo Facility and Logistics Hub
• Ports Growth Plan
• Sustaining Long Term Operation and Development of Port Hedland

Mark Kuzminski, Chief Financial Officer, Pilbara Ports Authority

14:10 - 14:30

Introducing Perth’s first Smart Freeway

• Smart Freeways – Kwinana

The Design, construction and implementation of an integrated Smart Freeway system will include:

• Modifications to the existing Kwinana Freeway Northbound carriageway from Canning Highway to the Narrows Bridge to allow for all lane running
• Emergency stopping bays at regular intervals throughout the all lane running section
• Overhead electronic signs, between Farrington Road and the Narrows Bridge, to inform road users and support the management of the freeway; and
• Coordinated ramp signals between Farrington Road and Canning Highway.
• The Smart Freeway project forms part of the $2.3 billion WA Infrastructure Package, and is expected to be operating by early 2020.

Tony Earl*, Executive Director – Road Network Operations, Main Roads WA

14:30 - 15:00

Social Licence to Operate in the Mining Sector

Social licence to Operate (SLO) refers to the ongoing acceptance and approval of a project, company or industry by its stakeholders. SLO is a significant issue for the mining industry, as a lack of community acceptance can cause delays to secure funding and government approvals and extra costs to projects.

• Exploring the origins of social licence to operate in the mining sector
• Regulatory Framework in Australia

William Witham, Chief Executive Officer, Australia – Africa Minerals & Energy Group

15:00 - 15:20

Demand And Supply of Construction Labour and Engineering Resources for WA Major Projects

• Presentation of demand, and supply analysis of construction labour and engineering resources for WA major projects
• 5 year look-ahead on skills demand and supply in Western Australia  
• Identification of which skills will be in short supply, where, when and by how many
• Labour dynamics and competition from projects in other states
• The impact of skills shortages on productivity, cost and schedule
• Potential strategies to address current, medium and longer term skills shortages

Peter Dyball, Principal & Founder,Principal & Founder, Pit Crew Management Consulting Services Pty Ltd