AP-R574-18 Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2017-2027
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Research Report AP-R574-18 Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2017-2027 Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2017-2027 Prepared by Publisher Adrian Hart & Rachael Logie Austroads Ltd. Level 9, 287 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Project Manager Phone: +61 2 8265 3300 [email protected] Tracy Jenkinson www.austroads.com.au Abstract About Austroads This is the Final Report of the Australia and New Zealand Roads Austroads is the peak organisation of Australasian road Capability Analysis 2017-2027. This report combines recent transport and traffic agencies. quantitative (workforce gap) and qualitative analysis (industry consultation) undertaken for this study to explain how ‘traditional’ and Austroads’ purpose is to support our member organisations to ‘non-traditional’ skills demand will form for roads agencies over the deliver an improved Australasian road transport network. To coming decade, what will be the key threats to workforce capability in succeed in this task, we undertake leading-edge road and the roads sector, and what positive steps roads agencies can take to transport research that underpins our input to policy respond to meet the short and longer term challenges ahead to 2037. development and published guidance on the design, construction and management of the road network and its In defining the skills considered here, use was made of the ‘skills associated infrastructure. cluster’ framework developed by Foundation for Young Australians (FYA), where ‘traditional’ road agency skills are defined as those Austroads provides a collective approach that delivers value skills come from artisan and designer clusters and ‘non-traditional’ for money, encourages shared knowledge and drives skills come from informer and technologist clusters. Through this, consistency for road users. and extensive stakeholder and industry engagement, this workforce Austroads is governed by a Board consisting of senior capability analysis has a much broader scope than previous analyses executive representatives from each of its eleven member and presents a richer tapestry of capability threats and potential organisations: solutions for consideration by road agencies in Australia and New • Roads and Maritime Services New South Wales Zealand. • Roads Corporation Victoria Keywords • Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland Workforce capability, skills shortages, labour supply and demand, • Main Roads Western Australia education, migration, road construction, road maintenance, network • Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure operations, asset management, project delivery, technology, data, South Australia disruption • Department of State Growth Tasmania ISBN: 978-1-925671-65-0 • Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Northern Territory CSP6502 Austroads Project No. • Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, Austroads Publication No. AP-R574-18 Australian Capital Territory • Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Publication date July 2018 Regional Development Pages 207 • Australian Local Government Association • New Zealand Transport Agency. © Austroads 2018 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without the prior written permission of Austroads. Acknowledgements BIS Oxford Economics would like to acknowledge the assistance and support from the Austroads Capability Working Group in preparing this analysis, comprising Tracy Jenkinson, Anita Curnow, Belinda Halling, Hayley Rose, Ken Marshall, Kym Foster, Neville Willey; Sandra Butcher; Sophie Ader, Trudi Mares, Maria Drinkwater, Mary Trestrail, Clare Rosso and Margret Dornan. This report has been prepared for Austroads as part of its work to promote improved Australian and New Zealand transport outcomes by providing expert technical input on road and road transport issues. Individual road agencies will determine their response to this report following consideration of their legislative or administrative arrangements, available funding, as well as local circumstances and priorities. Austroads believes this publication to be correct at the time of printing and does not accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of information herein. Readers should rely on their own skill and judgement to apply information to particular issues. Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2017-2027 Summary Following previous workforce capability studies undertaken in 2006, 2009 and 2013, Austroads engaged BIS Oxford Economics to undertake a new workforce capability analysis for member authorities based on planned and forecasted infrastructure development requirements in Australia and New Zealand over the next 10 years, with implications and recommendations to be provided encompassing the next 20 years to 2037. The analysis undertaken for this report indicates that roads agencies will face a convergence of challenges across the coming one to two decades: rising levels of transport infrastructure investment at a time of rapid changes in technology, funding and the very economic role and function of agencies themselves. Through expansive stakeholder and industry engagement – as well as gap analysis including extensive data analytics – this report seeks to explain how traditional and non-traditional skills demand will form for roads agencies over the coming decades, what will be the key threats to workforce capability in the roads sector, and what roads agencies can do to respond to the meet the challenges ahead. This far broader scope differentiates the current report from previous workforce capability studies undertaken by Austroads that tended to focus only on quantifying the demand for traditional civil engineering based occupations. The key messages from the analysis undertaken for this report are: • Agencies are already experiencing skills shortages, with transport analysts, planners and a range of designer cluster skills (engineers, surveyors, spatial scientists, cartographers and procurement managers) rated as being very difficult to source now. • Existing roads workforce will be under threat from rising activity in other sectors. Many, though not all, existing roads skills are transferable to other sectors such as rail. As such, a major threat to traditional agency capability is not meeting rising roads demands, but retaining the existing skills base during this period of heightened demand from other sectors. • Technologies that are expected to mature in coming decades will impact on agency roles and functions – and drive demand for new or expanded skills. While happening now, this process will accelerate in coming years. In an increasingly technologically-oriented world, agencies will face stern competition for these new breeds of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills in coming decades. Conversely, new technologies will also see demand for some existing skills drop away. • Agencies are likely to have time to adapt to some of the new technological developments. But, as indicated in the recommendations to this report, much needs to be done now and in coming years to place agency workforce capability on a sustainable path. Identifying the risks and providing positive solutions to meeting the ‘triple threat’ facing roads agencies is a key objective of this report. Through the findings of this workforce capability analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, a range of actions have been identified which can assist roads agencies in navigating risks to workforce capability, now and through the coming decades. These include measures aimed at making the greatest use of available skills now, whilst also putting forward recommendations aimed at developing and sustaining the skills agencies are expected to need in coming years and decades. Central to achieving sustainable workforce capability, however, will be consistent long term engagement with the education sector – as well as the broader industry – to ensure the right mix of skills is being developed, that roads agencies are well positioned to compete for these skills, and that agencies seek optimal ways to partner with other sectors to leverage their skills whilst retaining in-house capability to be ‘informed buyers’ of technological solutions. These are skills in their own right. In the words of one agency: “the answer may be… to identify ways we can bring in others to solve problems. We can be a good broker, rather than trying to do it all.” Austroads 2018 | page i Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2017-2027 Contents Summary ......................................................................................................................................................... i 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Structure of this Report .................................................................................................................... 2 2. Methodology ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 Industry Liaison ................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.2