Austroads' roundup of news, reports, Guide updates, webinars and events for November.
RoadWatch: Roundup
November 2024
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for November. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
Austroads is changing its website and email domain to austroads.gov.au
From the week commencing 25 November 2024, Austroads’ website and email addresses will change from austroads.com.au to austroads.gov.au.
The update will not impact Austroads stakeholders. There will be no change in the services or communication they receive from Austroads. The way Austroads interacts with and supports its partners will remain unchanged. Visitors to the Austroads website will be automatically redirected to the new austroads.gov.au domain, ensuring continued access to all resources, publications, and services.
Austroads is committed to ensuring a smooth transition, and this update will not require any action from stakeholders unless they use a password manager for their Austroads account logins. Users who have saved login details for the Austroads website in password managers will need to update those details to reflect the new domain.
New report offers practical solutions for climate-resilient asset management
A new Austroads report offers transport asset owners and managers practical strategies for embedding climate resilience into their asset management processes.
As climate change continues, its physical impacts will become more frequent and intense, posing a growing threat to transport networks and their ability to maintain expected service levels. Transport asset managers play a critical role in adapting to and mitigating these impacts.
The report provides actionable recommendations for addressing common challenges within asset management systems and processes. It covers essential areas such as asset lifecycle, criticality and vulnerability assessments, climate resilience valuation, and asset information management.
"Climate change is causing irreversible damage to communities, the economy, and the environment. It impacts the ability of transport networks to function as lifeline infrastructure, crucial for the flow of goods and services," said Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
The report is designed to support transport sector asset owners and managers to improve their processes and meet asset management goals. It highlights key intervention points for integrating climate resilience within asset management, focusing on the core pillars of performance, cost, and risk. Additionally, it provides case studies and examples that can be adapted to the unique context of each agency.
Join us for a webinar on Wednesday 20 November at 1 pm AEDT with Upeshika Heenetigala, Jesse Sounness and Qindong Li about the report and its recommendations. Register now.
Decarbonisation decision-making tool released for transport agencies
Austroads has released the Decarbonisation Decision-Making Guidance and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) Tool, designed to assist transport agencies in prioritising effective emission reduction strategies. The guidance, developed with extensive consultation from Austroads members, aims to provide a structured, evidence-based approach for evaluating and ranking interventions to meet carbon reduction targets.
The guidance supports various decision-making exercises, from statewide decarbonisation strategies to specific project assessments, including fleet decarbonisation options. It outlines methods for evaluating both quantitative and qualitative criteria, enabling a flexible and consistent approach to ranking interventions. The MCA tool complements established processes like Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) but focuses on integrating decarbonisation objectives into transport agency workflows.
Key advantages of MCA include transparency, efficiency, flexibility, and consistency. However, the guidance also addresses challenges such as assessment bias and limitations in comparing diverse interventions, providing strategies to mitigate these risks.
While primarily aimed at state transport agencies, local governments can also adopt elements of the guidance to support their road network emission reduction efforts. The User Guide aligns with best practices, such as the Infrastructure Australia Guide to Multi-Criteria Analysis, ensuring compatibility with national standards.
Join us for a webinar on Thursday, 21 November 2024 with the user guide and tool developers Nick Gallaugher and Georgia Harmey. Register now
Austroads releases new guidelines to help manage impact of climate change on infrastructure
The ability to assess and manage climate-related risks has become increasingly important across many sectors, including the transport sector.
Austroads has published a new framework for Australian and New Zealand transport agencies to guide climate change and natural hazard risk assessments and develop adaptation plans to mitigate risks.
“Transport infrastructure and systems are typically designed to withstand local weather events based on historical records of climate. However, historical climate data is no longer a reliable predictor of future impacts due to climate change. Extreme weather events are projected to become more frequent and intense, increasing the vulnerability of transport networks and the communities they serve,” said Joanne Vanselow, Manager of the Environment and Sustainability Program at Austroads.
Read more | Download the report and view the webinar
New report recommends median barriers to prevent head-on crashes on high-speed roads
Austroads has published a comprehensive report highlighting the importance of median barriers to mitigate the risk of head-on crashes on high-speed, two-lane roads in Australia and New Zealand.
Head-on collisions frequently result in significant impact forces, making them more likely to cause serious injuries than other types of vehicle crashes.
The report advocates for a Safe System approach, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads by preventing exposure to harmful forces. Safe System principles underpin the design and operation of roads in Australia and New Zealand.
“The practice of using central barriers in narrow medians has been successfully embraced in parts of Australia and New Zealand, and more broadly in countries such as Sweden, Japan and Ireland,” Michael noted. “Their wider adoption in Australia and New Zealand is crucial for enhancing road safety and protecting lives.”
Read more | Download the report and view the webinar
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.
Incorporating Climate Change Resilience in Asset Management | Register
Wednesday, 20 November 2024, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar will present the outcomes of Austroads’ recent project that developed practical guidance for asset managers to embed consideration of climate resilience into their asset management processes.
Transport Agency Decarbonisation | Register
Thursday, 21 November 2024, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar will focus on the Decarbonisation Decision-Making Guidance and associated multi-criteria analysis tool developed by Austroads to assist agencies and practitioners in the strategic prioritisation of emission reduction interventions. Register to hear about the key concepts and process.
Passenger Cars and Other Non-Truck Tyres Crumb Rubber in Asphalt: Demonstration Project | Register
Thursday 5 December 2024, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar will provide a detailed overview of the findings of a demonstration project in Tasmania, looking into the feasibility of using crumb rubber from non-truck tyres in asphalt applications.
Austroads Guide to Digital Engineering | Register
Wednesday 11 December 2024, 1 pm AEDT
Austroads has developed a Guide to Digital Engineering to assist transport agencies in Australia and New Zealand deliver and operate their assets more effectively through obtaining better value and consistency in the application of digital engineering capacity. This webinar will provide an overview of the guide, including why it is needed, the structure of the guide, approaches to developing a strategy, roadmap, implementation planning, learning and development framework and case studies.
Improving the Sustainability of Sprayed Seals | Register
Thursday 19 December 2024, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar will discuss the findings of a recent Austroads project on sprayed seal technologies and practices that can be used to improve their sustainability in terms of environmental impact. It will discuss the several opportunities mentioned in the project for sustainability improvements.
Work with us
Current projects
Are you looking for an opportunity to work on an Austroads project? The following projects are open for tender:
- ACP25 Audit and Compliance Program – NEVDIS. Closing 4 pm AEDT, Monday 18 November 2024.
- COR6485 Information Security Management System (ISMS) Update and Vendor Security Testing and Assurance. Closing 4 pm AEDT, Friday 22 November 2024.
- APT6135 Decarbonisation and Improved Sustainability of Asphalt Pavements. Closing 4 pm, Monday 25 November 2024.
- AAM6161 Updating Austroads Asset Management Test Methods. Closing 4 pm AEDT, Tuesday 26 November 2024.
VTO6514 Stocktake and Roadmap for Vehicle Technology Deployments. Closing 4 pm AEDT, Monday 2 December.
NEG6522 Technical Guidance for the use of Truck Mounted Attenuators during Temporary Traffic Management and Incident Response closing 4pm AEDT, Monday 9 December 2024.
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 an open position for a Database Administrator
Upcoming industry events
Join us for the 12th Austroads Bridge Conference, 25 – 27 June 2025 in Brisbane.
ABC25 is a gathering of the brightest minds and leading industry experts. Join us at the forefront of bridge technology, where ideas are shared, problems are solved, and knowledge is exchanged. Visit the ABC25 website to secure your spot and ensure you don't miss out on this landmark event!
