The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) attended the Transport for NSW (TfNSW) InMotion supplier and contractor engagement event in Sydney this week. The event brought together industry stakeholders and government leaders to discuss upcoming infrastructure priorities, procurement reform, and strategies to support a more skilled, inclusive and sustainable transport workforce.

TfNSW Secretary Josh Murray opened the event by noting that nearly half of the NSW Government’s budget is committed to transport and infrastructure. He outlined TfNSW’s focus on building transparency and stability in the project pipeline and its commitment to improving ethical practices and advancing diversity and inclusion through its Shift to Change agenda.

NSW Special Minister of State and Minister for Transport Hon. John Graham MLC  addressed the transformation underway in Western Sydney to support population growth. He highlighted that construction is now the largest employer in NSW, reinforcing the need to invest in workforce development, safety and capability. The Minister confirmed the NSW Government’s continued support for the implementation of the Culture Standard across tenders and contracts, as a way to improve industry productivity and deliver more inclusive workplaces.

Deputy Secretary Infrastructure Projects & Engineering Camilla Drover outlined TfNSW’s ongoing procurement reform agenda and emphasised the value of early industry engagement to support improved delivery outcomes. Her address included updates on:

  • The upcoming release of a TfNSW procurement reform progress report
  • A commitment to issuing the project pipeline quarterly, in response to industry feedback
  • Ongoing efforts to harmonise standard terms and conditions across all contract types
  • Plans to standardise design and construct (D&C) contracts following work on construct-only models
  • Local content targets, including a minimum 50 per cent local manufacturing requirement for new rollingstock and buses
  • Continued support for the High Speed Rail project, subject to federal business case outcomes
  • Flexibility in implementing the Culture Standard, to ensure it is suited to different project types
  • Integration of active transport in all new road projects
  • Future legislation to support shared e-scooter use and associated safety reforms.

NSW Minister for Regional Transport, and Minister for Roads Hon. Jenny Aitchison MP  also addressed the event. She highlighted the importance of the Gateway to Innovation program to support the application of new technologies on major projects, alongside improvements to budgeting and sequencing across the infrastructure pipeline.

The ARA participated in the manufacturing workshop, which explored the application of local content targets – set at 50 per cent across Australia and New Zealand, with a 30 per cent weighting for NSW in its Future Fleet procurement. The session facilitated discussion on how best to grow local capability, ensure confidence in targets, and align workforce development with upcoming projects.

Key issues raised included:

  • Identifying and building cross-modal capabilities and synergies
  • Conducting a national skills needs analysis to inform targeted programs
  • Co-designing training and qualifications in partnership with industry
  • Increasing transparency and auditing around local content measurement
  • Encouraging trial and adoption of new technologies
  • Improving alignment with national specifications and global standards
  • Addressing risk-averse cultures that can hinder innovation
  • Enhancing risk-sharing mechanisms to support local suppliers.

TfNSW also confirmed plans to host a supply chain matchmaking event in late 2025 to strengthen opportunities for local SMEs to engage in major projects.

The ARA thanks TfNSW for the opportunity to contribute to these important discussions and looks forward to continuing to engage with the department as its reform agenda progresses.