RoadWatch: Roundup
July 2025
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for July. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
Brisbane hosts record-breaking 2025 Austroads Bridge Conference
The 12th Austroads Bridge Conference opened in Brisbane on 25 June. With over 600 attendees and nearly 300 papers presented across five diverse streams, this year’s event was the largest in the conference’s history and set a new benchmark for engagement and innovation in bridge engineering.
The conference commenced with a special CityCat tour along the Brisbane River, which explored 12 of Brisbane’s most iconic bridges. Expert commentary provided insights into the engineering features and historical significance of each structure.
Each day opened with keynote speakers from Australia and abroad who brought global perspectives to the forefront. Highlights include Mike Wilson’s insights on modern bridge ownership challenges, Richard Fish’s reflections on historical failures and James Harkness’ analysis of resilience following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Experts Rob Heywood, Sean Brady and Peter Burnton added depth with discussions on productivity, complexity theory and Brisbane’s unique bridge-building landscape.
The Women in Bridges panel discussion was a standout moment of the conference. Sponsored by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and moderated by Dr Torill Pape, the panel featured industry leaders Louise McCormick, Yvonne Gunreben and Professor Rebecca Gravina. The panel shared powerful perspectives on leadership, inclusion and mentorship in engineering.
The conference also celebrated excellence through the 2025 Austroads Bridge Awards, recognising outstanding achievements in design, management and project delivery.
Outside of the presentations, the exhibition space was busy with activity, showcasing cutting-edge bridge technologies, materials and solutions from leading organisations.
Austroads extends its thanks to all sponsors, speakers, exhibitors and attendees for making this year’s conference a resounding success and a vital hub for shaping the future of bridge engineering across Australia and New Zealand.
Watch a video recap of the event at the link below.
Austroads publishes recommendations to update Movement and Place content in upcoming revision of its Guide to Traffic Management
Austroads has released a new report to help transport agencies and local governments apply Movement and Place principles when planning for and operating road networks.
Austroads' Review of Movement and Place Guidance promotes greater consistency in terminology and application and draws on examples of best practice across Australia and New Zealand. It outlines recommendations to strengthen Movement and Place guidance within the Guide to Traffic Management.
Austroads Transport Network Operations Program Manager, Amy Naulls, said the recommendations respond to a clear need for improved guidance.
“Road managers across Australia and New Zealand are using Movement and Place as a framework to help optimise their networks for all users. This report supports that work by providing more consistent, practical advice.”
Join us for a webinar on 21 August 2025 with Mary Haverland.
Australasian Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool updated to reflect latest New Zealand and Australian economic guidance
Version 2.3.0 of the Australasian Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool has been released, incorporating updated economic parameters and guidance for both New Zealand and Australian jurisdictions.
The tool is used by around 1,000 practitioners annually across Australasia to support the selection of pedestrian crossing facilities based on walkability, safety, and economic outcomes. Austroads regularly updates the tool to ensure it reflects current best practice and guidance.
New Zealand updates reflect the May 2025 release of the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Monetised Benefit and Cost Manual, including revised discount rates, crash costs, and vehicle operating cost estimation.
Australian updates include adjustments to the crash and travel time costs using Australian Bureau of Statistics indices and the Australian Transport Assessment and Planning (ATAP) guidance.
Additionally, the tool’s load/save functionality has been enhanced to ensure saved economic evaluation settings are consistently applied when reopening files, improving repeatability and transparency of assessments.
Details of these updates are documented in Appendix G of the updated Australasian Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool [V2.3.0] User Guide.
Austroads Roads User Classification Scheme
Austroads is developing a new national classification scheme – Austroads-26 – to give road managers clearer, more consistent data on how transport networks are being used.
Following strong input from government and industry (over 350 survey responses!), we’ve released a new concept scheme architecture that reflects what stakeholders told us they need:
- greater flexibility
- better representation of active users
- clearer definitions that don’t tie you to specific tech.
The scheme includes a CORE classification, a LENGTH fallback, and optional PLUS components for added detail – like extended axle data, visual identification, or specialised labels.
The architecture is modular and tech-agnostic – built to support a range of operational needs and product capabilities.
New framework helps road managers boost resilience of transport management centres
Austroads has released a new framework to help transport agencies maintain continuity of operations when Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) fail – whether due to major weather events, cyber-attacks, technical failures, vandalism or planned maintenance.
Intelligent Transport Systems are central to the safe and efficient operation of road networks. From monitoring traffic flows to responding to incidents and providing real-time traveller information, ITS plays a vital role in Transport Management Centres (TMCs). But when these systems go down, the impacts can be swift and severe.
The new report provides practical guidance for agencies to prepare for, respond to, and recover from ITS disruptions. It supports the development of Business Continuity Plans, Disaster Recovery Plans, and Degraded Operations Plans, and includes tools for assessing business impacts, identifying risks, and testing responses.
“As reliance on ITS grows, so does the need for resilience in our ITS systems,” said Amy Naulls, Austroads’ Transport Network Operations Program Manager. “This report helps agencies manage both routine system upgrades and unexpected ITS and communications outages through structured processes that protect critical services.”
Join us for a webinar on Tuesday 28 October 2025 with David Yee and Tanya Zaknich.
Austroads reviews technical specifications and test methods to support sustainable transport infrastructure
Austroads has completed a review of its technical specifications and test methods to help accelerate the delivery of sustainable road and bridge infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand.
The review identifies areas where technical requirements can better support environmental outcomes without compromising the safety or performance of transport infrastructure.
Austroads' Technical Specifications and Test Methods are critical tools used by transport agencies to ensure the safety, durability and performance of road networks. While they have traditionally focused on technical quality, this review highlights their potential to also drive sustainability outcomes – such as reducing carbon emissions, increasing the use of recycled materials, and improving climate resilience.
Joanne Vanselow, Austroads’ Program Manager – Vehicles and Technology and Environment and Sustainability, said: “Technical specifications are a powerful tool for change. By modernising our specifications and test methods, we can help the transport sector transition to lower-carbon, longer-lasting infrastructure.”
Join us for a webinar on Tuesday 2 September with Joanne Vanselow and Sam Warren.
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.
Unlocking the Potential of Telematics Analytics Platform for Local Governments | Register
Wednesday 23 July 2025, 1 pm AEST
This webinar will provide information on the benefits of using telematics data for local asset management and transport planning – particularly with regard to restricted access heavy vehicles.
LED Lighting in Existing Road Tunnels - Best Practice Approaches | Register
Tuesday 29 July 2025, 1 pm AEST
This webinar will provide an overview of the Austroads Report and provide best practice guidance for tunnel owners and operators considering the transition to more efficient lighting systems.
Austroads' Review of Movement and Place Guidance | Register
Thursday 21 August 2025, 1 pm AEST
This webinar introduces the findings of the Austroads research project NEG6384 Movement and Place Guidance, which provides the foundation for updated and more unified Movement and Place content across the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management and related resources.
Sustainability Review of Austroads Technical Specifications and Test Methods | Register
Tuesday 2 September 2025, 1 pm AEST
This webinar will present the findings of the Austroads research report. Drawing from lessons learned from preparing the report, presenters will explore the research that examined Austroads Technical Specifications to identify specific opportunities for improvement and how to addresses barriers that hinder progress.
Work with us
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:
- Technical Specifications Manager
View current vacancies here.
Help us make Road Work Zones safer!
PIARC (World Road Association) is seeking to improve the management of road worksites worldwide. They are now collecting real-world insights to build a practical, risk-based toolkit that works for all, from major cities to low-resource environments.
Well-managed worksites save lives, ease congestion, and make roads safer and more inclusive.
This is your opportunity to shape international best practice in Work Zone Safety and Temporary Traffic Management —across safety, sustainability, innovation, and coordination. Your knowledge will directly inform a digital toolkit designed to protect workers and vulnerable users, cut emissions, and support smarter, more accessible temporary traffic management globally.
Take 15 minutes to have your say—and then share the survey with others.
Please share with colleagues, clients, contractors and consultants. A strong, diverse response will ensure the findings are relevant and impactful for all.
Survey open until 12th August 2025.
Low-Volume Roads Symposium: "Connecting the Dots"
The Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australia are hosting the Low Volume Roads Symposium in Alice Springs from 1 – 3 October this year. It will offer a space for people and groups who all share a common reliance on the low-volume road network o come together and establish connections.
Critical issues that will be discussed at the symposium include:
- road safety
- freight supply
- resource sustainability
- network resilience
- maintaining a skilled workforce.
The symposium will be beneficial to road managers and practitioners, people working in freight, supply and construction, emergency services, education, and survey and assessment specialists.
More information is available on the REAAA's website where you can also register for the event.
