VICROADS PURPOSE, AIMS AND ORGANISATIONAL VALUES PURPOSE To serve the community by managing the Victorian road network and its use as an integral part of the overall transport system. VicRoads, in partnership with other State and Federal Government agencies, local government and the private sector, contributes to the social and economic development of Victoria and Australia through its role in management of the transport system. AIMS > To assist economic and regional development by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the transport system. > To assist the efficient movement of people and freight, and improve access to services for all transport system users. > To achieve a substantial reduction in the number and severity of road crashes and the resultant cost of road trauma. > To be sensitive to the environment through responsible management of the transport network. > To provide efficient and effective, nationally consistent, customer-oriented driver licensing, vehicle registration, revenue collection, and driver and vehicle information services. ORGANISATIONAL VALUES > We put our customers’ and stakeholders’ needs first. > We develop as individuals and contribute as members of a team. > We are open, honest and fair. > We take pride in our success and continuous improvement. > We take responsibility for our actions. > We take a commercial approach to our service delivery. 3 LETTER TO THE MINISTER THE HONORABLE PETER BATCHELOR MP MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT LEVEL 26, NAURU HOUSE 80 COLLINS STREET MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3000 Dear Minister VicRoads 2001–02 Annual Report I have much pleasure in submitting to you, for presentation to Parliament, the Annual Report of the Roads Corporation (VicRoads) for the period 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002. Yours sincerely David Anderson Chief Executive Left: Following the opening of the Woodend Bypass by Minister Batchelor in December 2001, residents are now able to enjoy community life without heavy traffic. Below: More than 2000 residents from Sale and surrounding areas attended the official opening of the Swing Bridge in April 2002. 4 ABOUT VICROADS The Roads Corporation is a Victorian statutory > Commercial Services provides technical, corporation under the registered business name information and engineering services to of VicRoads. VicRoads and other organisations on a fully VicRoads serves the community by managing the commercial basis. These services include land Victorian road system and its use as an integral information and survey, materials technology, part of the overall transport network. design services for road projects, information services, bituminous surfacing services, In 2001–02, the organisation had an annual international project services, property program expenditure (both capital and recurrent) services, building and facilities management, of $1.1 billion and collected approximately publishing and graphic services and business $1.9 billion for the State Government and information services. Transport Accident Commission through licensing, registration and other fees. > Organisation Support is a group of business areas that support management of the VicRoads has 2284 staff who work in partnership corporation as a whole. The areas include with other government agencies, local contract services, corporate planning, public government and the private sector to provide cost- relations, legal counsel, executive services and effective products and services to the community. corporate secretariat. VicRoads has four core businesses – Road System VicRoads provides its services to the Victorian Management, Traffic and Road Use Management, community through a statewide network of Road Safety, and Registration and Licensing – offices and agencies. The network comprises which provide a clear focus for service provision. seven regional offices, located at Burwood East VicRoads is structured around five divisions. and Sunshine in metropolitan Melbourne, and in Ballarat, Benalla, Bendigo, Geelong and Traralgon > Business Operations comprises the four core in rural Victoria; 38 registration and licensing business departments. It is responsible for offices; seven project offices, telephone developing policy recommendations, program information services (located in Kew and strategies and purchasing services. It also Ballarat); and the Traffic Control and includes three departments that provide Communication Centre. corporate-wide financial, human resources and information technology and Registration and licensing services are also telecommunications services. provided at selected locations through agents such as local government, Australia Post, > Regional Services is responsible for delivering Westpac, Bank of Melbourne, the Challenge annual programs to meet core business goals Bank, pharmacies and Shell Touch kiosks, and and for managing services provided on a telephone and internet services such as regional basis. Programs are delivered through POSTbillpay® and BPay. seven regions and one support group, using contractors and in-house service providers. > Major Projects is responsible for managing implementation of designated major infrastructure projects, developing environmental management policies, planning of major projects to address and secure the necessary planning and environmental approvals. 5 Above right: The Woodend Bypass on the Calder Freeway prior to opening, with Mount Macedon in the background. Below (left to right): Surveillance Officer Ian Ingram and Senior Construction and Maintenance Engineer John Clinch with the rare grevillea celata on the Bruthen –Nowa Nowa Road. Easy Merge–Safer Flow traffic lights on the Thompsons Road ramp, Melbourne. Graduate Geraldine Quinlan (right) and Senior Policy Officer Jan Lyttle with the newly launched alcohol interlocks. Contractor Fred Meier testing the boat operator licensing system. The new Geelong office for VicRoads and the Department of HIGHLIGHTS Infrastructure. ENVIRONMENT > The Black Forest Section of the Calder Freeway was highly commended in the 2001 Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards. The award saluted the innovative solutions developed to manage the road safety and environmental challenges posed by constructing a freeway through sensitive native bushland in an area subject to extreme weather conditions. > VicRoads worked with the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation to develop a realignment option for the Murchison East deviation on the Goulburn Valley Highway that minimises impacts on an indigenous burial site discovered during construction. > The rare grevillea celata, listed as vulnerable in Australia, was given a new lease of life through the upgrading of the Bruthen-Nowa Nowa Road. The road runs through the Colquhoun State Forest, the only place grevillea celata is known to grow, and VicRoads was able to salvage, propagate and re-establish the plant as part of the upgrading project. PEOPLE > The inaugural VicRoads Workplace Safety Awards were presented to recognise outstanding staff contributions to workplace safety performance. Paul Ovenden won the individual award, and the team award went to the workplace safety group at Regional Services Division: Tony Bull, Stuart Porter, Steve Lindholm and Bob Adams. ROAD SYSTEM MANAGEMENT > The people of Woodend celebrated following the opening of the Woodend Bypass in December 2001. The diversion of heavy traffic on to the bypass has allowed residents to reclaim their township, boosting quality of life and tourism prospects. > In April 2002, the first sod was turned on the Craigieburn Bypass. When completed, the 17 km Bypass will create significant economic benefits for Victoria by reducing travel times, crash rates, and fuel and vehicle operating costs. TRAFFIC AND ROAD USE MANAGEMENT > A trial of the high tech ‘Easy Merge–Safer Flow’ traffic management system commenced at the Thompsons Road, Bulleen entrance to the Eastern Freeway. It provides motorists with easier and safer entry onto the freeway during peak periods. > Funding of $5.3 million enabled the completion of 92 bicycling projects providing an additional 195 km of bicycle paths in metropolitan and regional Victoria. This activity reflects the Victorian Government’s commitment to cycling as an environmentally friendly and healthy transport alternative. 6 ROAD SAFETY > In November 2001 the Victorian Government launched its arrive alive! road safety strategy for 2002–07. The strategy aims to reduce annual death and serious injury on Victoria’s roads by 20 per cent by 2007. > Alcohol interlock laws came into effect in mid-May 2002, as part of a crackdown on drink drivers. Repeat and serious drink driving offenders now face having interlocks installed in their cars as a condition of being relicensed. > L Site, an interactive internet site for learner drivers, came online, to help emphasise the complexities of driving and the need for a minimum 120 hours of supervised driving practice. Usage of www.lsite.vicroads.vic.gov.au has doubled monthly. REGISTRATION AND LICENSING > VicRoads extended its licensing activities to develop and operate a boat operator licensing system for Marine Safety Victoria. This followed the introduction of compulsory licensing of recreational power boats. > Upgrading of the computerised licence testing system was completed. It provides improved knowledge and hazard perception tests in 20 languages. > Victoria became the first state to introduce a written-off vehicles register, as part of a national program to reduce vehicle theft by closing off the opportunities for fraudulent re-registration