RoadWatch: Roundup
March 2025
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for March. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
Austroads releases significant update to Guide to Temporary Traffic Management
Austroads has released an updated edition of the Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 8: Temporary Traffic Management Categories and the National Training Framework, delivering a nationally harmonised approach to training and accreditation for temporary traffic management professionals across Australia and New Zealand.
This significant update strengthens national consistency by refining Temporary Traffic Management categories, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and introducing an enhanced National Training Framework for Temporary Traffic Management. The revised framework ensures workers are appropriately trained and accredited for their roles, improving safety, efficiency, and best-practice standards across the industry.
'This update represents a major step forward in standardising training, ensuring those working in temporary traffic management are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to operate safely and effectively,' said Geoff Allan, Austroads Chief Executive.
Register for a webinar presented by Point8’s Rosie Toohey and Peter Bilton to learn more about the update. There will be question and answer opportunities during the session.
Improving cycling and micromobility planning across Australia and New Zealand
Austroads has released a new report recommending how to improve planning for cycling and micromobility across Australia and New Zealand. The report highlights the importance of planning for the increasing numbers of people on bikes and people on e-scooters.
Among its key recommendations, the report suggests updates to the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) to strengthen connections to best-practice planning and design principles, and draws on internationally recognised frameworks. The report also proposes a glossary of common terms, which will help ensure that terminology is clearer and better reflects the diversity of road users.
'We know that people who ride bikes and people who use e-scooters make these choices to benefit their own health, but they also benefit the wider community through reduced vehicle traffic and lower emissions. Bicycles and micromobility are vital contributors to a healthy transport system. This report sets out practical steps to help make streets safer and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities,' said Amy Naulls, Austroads Transport Network Operations Program Manager.
The report also introduces three key tools to assist planners and decision-makers.
Register for a webinar presented by Clare Huggins and James Laing and moderated by Mary Haverland to learn more about the report. There will be question and answer opportunities during the session.
Opportunities to improve safety and usability of specialty vehicle harnesses and vests for children and young people with disabilities
A new Austroads report has identified valuable opportunities to improve the selection and use of specialty vehicle harnesses and vests used by children and young people with disabilities.
Through a combination of surveys, expert input, and product analysis, the findings suggest there is a need for improved information and guidance about the selection and use of these products to ensure that children and young people can travel safely.
“One of the key takeaways from this report is the need for new guidance to better support healthcare professionals in prescribing specialty harnesses and vests for use in motor vehicles. We aim to develop this guidance as part of our future work program,” said Michael Nieuwesteeg, Road Safety and Design Program Manager at Austroads.
Michael highlighted that the Austroads report outlines a clear path for making motor vehicle travel safer for children and young people with disabilities.
Read more | Download the report
Register for a webinar with Helen Lindner, the Founder and Chief Executive of Mobility and Accessibility for Children and Adults (MACA), and Professor Julie Brown who heads the Injury Program at The George Institute for Global Health.
Reminder: New rules for converting overseas car and motorcycle licences to Australian licences starting 30 April 2025
Under new arrangements, the Experienced Driver Recognition status will end on 30 April 2025 for all states and territories except Western Australia and Queensland. The deadline for Western Australia is 31 October 2025. The deadline for Queensland is scheduled for mid 2025 pending passage of legislation.
These changes do not apply to visitors to Australia, who will still be able to drive with a valid overseas licence, provided they comply with the conditions of their licence.
After 30 April 2025 (31 October 2025 for Western Australian residents and mid 2025 for Queensland residents), people who wish to apply for an Australian licence and who hold a licence issued by a country that does not hold a Recognition Status will likely need to complete additional training and testing before being granted an Australian licence.
The new arrangements will be in place for the following countries and jurisdictions: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China), Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Taiwan.
If you are from any of the above countries or jurisdictions, you hold an overseas issued licence and wish to transition to an Australian licence, please contact your state or territory licensing authority as soon as possible.
Read more
Austroads Bridge Conference 2025 program released
The 12th Austroads Bridge Conference program is now live, offering a detailed look at the speakers, case studies, and technical discussions shaping this year’s event. Taking place in Brisbane from 24 - 26 June 2025, the conference will bring together experts from across Australia and New Zealand to explore the latest in bridge engineering, construction, and asset management.
This year’s program covers a wide range of topics over 6 streams, including bridge analysis, design, management, life cycle cost, load assessment, material technology, field applications, lessons learnt from bridge damages and failures and more.
'This year’s Women in Bridges networking function is an exciting addition to the conference program, providing a space for the next generation of female engineers to network and learn from industry leaders,' said Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
Full program | Register to attend | Read more
Austroads and Esri Australia partner to revolutionise geospatial insights for smarter transport solutions
Austroads is advancing its geospatial capabilities to unlock smarter, data-driven solutions for road and transport management across Australia and New Zealand.
Key to this initiative is the telematics data collected by Transport Certification Australia (TCA), a business unit of Austroads. Through its Telematics Analytics Platform (TAP), TCA gathers and processes data from vehicles via a network of providers who deliver services to transport operators under the National Telematics Framework. Austroads is now elevating these capabilities through a partnership with Esri Australia, the country’s leading provider of GIS solutions and technology.
'This collaboration has the potential to revolutionise data-driven decision making across Australian transport agencies, reinforcing our commitment to innovative solutions that improve the efficiency, productivity, and safety of our road networks,' said Matt Brunsdon, Austroads’ Chief Data & Technology Officer.
Read more
All upcoming Austroads webinars
There is no charge for our webinars, but registration is essential. If you can’t make the live session, register and we will send you a link to the recording.
Webinar: Guidance for Cycling and Micromobility Planning | Register
Thursday 20 March 2025, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar introduces the new Austroads Guidance for Cycling and Micromobility Planning, a resource for professionals seeking to deliver safer outcomes for all road users.
Driving Safety for Two: Study on the Correct Seatbelt Use During Pregnancy | Register
Thursday 27 March 2025, 1 pm AEDT
In this webinar, Sjaan Koppel, winner of the Austroads-sponsored Women in Road Safety Award 2024, will present findings from an Australian study on the importance of correct seatbelt use during pregnancy for maternal and fetal safety in car crashes.
Webinar: Update to Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 8 | Register
Thursday 2 April 2025, 1 pm AEDT
The Guide to Road Design Part 1 has been updated to reflect better consistency with industry challenges in the design and construction of road infrastructure in constrained environments and other contexts. Join this session to learn about the changes.
Update to Guide to Road Design Part 1 | Register
Thursday 3 April 2025, 1 pm AEDT
The Guide to Road Design Part 1 has been updated to reflect better consistency with industry challenges in the design and construction of road infrastructure in constrained environments and other contexts. Join this session to learn about the changes.
Keeping People Safe When Walking: Stream 1 - Data Evidence and Interventions | Register
Thursday 17 April 2025, 1 pm AEST
In this session you will learn about the different pedestrian safety risk priorities, the priorities to improve the data needed to support investment in pedestrian safety and the strategies and interventions to progress Vision Zero for pedestrian safety.
Identifying Segregation in Next Generation Polymer Modified Binders | Register
Thursday 29 May 2025, 1 pm AEST
This webinar will summarise the outcomes of an Austroads project which developed a new segregation test (ATM 104) which is suitable for use with both current and next generation polymer modified binders.
Review of Specialty Harnesses and Vests Used by Children and Young People with Disability | Register
Thursday 5 June 2025, 1 pm AEST
Join this webinar to hear about the findings of the project that investigated specialty harnesses and vests used by children and young people with disabilities and medical conditions when travelling in motor vehicles.
Work with us
Current projects
Are you looking for an opportunity to work on an Austroads project? The following project is open for tender:
- SRD6498 Digital Content Framework and Structured Authoring for Road Design Guidance – Phase 1: Pilot Next Generation Road Design Guidance. Closing 4 pm AEDT, Friday 28 March 2025.
Current vacancies
Austroads and Transport Certification Australia (TCA) employ staff across a range of specialised and technical disciplines. We pay attention to maintaining a safe and welcoming work environment, where all staff have equal access to opportunities. We encourage our staff to participate in external and internal training to make sure their skills and knowledge are continuously improved. We take inclusion and diversity seriously. We embrace difference and diversity of identity, experience and thought, and actively strive for inclusive behaviours across our company and our work.
We currently have positions open for:
- Cloud Solutions Engineer
- Technical Communicator
- Senior Project Manager Digital Trust Service (DTS)
- Contracts Administrator
- Program Coordinator Transport Network Operations
- Project Manager
View current vacancies here.
Upcoming industry events
12th Austroads Bridge Conference (2025), 25 – 27 June 2025, Brisbane
Driver Distraction In-Person Forum, 16 July, Brisbane
