RICE held its first quarter meeting in Canberra this week and undertook a site visit to the green test track being trialled for Stage 2A of the Canberra Light Rail project.
The Committee also visited the Canberra maintenance depot and the work underway in preparation for network operations expansion.
RICE progressed the initiatives of its Rail Infrastructure Contractors 2023-2025 Strategy, focusing on better understanding the challenges around system integration in projects and the value in developing guidance material and principles to support the delivery of more consistent and improved project outcomes. The Committee discussed how this information could be developed into a micro-credential and the approach to establishing a framework for the consistent development of micro-credentials, as well as a proposed workshop, to identify priority micro-credentials for the rail industry.
RICE also received an update on the briefings planned for rail networks to share their management plan processes and working collaboratively with contractors to provide further clarity on use and assessments and to determine opportunities to streamline.
RICE also discussed next steps in progressing a national pre-qualification scheme for major rail infrastructure projects, as well as the NSW procurement plan progress report, 2023 Progress Report: Tracking progress against the NSW Government 10 Point Commitment to the construction sector.
The Rail Transport Executive of the National Transport Research Organisation, Natalie Loughborough, presented to RICE on the NTRO’s focus, structure, discipline areas, capabilities and products, as well as partners, shareholders and opportunities for industry to engage. Kyle Mortimer presented on his participation in the Male Allies program and diversity and inclusion learnings and the benefits of all male rail employees undertaking the course, and women rail employees undertaking the Women Rising program.
For more information, contact ARA’s General Manager of Supply Chain and Diversity, Natalie Currey.